Bucs Busch-Whacked 7-0

The tarp came up an hour or so before game time, yay. Gregory singled with an out off Carlos Martinez and stole second to provide all the Buc action. Tyler Glasnow walked the first Redbird, then coaxed a couple of grounders, including a 6-4-3 DP to close the frame. JJ and S-Rod opened the second with knocks, but a diving stop/force out by Jedd Gyorko and whiffs of the 8-9 batters cooled the Pirates heels. It was a clean frame for Tyler. The Bucs went 1-2-3 in the third. Gyorko is on a roll; he caught a 2-0 fastball down the middle and turned it into a souvenir. After two whiffs, Matt Carpenter drew his second walk but caused no trouble.

Tyler tossed a promising outing tonight (photo Aledmys Diaz/MLB.com)

Pittsburgh were quiet in the fourth. Yadi got plunked, but another 6-4-3 DP cleaned the sacks. A two-out walk and wild pitch went by the wayside for the Redbirds. Not a peep from the Pirates in the fifth while the Cards got a leadoff walk and nada more. The Bucs got Gregory and Cutch aboard with an out in the sixth, but Martinez was equal to the task. Trevor Williams took the ball, and a John Jaso boot opened the gates; the next pair of Cards doubled to make it 3-0. An out later, Brandon Moss homered. Jared Hughes took over and whiffed his way out of the inning.

Alen Hanson singled and stole second in the seventh, but it led to naught. Zach Phillips took the ball and gave up a long fly to Matt Holliday, who got ovations before and after the swat, reacting to the Cards announcement that they weren't bringing the fan favorite back for 2017. So good moment for him and well deserved, even if he is a Bucco assassin. Then the Cards collected a double and single before Zachster got a GIDP. That was followed by an S-Rod error before out #3 was registered with the tally 7-0 St. Louis.

El Coffee had a hit, walk and stolen sack (photo via MLB.com)

Jonathan Broxton mowed down Pittsburgh in the eighth. Drew Hutchison came on and so did the rain; can't seem to shake those drops lately. Hutch took a little snooze and toed the slab one more time about 45 minutes later after the rain devolved into a drizzle. He walked the leadoff hitter, then settled down and took care of business. Miguel Socolovich used 12 pitches to send everyone back under cover for the night.

Well, so much for playing the spoiler, at least tonight. But it was a big step forward for Tyler Glasnow, who worked five frames and gave up a run on one hit with four K, four walks, a bopped batter and wild pitch. He wasn't getting much help with the calls, though - welcome into a playoff team's home park, rookie. And guys like J-Bell and Alen Hanson got to face another top MLB pitcher at work; Martinez had his monster change going for him tonight. So the learning curve continues...

Two days left of ball playing, then it's hot stove time. We're gonna miss the Buctober interlude.

• The Bucs only had six base runners (five hits & a walk) and still managed to go 0-for-9 w/RISP.
• The Pirates are guaranteed a losing record for the season with this defeat, which leaves them at 78-81 with a pair of contests left.
• The Pittsburgh chapter of the BWAA voted its Roberto Clemente (MVP) award to Starling Marte and the Steve Blass (best pitcher) award to Jameson Taillon, which is quite a feather in his rookie cap.
• Ryan Vogelsong, who will get the last start of the season, told the press gang that he had no plans to retire after the campaign and intends to pitch again in 2017.