Cards, Jays win division titles

Heyward’s second career grand slam came in the third inning and gave the Cardinals a dominating 6-0 lead.

The St. Louis Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Pirates in a doubleheader at PNC Park today.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar).

This Pirates team still has a chance to win 99 games. The giddy clubhouse joy.

“I was the guy who got the big hit but anybody on this team could be the hero”, Heyward said.

The Pirates will play in the one-game NL wild-card playoff for a third successive year, meeting the Cubs on October 7.

The Cardinals won the NL central in the second game of a double header last night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

They just happen to be in the same division as the Cardinals.

Calling the diagnosis “amazing”, Mozeliak told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I think the good news is he will probably play again in the regular season”. The silver lining, perhaps, is that a long-banged up Cardinals team has seen the likes of Matt Adams, Adam Wainwright, Jon Jay and Randall Grichuck return down the stretch, so they’re not nearly as dependent on Piscotty’s production now as this time in August. St. Louis will have home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny confirmed before Tuesday night’s game between the Pirates and Cardinals that Piscotty was out of the hospital after being held overnight for observation. “This has a lot more meaning than what it looks like at face value”.

Even Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle couldn’t help himself after seeing Wainwright take the mound four months ahead of even the most optimistic projections.

Central has been one of the most dominant divisions in the Major League Baseball over these last few years.

Texas starter Yovani Gallardo (13-11) worked the first 5.1 innings to earn the win. Neil Walker also homered for the Pirates. Because the Cardinals have 287 wins over the same span. We’ve got 96. Separation is what it is. “The ultimate goal hasn’t changed, to win a world championship”. “You’re going, “‘ Cole said.

Charlie Morton (9-9) suffered the loss for Pittsburgh.

The fact that the game will likely occur in Pittsburgh seems somewhat irrelevant as the Cubs’ starting pitcher will be Jake Arrieta.

– Kyle Gibson pitched six shutout innings and Torii Hunter had a three-run double as the Minnesota Twins split a doubleheader in Cleveland, winning 7-1 and losing 10-2.

Morton temporarily gathered himself only to unravel completely in the third.

The Cardinals added on in the seventh and eighth inning behind Jhonny Peralta.

Joe Blanton relieved LaFromboise in the fourth and pitched three strong innings.

“It’s the first step”, said Heyward, acquired in an offseason trade from Atlanta. Martinez left his start September 25 against Milwaukee with a strained right shoulder.

Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was treated between games by trainers after taking a foul ball off his left ear in the opener.

Michael Wacha (17-6) gets the start for St. Louis while the Pirates move up ace Gerrit Cole (18-8) who was originally scheduled to pitch in Wednesday night’s game.