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Wong walkoff HR gives Cards 5-4 win over Pirates

Sports

July 8th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Kolten Wong gave the St. Louis Cardinals their second straight game-winning ninth-inning home run, connecting off Ernesto Frieri with two outs for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Frieri (1-1) got two routine outs before Wong, batting eighth, hit his third homer on a full count.

The drive over the right-field wall, which was estimated at 420 feet, was the first game-winning homer of Wong’s career and it came a night after Matt Adams hit his first winner off Justin Wilson in a 2-0 victory. The Cardinals last had consecutive game-winning homers when Albert Pujols twice beat the Cubs on June 4 and 5, 2011.

Wong also gave the Cardinals the early lead with a two-run double in the second. Trevor Rosenthal (1-4) struck out Starling Marte on three pitches with two on to end the ninth.