Sparked by Gregory Polanco, Pirates use 8-run rally for comeback to beat Cardinals

Gregory Polanco complained about the catcalls from Pittsburgh Pirates fans before Thursday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, then turned the jeers to cheers at PNC Park.

Polanco went 3 for 4 with two doubles, including a two-run line drive to left in an eight-run seventh inning to score the go-ahead runs as the Pirates rallied for an 11-7 win before 8,618 at PNC Park. It marked only the second time in five decades that the Pirates came back from a deficit of at least six runs to beat the Cardinals.

The 29-year-old right fielder, the team’s longest-tenured player, voiced his frustration with both his performance this season and the ridicule he has endured from fans this homestand. Since being placed on waivers Sunday, Polanco is 6 for 14 (.429) with three doubles and two RBIs.

Polanco admitted to having no shortage of motivation to silence critics.

“Oh yeah, for sure, for sure, (with) people doubting me, and people trying to say I can’t,” Polanco said. “(I know) the talent that God gives to me. I just need to keep working, working hard, and that’s what I’m doing right now. Just working hard and trying to do my best every day, and just go out and compete. That’s the motivation for me every day.”

The Pirates (47-81) finished with 17 hits as they got four-hit performances from second baseman Michael Chavis and first baseman Colin Moran, three hits from Polanco and Wilmer Difo and three walks by Ben Gamel.

Trailing, 7-3, they scored eight runs in the seventh against left-handed relievers Andrew Miller and Genesis Cabrera (2-5) before making an out, as 10 of their 13 batters reached base.

The rally started with a leadoff double by Ke’Bryan Hayes and continued with a Gamel walk and Chavis single on a bloop to right to set up Bryan Reynolds for a two-run single that cut it to 7-5.

Difo tied it at 7-7 with a two-run single to left, and Polanco added the double to left for a 9-7 lead. Yoshi Tsutsugo followed with a two-run home run to right, his third pinch-hit homer and fourth overall, to stretch the lead to 11-7 for an eight-run swing.

“A comeback like that, going down early and coming back and taking the lead obviously feels great,” Moran said, “especially when you battle back like that.”

The Cardinals (64-62) had built a 7-1 lead against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller, who had allowed only one run in 16 innings in his first three starts against St. Louis this season.

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer off the left field foul pole to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the first. The second inning wasn’t any kinder to Keller, who gave up a two-run double to right by Tommy Edman and an RBI single to left by Paul Goldschmidt to get in a 5-0 hole.

The Pirates cut it to 5-1 in the second, when Difo beat out a grounder to short, advanced to third on a double down the right field line by Polanco and scored on Kevin Newman’s groundout to short.

Keller gave up another two-run homer, this one to Edmundo Sosa for a 7-1 lead in the third, but the Pirates answered with a two-run homer by Moran to cut it to 7-3. Moran drove a Miles Mikolas curveball 394 feet to the right field seats for his seventh home run of the season.

Although Keller gave up seven runs in the first three innings, the right-hander recovered to retire seven of the final nine batters he faced.

“He was able to get through it,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, “and because of those two innings and even going out for the sixth, he gave us a chance to win the game.”

Kyler Keller, Chad Kuhl (4-6), Chris Stratton and David Bednar combined to pitch three-plus scoreless innings in relief, but this proved to be a redemption game for Polanco.

“It was good for him,” Shelton said. “The one thing we talked about with Gregory Polanco is he comes to play every night. Regardless of anything that’s going on around him, he comes and plays hard every night. He had a really nice game.”