More Notes From Last Night & Today

Here's a couple of things from the notebook that didn't make the recap but were key components of last night's win:

• In a game of shifting pivot points, it's only natural that the final blow is remembered. But lots of big plays happened to here to there. Frankie Liriano's two-out, two run knock - after Gregory was walked to get to him - almost doubled his career RBI total in one swing. Polanco's RBI knock off a lefty gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead following S-Rod's two-out double. Tony Watson filled the bases with no outs, but held the Cardinals to just one run out of that mess when he could have let the game get out of hand. The Cutch-to-Jordy-to-Fran relay that cut down Mark Reynolds in the 10th ended up huge.
• El Coffee's game winner was the first walk off hit of his MLB career.  
• Despite getting banged around in the 10th, Arquimedes Caminero got his first MLB win. Funny game, baseball.
• Trevor Rosenthal had converted 18 straight save opportunities before last night after losing an opportunity for a win on Saturday.

(Image from ESPN)

• As many nightmares as Busch Stadium has caused the Bucs, they've returned the pain to the Cards at PNC Park, where the Pirates are 8-0-1 in their last nine series against the Redbirds.
• Per Elias Sports Bureau: Last night marked only the eighth time in modern major-league history that a team had won two consecutive games, both after having fallen behind during extra innings. The Pirates have accounted for three of those eight instances, having beaten the Boston Braves in 1945, and repeating the trick against the Cubbies in 2006. Of course, these were the only two that both were aired on national TV.
• That RISP stat we're always harping on? The Bucs were 8-for-21 in the past two games; the Cards 2-for-23. Sometimes ya gotta love regression.
• ASG News: Cutch will bat leadoff; Cole Train was passed over for starter, though it's hard to beef about Zach Grienke (8-2/1.39) getting the honor.
• The game was a big hit in Korea, too.
• The Pirates off season had a lot to do with the last two wins and the season's overall success, as the FO picked up AJ, JHK, Fran and S-Rod while reupping Frankie.
• In paperwork news, insurance policy Wilfredo Boscan was sent back to Indy, with the Pirates having until Friday to fill his spot on the active roster. We're thinking it should be Jaff Decker's time although it's probably going to be Corey Hart from off the DL; the Bucs are looking for a RH for the bench.
• John Sickels announced his Top 75 Prospects as of mid-season with three Bucco farm hands on the list.
• DJ Gallo has a nice little take on the Pirates emergence from relevance to WS contenders.