Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Bucs Bopped By Brewers

Well, it was probably a good thing that more people were outside of Consol Energy tonight watching the Penguins on the big screen than were at PNC to be entertained by the Pirates. The Bucs went down 6-0, and it wasn't pretty.

Kevin Correia pitched five no-hit innings, and then the roof fell in, thanks mostly to a Prince Fielder 3-run dinger in the sixth. The Brew Crew tacked on a couple more in the seventh, and it was "Let's Go Pens" time in the ol' ballyard.

Correia's final line was 6 innings worked with six runs (four earned) on five hits, two walks and a K. The sixth was a frustrating inning. A leadoff double was followed by a sac bunt single by Milwaukee pitcher Shaun Marcum. A sac fly brought home a run to put two away. KC was that close to escaping with the game in hand, but that third out just wouldn't come.

Ryan Braun lined a two-out single, and Fielder unloaded on a curve, bombing it over the left center wall into the bullpen. The seventh was equally as brutal. Pedro booted a ball, and Yuniesky Betancourt doubled pinch-runner Nyjer Morgan home as he banged into Dewey, who was waiting for the throw.

Mike Crotta came on, and two groundouts allowed the sixth run to score; Betancourt plated on a grounder by Marcum with the infield in, but the ball stuck in Ronny Cedeno's glove, and he had to take the out at first.

It didn't make much difference. The Bucs had four hits, two in the fifth and two in the seventh, and drew two walks in the eighth, but never got a runner past second base. Hey, good thing the Pens were on TV tonight instead of the Bucs.

-- Evan Meek threw for first time since suffering tightness in his shoulder. he threw a 1-2-3 eighth with a K.

-- Clint Hurdle pulled Garrett Jones from the lineup today and put Matt Diaz in right instead. Diaz had two of the Pirates' four hits.

-- The Pirates drew 8,755 fans to tonight's game, the seventh smallest crowd in PNC Park history.

-- Jason Jaramillo was sent to Indy; Chris Snyder is back on the roster after rehabbing at Bradenton.

-- The Bucs and Brewers will play a twi-light doubleheader on August 22nd to make up Tuesday's rainout.

-- Baseball America listed their Top 50 draft prospects; Anthony Rendon still heads the list, and they say that UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole is the "only true challenger to Rendon as the possible No. 1 overall pick."

2 comments:

WilliamJPellas said...

I think Garrett Jones is in trouble. He may not be long for this team.

Ron Ieraci said...

I think you're right, Will. And I think Bowker and Cedeno may be on that same patch of thin ice.