Heaney Flirts with No-Hitter as Pirates Blank Cardinals 7–0
PITTSBURGH — Andrew Heaney delivered a dominant outing on Monday night, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the St. Louis Cardinals 7–0 at PNC Park. The win marked Pittsburgh’s fourth straight victory, tying their longest streak of the season.
Heaney (4-7) was sharp from the start despite a 71-minute rain delay. After issuing a leadoff walk to Brendan Donovan, the 34-year-old left-hander retired the next 16 batters. His no-hit bid came to an end with two outs in the sixth, when Victor Scott II lined a single to left after an eight-pitch battle.
Heaney finished the night with 6 2/3 innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven and walking one on 95 pitches—an impressive bounce-back after allowing 14 runs over his previous two starts.
Offensively, Spencer Horwitz set the tone early with a leadoff home run off Cardinals starter Erick Fedde (3-8) and drove in three runs total. The Pirates erupted for six runs in the fifth inning, sparked by back-to-back singles from Joey Bart and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Horwitz followed with a two-run double, Nick Gonzales added an RBI double, and Ke’Bryan Hayes delivered a two-run single. Tommy Pham capped the rally with an RBI base hit.
Fedde was tagged for seven runs on 10 hits and three walks over five innings.
Turning Point
After a leadoff walk in the first inning, Heaney got Masyn Winn to ground into a key double play, shifting momentum early in Pittsburgh’s favor.
By the Numbers
- Monday’s gem was nearly the 327th no-hitter in MLB history. The most recent came on September 4, 2024, when Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson, and Porter Hodge combined for a no-no with the Cubs against the Pirates.
- The Pirates have now outscored their opponents 37–4 over their last four games, including a sweep of the Mets.
Looking Ahead
Pittsburgh will look to keep the momentum going Tuesday as rookie right-hander Paul Skenes (4-7, 2.12 ERA) takes the mound against Cardinals righty Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.43 ERA).