Pirates 6, Cardinals 2: Ashcraft Fans Nine as Griffin Extends Hitting Streak

The lead

May 21, 2026 - St. Louis - The Pittsburgh Pirates won their fourth straight road series against an NL Central opponent, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 behind Braxton Ashcraft's nine strikeouts in seven innings and Brandon Lowe's homer, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Konnor Griffin extended his hitting streak to eight games with a double, going 6-for-13 in the series and 13-for-33 during the run. Ashcraft (3-2) allowed one run on four hits and two walks.

How the game turned

Lowe's first-inning homer—a 3-2 fastball that bounced off the top of the left-field wall—put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0 (initially scored inside-the-park before a scorer's change, AP noted). Jake Mangum's fielder's choice scored Griffin in the fourth for 2-1.

Iván Herrera tied it 1-1 with a two-out homer in the third. Marcell Ozuna, a former Cardinal, singled home two in the sixth for 4-1. Henry Davis homered in the seventh and Bryan Reynolds added an RBI groundout for 6-1.

Pitching and matchup notes

Dustin May (3-5) allowed four runs on six hits in 5⅓ innings. Herrera scored again in the eighth on Jordan Walker's single.

AthX Engine graded Ashcraft at 24 pitching FP—tied for the daily arm lead with Luis Severino—and Pittsburgh at 13 team FP.

Bats that changed the board

Griffin scored, stole a base, and kept the lineup pressure on May. Lowe added a single alongside his homer.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

Seven innings with nine Ks and one run is starter gold in AthX Engine even when the team FP total (13) trails Atlanta's offensive explosion. Pitching and team boards do not always align—distinct from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Pittsburgh opens a series at Toronto on Friday; St. Louis visits Cincinnati, per AP's probables.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB gameday wrap, CBS Sports recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*