ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit three doubles and a single, Paul DeJong homered and the St. Louis Cardinals, minus their rookie manager, beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 Saturday.
Oliver Marmol, a winner in his debut Thursday as a major league manager, was at Busch Stadium before the game and diagnosed with the flu. He tested negative for COVID-19 and left the ballpark, and bench coach Skip Schumaker filled in.
Arenado drove in three runs in his second four-hit game since being traded to St. Louis prior to the 2021 season.
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas threw a career-high 41 pitches in the first inning, but gave up just run in that span. He was pulled in the fourth.
Relievers Kody Whitley (1-0), Nick Wittgren, T.J. McFarland and Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos combined to throw 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
Mitch Keller (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in four innings.
Arenado singled home Paul Goldschmidt to make it 2-all in the third. DeJong homered later in the inning.
Corey Dickerson, making his Cardinals debut, singled home Arenado in the fifth.
Arenado added an RBI double in the sixth.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Schumaker, formerly a popular player with the Cardinals, is in his first season on the St. Louis staff after four years with San Diego. He challenged a call at second base by umpire Dan Merzel, who had ruled Dylan Carlson came off the bag while trying to steal second in the first inning. Schumaker won the challenge as the call was overturned.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton successfully challenged first base umpire Mike Muchlinski’s ruling that Roberto Pérez was called out returning to the bag after Kevin Newman lined out to McFarland in the sixth inning.
SHOWTIME
Pirates rookie Diego Castillo stroked his first major league hit when he doubled off McFarland in the sixth inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Placed RHP Duane Underwood, Jr. (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Friday and recalled RHP Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis. Underwood departed Thursday’s game after throwing 10 pitches. ... 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes returned to the lineup after leaving Thursday’s game with cramping in his right forearm.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Bryse Wilson (3-7, 5.35 ERA in 2021) has allowed seven runs in five innings over two appearances against the Cardinals.
Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (14-7, 3.82 ERA in 2021) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh for the first time since 2019 as he makes his debut for St. Louis.
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