Cubs Leave Bucs In the Dust, Earn Split With 9-2 Victory

Nick Kingham continued to have problems; a walk, double and bouncer gave the Cubs the early lead and an S-Rod error let another tally in. To make matters worse, Cervy took a backswing off the noggin, although he stayed in after the medicos poked and probed. Then came a bopped batter, an error by Kingham, two infield singles and wild pitch before the Cubbie fun ended; it was 4-0 and Clint let The King in long enough to toss 51 pitches. Cole Hamels watched J-Low reach on a Cubbie boot and Starling singled, then struck out a pair. Cervy swung at ball four, but managed to roll it up the middle to bring home Luplow. Nick left to ice his arm and Steven Brault came on in the second. A single, double and intentional walk jammed the bases with an out, and two more free passes forced in two more Cubs. The Bucs got a walk, wild pitch and two more K. With two outs in the third, a walk, double and another free pass set up the Bruins, but a liner to left put up the first Chicago zero of the night. Pirates pitchers have tossed 102 pitches in three innings on a day the bullpen is short.

Alex McRae made his big league bow (2017 Go Sports card)

Starling was HBP, then quickly picked off. It went on in that vein; Gregory reached on catcher's interference and Freeser followed with a DP. Chi-town got consecutive two-out knocks in the fourth without adding to the drama. An opening walk to Amore went for naught. Alex McRae made his debut in the fifth, giving up a double and picking up his first big league whiff. Starling reached second on a swinging bunt single and misthrow but no sweat; Hamels has nine K so far as the Pirates seem to have never seen a change up before. McRae hit his first big test in the sixth following a double, hit batter and walk, but did OK although a soft roller brought in a run. Brandon Kintzler made his Chicago debut, giving up a knock to Cervy and nada else. Young Alex served a strikeout, single and DP to sail through the seventh. Carl Edwards Jr climbed the bump and gave up a walk but no points. Ric Rod got the eighth inning wave, and with nothing on the line, surrendered a two-run tater to Willson Contreras.

Brian Duensing toed the slab and Red Beard singled with an out. Fran singled him to third and a Joey O grounder brought him home. Chicago banged out back-to-back knocks, but Joey O threw out a rambunctious Cub at third (the second hit was another infield rap) and a DP shut the gate. Tyler Chatwood, who lost his starting gig to Hamels, worked the last frame. He gave up a single and walk before Starling's grounder turned two to end the game.

Starling broke out of a mini-slump with a two-hit day (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Notes:

• Cervy had three hits and Starling a pair of raps; the rest of the team had two. Still, they had runners on every inning thanks to four walks and three Cub errors and stranded nine despite two DPs & a pick-off, going 1-for-10 w/RISP. 11 K's had something to do with that.
• Gotta feel for S-Rod; he struck out all four times to earn a golden sombrero with the fans chanting "DFA" after his last one. Still, Clint keeps sending him out there, but you have to wonder when one of the middle infield prospects are gonna get the call to take his place.
• Home-plate ump Chris Guccione took a sharp foul off the face mask in the third and left the game shortly thereafter. He was staggered, but Cervy held him steady until help arrived...who would know the feeling better?
• There were 18,600 fans in the ball yard tonight. 
• NH wanted Chris Archer to pitch today to keep both his personal and the Pirates rotation on schedule with tomorrow's off day, but Arch told him he needed some time to straighten out things for the move north, hence the Friday start.
• Tyler Glasnow had a pretty good "opener" start in Tampa Bay - he went three innings, giving up a run on two hits and a walk with five K on, for him, an economical 48 pitches. Coulda used him here tonight.
• Remember Stetson Allie, the Pirates draftee who was a pitcher-turned-1B? He's in the Dodger organization now and was just promoted to AAA after going 1-0/2.86 with 18 K in 12-2/3 IP in AA. Of course, eight walks during that span are kind of a drag though at 27, he still hits triple figures on the gun.