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| Vogey ran through some raindrops but twirled another solid outing (photo Kim Klement/USA Today) |
The Brew Crew went down in order. Fran got a knock with two gone in the fourth and was marooned. Four of the Bucs five base runners have reached after the sacks were empty with two outs, hardly the way to ignite a rally. A leadoff single and walk put Vogey in a jam. A force got the lead runner, and another grounder almost turned two, but J-Hay's relay was wide and took Bell off the bag. The bases were drunk with Brewers after a HBP, but V-Song K'ed his counterpart to keep it at zeroes. There was no Bucco base action in the fifth although Bell's ball was hauled down at the wall for at least one loud out. Gennett bounced a one-out single and was erased on an around-the-horn DP, started very nicely by Freeser.
The sixth opened with back-to-back throwing errors by Villar to put Bucs on the corners. Starling doubled one run home. Freeser whiffed on a fishing expedition and Fran was intentionally walked. That was a mistake. Jordy, who had already K'ed twice, got a juicy 0-2 slider and drilled it over the wall in LC. He was so pumped he almost overran Fran while circling the bases as Garza unloaded a lusty F-bomb from the hill. That brought in ol' bud Rob Scahill, who gave up a walk but finished the frame without any more blood-letting.
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| Jordy connected on career grand salami #1 (photo Jim Isaac/Getty) |
An opening walk by Vogey wasn't the ideal response, and Keon Broxton's one-gone two-bagger put Brewers at second and third. Clint saw enough, and Jared Hughes double-timed it to the hill. He should have slowed down some; Orlando Arcia hit his first MLB homer on Hughes' first delivery, followed by a four-pitch walk. An out and single later, Antonio Bastardo came in and shut it down with a punchout.
Blaine Boyer took the ball in the seventh and was greeted by an Andrew double. Freeser singled with two away; Chris Carter knocked down the ball to halt Cutch at third, and the runners died at the corners. S-Rod went to first as Felipe Rivero toed the rubber and worked a clean inning with two K. Tyler Cravy worked a quiet eighth, surviving a loud out by Matt Joyce. Neftali Feliz was waved in and walked Broxton, who promptly swiped second. After two outs, he stayed there when Gregory made a lunging catch to save a run and shut the gate on the inning.
Jhan Marinez retired the Bucs without a peep in the ninth. Tony Watson gave up an infield knock and walk with two gone, followed by a double steal before putting an end to the production with a pop.
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| Tony is the Evel Knievel of closers, but he's been effective (photo Joe Sargent/Getty) |
The Pirates could make it easier on themselves by chipping in an extra run or two after a crooked inning, and the pitchers could so the same by not walking seven and bopping a batter. But hey, two straight wins at Miller Field are rare and beautiful things, and we'll take them, drama and all.
- The Pirates had seven hits from seven different players. Gregory was the only starter without a knock.
- Jordy's base-cleaner was his first career granny.
- Matt Garza set his season high for K's tonight with nine whiffs. Seven was his previous 2016 high-water mark.
- Wilbur Miller of Bucs Dugout takes a reasonable guess at the players who are likely to be called up in September and who are the b-list guys.
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