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Cardinals Slugger Hits Walk-Off Homer to Defeat Pirates
26 Aug
Summary
- Alec Burleson's 9th-inning solo homer lifts Cardinals
- Willson Contreras ejected for arguing with umpire
- Cardinals rally from 4-1 deficit to take 6-4 lead
On Monday, August 25th, 2025, the St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in a close-fought matchup. The game was filled with late-inning drama, as the Cardinals came from behind to defeat the Pirates 7-6.
The Pirates jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the 3rd inning, thanks to a two-run homer by Bryan Reynolds and a solo shot by Spencer Horwitz. However, the Cardinals rallied in the 5th, scoring 5 runs with two outs to take a 6-4 advantage. The key hits in the inning came from Willson Contreras, who drove in two runs with a single, and Nolan Gorman, who added an RBI double.
The game took a chaotic turn in the 7th inning when Contreras was ejected by home plate umpire Derek Thomas for protesting a called third strike. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was also ejected in the aftermath. Adding to the drama, a bucket of chewing gum was tossed onto the field from the Cardinals dugout.
The Pirates tied the game 6-6 in the 9th inning, but in the bottom half, Alec Burleson stepped up and delivered a walk-off solo homer to lift the Cardinals to victory. Burleson finished the game 4-for-5 with two runs scored.
The win snapped the Pirates' four-game winning streak and kept the Cardinals in the hunt for a playoff spot in the National League.
