Same Ol' Bucs

Dana Eveland pitched three games last year for the Pirates last season, with an 8.38 ERA in 9-2/3 innings. Well, he made his season debut today against his old mates and lasted eight innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out three.

If you figure that's the line for another Bucco loss, you figured right.

Brad Lincoln pitched six innings, and would have done pretty well if he was allowed a mulligan for the first inning. He gave up back-to-singles to open the game, followed by an intentional walk. A single and sac fly made it 3-0 before the few fans in the house could say "hi" to the beer salesman.

The Pirates chipped away a bit in the second. Ryan Doumit singled and went to third on Neil Walker's knock. He plated when Josh Harrison grounded into a double play, arrrrrgh!

After that, it was a whole lot of pitching going on, Lincoln allowed two hits through the next four innings while Eveland gave up three hits in the opening five rounds. In the sixth, though, Bad Brad tried hard to shoot himself in the foot.

After walking Andre Ethier to start the inning, Tony Gwynn Jr. singled off Lincoln with one away. He was caught stealing, but Lincoln walked the seven hitter and plunked the eight hole guy to load the bases. Eveland drilled one to center, but McCutch ran it down to end the inning and save Lincoln's bacon.

Jason Grilli took over in the seventh, and the Buc D did him in. James Loney singled and went to third on Kemp's infield knock, generously ruled after a throwing error by Chase d'Arnaud. Dewey let a ball skip off the end of his mitt, and the passed ball made it 4-1.

The Dodgers scored two more runs on three hits off Chris Resop in the eighth. The clutch blow was a bases-loaded, two-run double by Dee Gordon ripped down the right field line.

The Buc offense finally woke up, albeit way too late. Alex Presley's second home run, a two-run shot to right off Blake Hawksworth, cut the score to 6-3 in the ninth. Neil Walker's sacrifice fly scored McCutch, who had walked. With Dewey aboard - he had three hits today - the Pirates had the tying run at the plate with one out. But Kenley Jansen struck out Harrison and Brandon Wood to close the Bucs out and earn his third save.

Well, it was a quick pit stop before going back on the road. The Bucs are on their way to Wrigley tomorrow, where Brian Burres goes against Ryan Dempster tomorrow afternoon.

• The Pirates drew 12,224 fans to the 4 o'clock make up.
• Talk about worng place, wrong time: the Dodgers won their fourth straight and ninth of their last ten. The Bucs? They've lost five straight and seven of the past eight.