Saturday, September 17, 2016

Bucs Shake, Rattle & Roll In Opener 10-4

More rain in Cincy; the game today started at 1:12, about an hour late. Anthony DeSclafani walked Matt Joyce to get it going. J-Bell gently rolled ball four into left for a double. Cutch roped a sinker into right and it was 2-0 Buccos. After a whiff, JHK drew a free pass and Fran singled home a tally. S-Rod walked to juice 'em. Alan Hanson obliged with a routine DP roller to second, but Brandon Phillips bobbled it; everyone ended up safe. The second time was the charm via JT's 4-6-3 DP with the score 4-0. Jamo gave up a single and a one-out walk but worked out of the pickle, helped by an at 'em ball to JHK.

Andrew chased home three runners today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Bucs went quietly in the second. With two gone in the Reds half, S-Rod booted a ball to allow the order to turn over and it almost cost a run. DeSclafani got a first pitch meatball and ripped it to center for a double, but Cutch-to-Hanson-to-Fran cut down Tucker Barnhart at the plate. Phillips booted another ball in the third, and it hurt when S-Rod took a two-out heater yard. Cincy opened with a single; a misfired pickoff put Jose Peraza on second. An infield knock followed, and Joey Votto's deep fly to center moved both runners up. No need; Adam Duvall knocked a decent curve (it was the third in a row served to him) into the LF stands just inside the foul pole to halve the lead. With two gone, Scott Schebler singled before the inning played out.

The Bucs were held to a J-Bell knock in the fourth. The Reds got a two-out gift when Hanson rushed a throw and allowed the runner to get to second, but then Alen gobbled up the next bouncer to end the frame. Keyvius Sampson took the hill in the fifth and walked Fran with an out. He stole second and with two gone, Hanson was walked to get to Jamo. Jameson knows what to do with an 0-2 hung curve; he rolled it into center to chase Cervelli home thx to an aggressive send and a sweet slide. Jamo got through with a two-out double by Phillips that led to no scoreboard action.

S-Rod had two hits, two RBI and a run scored (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Cutch worked a one-out walk in the sixth, as did Gregory. JHK just missed going deep on a ball hit the opposite way. Fran's liner to left should have ended the frame, but Duvall couldn't hang on to it, and the error allowed Andrew to touch home. Abel De Los Santos came on and stopped the waltz. Jared Hughes took over and walked the first guy on four pitches. Then came a single and wild pitch, but he got away with just one run crossing the dish after coaxing three dirtballs. Hansen led off the seventh with a walk; JJ followed with another, with P-Flo running for him. An out later, J-Bell bounced a ground rule double to center, sending a Buc run home. Cutch's sac fly added one more. Wade LeBlanc tossed a clean frame.

Ohlie worked the eighth. Fran doubled with one gone and S-Rod singled him to third before Freeser banged into an around-the-horn-DP. The Bucs challenged the out at first; the Bucs lost on a play that was too close to overturn. It was another 1-2-3 for LeBlanc. P-Flo opened the ninth with a knock and Fraze walked. An out later, Cutch hit into a 5-4-3 DP. Wade had his string broken at eight in a row with a two-out knock to delay the inevitable by a batter. He picked up his first Bucco save for going three innings and holding on to the lead.

Fran had two knocks, two runs and plated a runner (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

11 hits, 10 walks and three Reds errors fed the Bucco machine. Jamo didn't have his stuff today, but worked pretty well out of the stretch and limited the damage; we're sure he'd like back that hook to Duvall. And give wade LeBlanc his props for eating three innings with nary a bump, a big thing with another game on tap in a couple or three hours. One down, one to go on a play-two Saturday.

  • 12 different Bucs reached base on raps/walks today. J-Bell led the hit parade with three knocks, while Fran and S-Rod added a pair. Cutch had three RBI; eight different Pirates scored.
  • Jung Ho Kang reached base nine straight times (although the ninth was via an error) before he struck out in the fifth inning.
  • Jameson Taillon added another first to his list - his first MLB RBI.
  • Fraze entered the game late, so the trainers must have kissed his boo-boo and made it all better.
  • Matt Joyce tied the MLB record for pinch hit walks last night when he drew his 20th free pass.

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