In the second, the Bucs added on when Garrett Jones and Jordy Mercer both took fastballs far into the night, with Jones' ball splashing down in McCovey Cove, to make it 3-0. The Giants got a walk and a pair of softly hit singles in their half, but thanks to a timely DP were kept off the board.
The Pirates threatened in the third when Cutch singled and Pedro's opposite gap drive had the misfortune to bounce over the wall for a ground rule double. We all know what happened next: a grounder that led to an off-on-contact out at the plate and a pop out. The Pirates should have been running away and hiding. The Giants chipped away with a walk, single and sac fly to make it 3-1.
Gaby lined a ball off Cain's forearm to open the fourth (it was later diagnosed as just a bruise) and Guillermo Moscoso took over. picking up a pair of K for the Giants' first clean inning, which was one more than Locke tossed. A walk, an infield single, a sac bunt and a two out single tied the game. Locke was a batter away from being yanked; as is, Jeanmar Gomez came on in the fifth. Locke would go just four frames, giving up three runs on five hits - only one not of the garden ground ball variety - four walks and three K after 73 pitches.
The Pirates loaded the bases to open the fifth against Moscoso, who hit Jose Tabata and walked the next two Pirates. In came Jose Mijares, whogave up a couple of sac flies,sandwiched between a Pedro two-run double and JT's bases loaded, bases clearing two-out double. That made it 10-3 and was pretty much the ballgame, which settled into a quiet affair until the bottom of the eighth. Jared Hughes got himself in trouble when after two outs, he gave up three hits and a walk,allowing a pair of runs on a ground rule double to make the final 10-5.
It was nice to see the Pirate batters pick up the pieces for a change when the pitching was off. JT had three hits, three RBI and two runs scored while the slumping Garrett Jones banged out a pair of hits with a walk. If those two can put together a strong closing five weeks, the Bucs will be in good shape. But Locke continues to nibble; he explained to the media that he feels like he has to work around edges to succeed. That's bad news and a bad approach.
Jeanmar Gomez finished with three shutout, no hit innings for his third win of the season. And with Wandy gone and Locke having a meltdown, the Bucs may just want to stretch him out some more.
Charlie Morton goes against Madison Bumgarner tonight.
- Adam LaRoche is the only other Pirate beside Jones to splash down in McCovey Cove. He launched one off Tim Lincecum in 2007.
- Jose Tabata had his three three-hit games this month and his second three-RBI game of the season.
- Pedro has equaled his career high of 85 RBI.
- Cutch and Garrett Jones are sitting on 99 career homers.
- The fifth inning was the second seven run frame for the Bucs this year. They also matched it on 6/28 vs. Milwaukee in the second.
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