St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt (26) celebrates with Iván Herrera (48) on his way back to the dugout after his home run off of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana in the ninth inning of a baseball game, in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH — Jose Fermin hit a tiebreaking two-run double after Pedro Pages and JJ Wetherholt hit consecutive homers — all in the ninth inning — as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 Monday night after breaking up a perfect game bid in the seventh inning.

With the Pirates leading 2-0, four Pittsburgh pitchers combined to shut down the Cardinals through 6 2/3 innings before Alec Burleson legged out a two-out, infield single off Evan Sisk in the seventh.

Pages' and Wetherholt’s home runs off Dennis Santana (2-2) lifted the Cardinals into a 2-all tie before Fermin’s double into the left-field corner scored Victor Scott II and Burleson, giving St. Louis a 4-2 lead.

Ryan Fernandez (1-0) earned the win and George Soriano got a ground out, strikeout and, after a single by Nick Gonzales, a fly out for his first save as the Cardinals snapped a four-game skid.

Pittsburgh opener Mason Montgomery and Justin Lawrence each pitched an inning and Wilber Dotel worked the next four, striking out three. Sisk pitched two-thirds of an inning before he replaced by Isaac Mattson after allowing the Cardinals' first hit. The Pirates carried their two-run lead into the ninth before Santana blew the save.

The Pirates scored one run in each of the first two innings on RBI singles by Ryan O’Hearn and Jake Mangum off Dustin May In six innings, May allowed two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Burleson and Fermin had two hits apiece for St. Louis. The Pirates got two hits each from Gonzales and Mangum.

Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz was a late scratch because of illness

Up next

Cardinals RHP Kyle Leahy (2-3, 5.63 ERA) is expected to face Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.43) on Tuesday night.

St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt connects with a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana for a home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game, in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés celebrates as he rounds the bases on his home run off of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana in the ninth inning of a baseball game, in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum drives in a run with a single off a pitch from St. Louis Cardinals' Dustin May in the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum, left, slides under a tag by St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, right, for a stolen base in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)