No Hit, No Field, No Win

Andrew McCutchen beat out an infield single to second to start the game; it would be awhile before the Bucs got another one off PJ Walters.

The sixth inning, to be exact, when Ronny Cedeno led off with a knock to center. With one out, McDonald bunted him to second. McCutch didn't get another hit, but he did walk. JT had the table set, but flew out to left to squelch the Buc's best - and so far, only - chance.

J-Mac kept the Bucs in the game, using his usual grind-it-out approach. In the first five innings, he gave up five hits, but the only one that hurt was Allen Craig's two-out homer in the fourth. It helped that Sir Albert and Matt Holliday were sitting out the get-away game out.

Going into the bottom half of the sixth, it was 1-0 Redbirds. J-Mac was so hot that he even gave St. Louis four outs when he wild-pitched a runner to first during a strikeout.

Pedro singled with two outs in the seventh in what amounted to a Pirate rally, but John Bowker K'ed. J-Mac left after six innings and eighty pitches; he gave up a run on five hits with a walk and seven K's, another good outing. Joe Martinez took the hill for the seventh.

With one away, Tyler Greene singled off Cedeno's glove; a wild pitch and grounder got him to third with two away. He hit Jon Jay on a 3-2 pitch, and Aaron Miles singled in a big insurance run, pinch-hitting for Walters.

Kyle McClellan took the hill in the eighth. 1-2-3 went the Pirates; on came Chan Ho Park. The Bucs again came up with the big boot that cost them the game on Monday.

After a one out single, a DP grounder was hit to Jones at first; he missed the throw, as has been his wont this season. Given new life, a ground ball single and sac fly made it 4-0, and the Fat Lady was running through the scales.

Ryan Franklin came on the close out the Bucs. McCutch spanked a double to greet him, and JT singled him to third before stealing second. Neil Walker lofted a sac fly, then a Jones grounder moved JT to third. Pedro whiffed, and the Bucs notched another loss on the road, where they continue to leave plays in the field instead of cashing them in. Cards get the win, 4-1.

Zach Duke gets his last start of the year tomorrow night against Chris Volstad as the Bucs open their last series of 2010 at Florida.

-- The Pirates clinched the first selection in the draft last night. The last time the team had the numero uno pick was in 2002, when they took pitcher Bryan Bullington. Let's hope for a little better luck of the draw in 2011.

-- The day in history: On Sept. 29, 1957, the New York Giants played their last game at the Polo Grounds, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1. The Giants moved to San Francisco for the next season.