Crush from Kang crushes Cardinals

PITTSBURGH — Jung Ho Kang is back and, apparently, just what the struggling Pirates needed. Kang put an end to Pittsburgh’s eight-game losing streak with one swing of the bat on Wednesday night, crushing a 99-mph fastball into the Cardinals’ bullpen and sending the Bucs to a much-needed 4-3 win.

After missing time with an injured left shoulder, Kang homered twice on Tuesday in his return to the lineup, but it wasn’t enough, as closer Tony Watson served up three homers in the ninth and the Pirates’ ill-timed skid continued. Kang did the job again on Wednesday, blasting a 1-2 pitch from flame-throwing rookie Alex Reyes for his 17th home run — more than he had during his standout rookie campaign last year — and Watson avoided a repeat collapse, bouncing back with his 11th save.

With the win, the Pirates pulled within a game of .500 and back to 4 1/2 games behind the Cardinals in the National League Wild Card standings. The Cardinals’ 25-game home run streak ended, and they fell into a tie with the Mets for the second Wild Card spot.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDWelcome to The Show: Picking up after fellow rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams made his Major League debut with three innings in relief. Williams had to wait his turn, watching five other Triple-A starters get promoted before he received the news on Sunday night, but he proved he was ready. Williams fired three innings, allowing only an unearned run while striking out three, and bridged the gap from Taillon to Watson.

Rally thwarted: Though his batting average is second among active pitchers, Mike Leake missed out on an opportunity to put the Cardinals ahead in the fourth when, with the bases loaded, he …

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