Jul 13, 2015 4 min read

The Pirates did exactly what they needed entering the All-Star break by not only taking three out of four games against the St. Louis Cardinals, but doing so in the fashion in which they accomplished the feat.

The three wins in four games were important in the overall division race, trimming a lead that grew to nine games just a couple of weeks ago to 2 1/2 entering Major League Baseball’s mid-summer break. But they also were important in that they established the Pirates as a legitimate threat to the Cardinals.

To this point, St. Louis h seemed like an unstoppable force, winning games regardless of who was hurt, who they put out there in those injured players’ place and who the opponent happened to be.

But the Pirates not only beat the Cardinals this weekend, they did so in dramatic fashion Saturday and Sunday with a pair of walk-off wins in extra innings, showing St. Louis they aren’t going away.

Even more impressive was the fact Pittsburgh got those victories after allowing St. Louis to score in the top half of the inning, coming from behind rather than simply scoring one run to win.

Those are the kind of victories that can leave an opposing manager, in this case, St. Louis’ Mike Matheny, scratching his head.

Perhaps there is good reason for Matheny to do so.

While Andrew McCutchen’s two-run game-winning homer Saturday night came against a pitcher who had been in the minors earlier in the week, Sunday’s victory, capped by Gregory Polanco’s game-winning single, came with the bases loaded against Cardinals’ closer Trevor Rosenthal and capped off a three-run inning.

Matheny might now be wondering if he can use his All-Star closer against the Pirates in the future.

Rosenthal has blow just two saves this season, both against the Pirates. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he has given up just two earned runs against the rest of the league in 35 1/3 innings, an ERA of 0.51. Pittsburgh has touched Rosenthal up for five earned runs in seven innings, an ERA of 6.43.

• A season-ticket holder in Oakland has sued Major League Baseball because she fears for her life when attending games.

The woman is asking a federal court to force Major League Baseball to extend its safety netting the length of the foul lines at all of its ballparks.

Gail Payne, who has been attending Oakland A’s games since 1968, is not doing this because she has been struck by a foul ball or bat, but because somebody near her once was. Now, she claims she can’t watch the game without fearing for her life.

The lawsuit claims that there are 1,750 preventable injuries per year caused by foul balls and broken bats.

That works out to 58 injuries per year per team, a little more than one per every two home games.

And yet here in Pittsburgh, the only injury that sticks out this year was when a woman, who was sitting in a screened area behind home plate, was hit by a foul ball in the back of the head because she was too close to the netting and not paying attention to the game.

Part of the charm of going to a Major League Baseball game for many people is the fact they might catch a foul ball hit by one of their favorite players or the players can flip them a ball after an inning has been completed.

Here’s a tip. If you are so fearful going to a baseball game, you probably shouldn’t go.

If that’s too much for you to bear, perhaps you should get seats in a different section, one that is protected or high enough that foul balls or flying bats are not an issue.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.