Piscotty, Moss impress from both sides of ball

ST. LOUIS — Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty found themselves making their first impressions simultaneously last season, with Moss a Trade Deadline arrival to St. Louis and Piscotty a late-July callup. The latter exceeded expectations, while the former didn’t live up to them.

This season, however, they’re both filling needed roles, with Moss flaunting the power that helped him resurrect a once-flailing career and Piscotty showcasing a repeat ability to thrive. Both were key, too, in helping the Cardinals secure a 4-0 win over the Phillies on Thursday.

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One night after tying the game with an RBI single in the ninth, Piscotty provided some insurance Thursday with a bases-loaded, two-run double in the seventh. The hit, which put the Cardinals ahead by four, was Piscotty’s Major League-leading 15th with runners in scoring position. Over the first 91 games of his big league career, Piscotty is hitting .419 with a .570 slugging percentage in such spots.

“He’s got a nice idea of what people are going to try to do to him, and he’s got a really uncanny ability for a young player to be able to make those adjustments and put together those tough at-bats,” manager Mike Matheny said. “I think that’s the kind of player …

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