Bucs Hold Off Giants 7-4 Behind Cutch

Some days you can't get a run scored behind ya; some days the runs rain down like manna. Karma worked itself out as AJ, whose pitching line is beginning to regress at long last, went five innings and gave up four runs but was the recipient of some heavy-duty ball bashing by the Bucs to take a 7-4 win over the Giants.

Pittsburgh gave early notice that they were in hitting mode, stranding a couple in the first. The Giants responded in kind. A pair of singles, a wild pitch and a Buster Posey double made it 2-0 in a hurry. Both sides left runners aboard in the second.

The Bucs broke big in the third. Two singles, two walks and a clutch opposite-field double by Pedro led to four Pirate runs; the G-Men answered with a two-run homer by Brandon Crawford, one that was likely helped by a fan (it passed review, but would have hit the wall if a fan hadn't gloved it. The review crew was unsure, tho, upholding but not confirming the call after 4-1/2 minutes).

Pittsburgh wasted no time regaining the lead; Cutch tripled with two down in the fourth and scored after The Kid followed with a single. Frisco had runners on second and third in their half, but AJ retired Posey on a fly to end the threat. Jordy kept the two-out juju working for Pittsburgh by lifting a hanging spinner over the wall in left center to make it 6-4. Cutch drove home Gregory Polanco in the sixth to put Pittsburgh up by three.

Cutch - still the one (photo Ben Margot/AP)

Then it was up to the Bucco bullpen to bring the win home, and it was more than equal to the job at hand. Arquimedes Caminero tossed a pair of strong frames, Tony Watson put up a zip in the eighth (tho with a bit of angst, as the first two hitters he faced singled, eventually leaving the bases juiced) and The Shark worked a one-hit ninth for his 15th save. The Giants did everything but score against the Bucs; they were 1-for-12 with RISP and stranded 11, thank you, maam.

So hey, great start to the Bay series. Frankie goes for the sweep this afternoon against veteran Tim Hudson.

• The Pirates have won 10-of-12; the Giants have lost four in a row.
• Five Pirates had multi-hit games. Cutch led the pack going 4-for-5 (he was a HR short of the cycle) while Josh, The Kid, Pedro & Jordy each had two knocks.
• AJ has now won a career-high six straight games.
• The Buc's gave Jordy the "deserted dugout" treatment after he smacked his first homer of the year before coming back from their tunnel hideout to slap skin.
• The streaky Starling Marte continues to struggle, and is in 0-for-20 slump.
• Lloyd McClendon is still at it. After being ejected in yesterday's game. the Seattle skipper took a lap around the bases before calling it a night.
• Upper St. Clair's Kevin Slowey, who pitched seven seasons for the Twins and Marlins, has retired at age 31 and taken a job with the MLB Players Association as a special assistant to director Tony Clark.