Flores Jr., Lowe hit homers to spark Pirates to 6-2 win over Cardinals

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rafael Flores Jr. hit a three-run home run and Brandon Lowe added a solo shot to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

The Pirates entered the game, having scored only eight runs in their previous six games.

Carmen Mlodzinski (7-6), the third Pirates pitcher, gave up one run and one hit in 3 1/3 innings. Six Pittsburgh pitchers held the Cardinals to just three hits.

Rookie Brycen Mautz (0-1) took the loss in his MLB debut for St. Louis. He gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in three innings. Mautz struck out eight.

In the fifth, Flores drove a 3-2 slider into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer, extending Pittsburgh’s advantage to 5-1.

Three consecutive errors in the sixth led to a run for St. Louis. With one out, shortstop Jocob Gonzalez booted two grounders followed by center fielder Oneil Cruz misplaying a routine fly. Pittsburgh also made three errors in Friday’s game.

The Pirates went up 2-1 in the fourth. Jake Mangum singled to left but rookie Joshua Baez misplayed it and then didn’t hustle after it. Mangum raced to third and was ruled out before the call was challenged and overturned. Mautz then gave up a run-scoring single to Gonzalez.

Baez hit his first home run at Busch Stadium in the third inning, sending an 0-1 slider from reliever Evan Sisk into the left-field seats. Baez made history when homered in each of his first three major league at-bats on Aug. 15 in Chicago.

Lowe homered in the first inning with one out.

Before the game, the Cardinals designated reliever Caleb Ferguson for assignment and recalled Mautz.

Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (5-12, 5.44) faces Pirates’ RHP Braxton Ashcraft (13-5, 3.59) on Sunday afternoon in the series finale.

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