PITTSBURGH (AP) — Matt Carpenter homered in two straight games entering Sunday. By contrast http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-edgar-martinez-jersey , Jack Flaherty had allowed at least one home run in each of his previous three starts.Carpenter kept his streak going while Flaherty brought his to an end to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.Flaherty (5-6) allowed three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in six innings. It marked the first time he completed six innings since July 3, when he surrendered four runs in six against the Arizona Diamondbacks.Carpenter hit a solo home run in the fifth inning — his career-high 29th of the season, tying him with Colorado’s Nolan Arenado for the NL lead — and Jedd Gyorko singled to drive in a run later that inning to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.“(Leading the National League in home runs) is definitely not something I’ve ever really thought about,” Carpenter said. “It’s just a crazy stretch. There’s not much thought behind it other than I’m just trying to hit the ball hard. I’m really not trying to hit home runs. It just happens.”St. Louis took the final two games of the three-game series to move past Pittsburgh into third place alone in the NL Central.“Just good baseball,” interim Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “It started on the mound. Jack was really, really tough through six innings. Offense competed well. … Some tough at bats, good at bats, and good pitching all the way through.”Bud Norris retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the ninth for his 21st save.Flaherty recovered after giving up four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies in his last start.He got out of trouble twice on Sunday, first when the Pirates had runners on second and third with one out. Corey Dickerson struck out and Starling Marte grounded out to end the third inning. With runners on first and third two innings later, Flaherty forced Jordan Luplow into an inning-ending double play.“That was more where I kind of wanted to be at,” Flaherty said. “It was nice to make adjustments from the last time out, the last few times out, just to try to get ahead. Once it was get ahead, it was stay ahead.”Carpenter’s home run to right with one out in the fifth ended Trevor Williams‘ streak of 21½ innings without allowing a run. That stretched back to July 6, when Williams (9-8) gave up three runs in the third inning of a 17-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.“At that point of the game, you are upset they are up 1-0. That’s what I was worried about,” Williams said. “Knowing how good Flaherty was throwing and how well he was executing his pitches, it was tough. It’s unfortunate that that one blink cost the game today Ryon Healy Jersey , but that’s kind of how baseball is right now.”After the homer, Williams surrendered consecutive singles to Yadier Molina and Jose Martinez before Gyorko scored Molina with a single to left. Williams allowed those two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in five innings.Adam Frazier hit a home run off reliever Chasen Shreve to make it 2-1 in the seventh.“Now we go on the road and it’s (against) good teams,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I just love the fact that we are in the hunt. Time to go. We would have loved to won more games here. We did not. Now, it’s time to go put a better package together on the road.”ROSTER MOVESCardinals: RHP Tyson Ross was claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres and will join St. Louis in Miami. He was 6-9 with a 4.45 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 22 starts for the Padres this season.Pirates: RHP Casey Sadler was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. RHP Alex McRae, who allowed three runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief Saturday, was optioned to Indianapolis.TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: Dickerson started in left field for the first time since missing eight games with left hamstring discomfort. He hit leadoff and was 0 for 3 with one walk. … INF David Freese did not play because of a right forearm contusion suffered Friday.UP NEXTCardinals: RHP Luke Weaver (6-9, 4.75) will attempt to keep his string of impressive performances going when he faces the Miami Marlins on Monday. He has surrendered three runs or fewer in five straight starts since giving up eight in an 11-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves on June 30.Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (4-5, 3.63) will look for a third straight quality start when he takes the mound against the Rockies on Monday. In his last two starts, Musgrove has allowed three combined runs on 10 hits in 14 innings. NEW YORK (AP) — With midnight approaching after 13 innings of mostly scoreless baseball, David Wright was handed the microphone before a full house at Citi Field.“Everybody stayed, which is amazing,” he said later. “It’s crazy.”Much like the last few years of his truncated career, Wright’s finale was no fairytale at the plate.Adoration, appreciation, respect. Those were the tokens he took home.Wright walked off to a long standing ovation before a sellout crowd Saturday night in his farewell game for the New York Mets.“This was surreal,” he said. “It hit me right in the heart when I took the field for the first time and heard the fans cheer, and that is something that I will always remember.”The team captain went 0 for 1 with a walk against the Miami Marlins during New York’s 1-0 victory in 13 innings. He was removed after two plate appearances as planned, and on defense he handled a one-hopper to third base with no problem.When the game finally ended http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-dee-gordon-jersey , Wright joined teammates as they ran onto the field to swarm Austin Jackson, who hit the winning double. Then they all watched from the dugout together, some holding their own kids, as the Mets played a tribute to Wright on the ballpark video board. After that, he addressed the crowd in a speech that lasted about 2 minutes, 20 seconds.“I think I’m all out of tears, so I think we’re good to go with that,” he said. “This is love.”Wright, who fouled out to first base his final time up , took his position before the top of the fifth inning. Mets manager Mickey Callaway then came out of the dugout to make a lineup change, and Wright began his slow stroll off the field.As fans chanted his name and cheered for about 3 minutes, 15 seconds, Wright saluted them by touching the bill of his cap and patting his chest repeatedly. He went down the line and hugged all his teammates just in front of the Mets’ dugout, with Marlins players standing and applauding from across the field.“David deserved this day. That’s for sure,” Callaway said.With watery eyes, Wright took a bow, blew a kiss to the crowd of 43,928 and came out of the dugout for a curtain call before heading up the runway toward the Mets’ clubhouse Robinson Cano Jersey , followed by several teammates.Once he was out of sight, fans chanted “Thank you, David!”“I should be thanking them, for everything they allowed me to experience these last 14 or 15 years,” Wright said later.His stellar career cut short by neck, back and shoulder injuries that required surgery, the 35-year-old Wright completed an arduous comeback by returning to the majors this week for the first time since May 27, 2016.Unable to fully overcome his physical setbacks, he said he expects Saturday to be his last major league appearance even though his contract runs through 2020.“I can’t sit here and tell you that I’m good with where I’m at right now. That would be a lie and that would be false because, you know, you love something so much and you want to continue that,” Wright said. “But tonight was special.”Wright was reinstated from the disabled list Tuesday and finally made it back into a big league game Friday night as a pinch-hitter. He grounded out on the only pitch he saw in his first plate appearance in nearly 2½ years, then batted third in a ceremonial start Saturday that was in the works for weeks.With family and friends on hand, the seven-time All-Star crouched behind home plate to scoop up an honorary first ball tossed by the oldest of his two daughters, 2-year-old Olivia Shea, who wore a Lil Wright jersey with his No. 5 on the back.Highlights of Wright’s career played on the video board just before the first pitch. He bounded out to third base alone, followed by longtime teammate and buddy Jose Reyes, who started alongside Wright at shortstop for the first time since Sept. 28 Felix Hernandez Jersey , 2011.The pair embraced several times on the field and soaked in applause during their 878th start together, most by any two players in team history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.“It brought back a lot of memories,” Wright said.Tugging at heartstrings all night, the Mets accompanied a video montage of Wright in his finale with music from “The Natural” a few innings later.Reyes doubled leading off the first and reached third on Jeff McNeil’s sacrifice bunt, setting up an RBI opportunity for Wright. With the Marlins playing their infield in, Wright fouled off a 91 mph fastball and drew a full-count walk from rookie Trevor Richards.“I wish I could have gotten a hit or found a hole or something, but at least I have an on-base percentage this year,” Wright said, drawing laughs.Wright was immediately erased on a double play. He fouled out on the second pitch he saw leading off the fourth, with first baseman Peter O’Brien making a not-so-easy catch near the retaining wall that turned him into the target of loud boos all night.“I’m hated here. I’m OK with that,” O’Brien said.Still grinning, a disappointed Wright trudged slowly back to the dugout.“I feel bad for the guy — but I don’t feel bad for the guy,” Wright said, eliciting more laughs.Wright’s big night was big news in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio in a morning tweet proclaimed it David Wright Day “in honor of (hashtag)OurCaptain.”SNY, the television home of the Mets, programmed Wright highlights Hisashi Iwakuma Jersey , interviews and features that ran all day beginning at 10 a.m.Even the crosstown rival Yankees took out a full-page ad Friday in the New York Post congratulating Wright on “a distinguished career.”“This is a pretty amazing night,” said Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, who presented Wright with the framed proclamation after the game. “This is one of those things that you’re never going to forget. There’s not many people like David Wright in this world.”The Citi Field gates opened early at 4:30 p.m. so fans could watch Wright and the Mets take batting practice. The star of the show knocked a few balls over the fence, waved to the crowd and signed autographs.The club’s career leader in hits, RBIs, runs and several other categories, Wright was drafted by the Mets and has spent his entire career with them. For years he’s been the face of the franchise — and sometimes its most visible spokesman — for a team that often sorely needed the positive image he always portrayed.If there’s ever been a Mr. Met without the big head, David Wright is it.“His grind just to get back to this spot has been unbelievable — and most people wouldn’t do it,” Callaway said before the game. “We’re doing something special for David not because of the numbers he put up, but because of the person he is.”FINAL SCENEJackson doubled home Michael Conforto with the winning run on the first pitch from reliever Javy Guerra. Conforto singled off Jarlin Garcia (3-3) to start the 13th and advanced when Jack Reinheimer walked.Daniel Zamora (1-0) worked a hitless inning for his first major league win.TRAINER’S ROOMMets: OF Brandon Nimmo grabbed the back of his right leg after rounding first base on a leadoff single in the seventh and was removed from the game in obvious discomfort. He said he’ll have an MRI on his strained hamstring Tuesday.UP NEXTMarlins: All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto will manage the team in its season finale Sunday, according to skipper Don Mattingly. Rookie RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 4.00) gets the start.Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (12-4, 3.22 ERA) is on the mound for New York.
