Chad, Joey O & Company Earn 8-3 Split In Nightcap

Quick start - Cool Chad struck out the side and Matt Boyd fanned two. In the second, a Motown walk was erased the hard way - stealing second and then getting gunned by Starling trying to stretch to third, making it a 1-2-3 frame for Chad.  And maybe they did know what they were doing when they called up Jose Osuna; after opening knocks by J-Bell and Freeser, he went long to put the Bucs up 3-0. Eli and Max singled and were bunted up, but S-Rod K'ed, seeing just one strike, and Jordy flew out. The Tigers got a single and steal in the third but a zero on the board. Ditto for the Pirates, who managed a walk. Jeimer Candelario opened the fifth with a three-bagger and was singled home. That was followed by a flare double thanks to Starling's late break. A 4-6 DP on a liner to Mad Max eased the throttle and a fly got him out of it.

Yep, good work, Chad (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

With two gone, Chad rolled one into center, S-Rod walked and Jordy's single loaded 'em; Kuhl's baserunning leaves something to be desired. No diff; Starling got the easy RBI with a walk and that brought in Alex Wilson. 3B Candelario made it an easy outing by running down J-Bell's foul pop to finish a plus play while tumbling over the tarp; the Bucs have had a couple of chances to open some space, but... Motown opened the sixth with a bloop to right. Chad almost got out of it; with two outs, Leonys Martin dug out a change and sent a towering no-doubter over the Clemente Wall. Daniel Norris toed the slab and put up a zippo. Chad finished the sixth for the second straight start, and the Pirates needed him to go that long and hand a lead to the back end of the pen. He gave up three runs on six hits with a walk and eight K after 101 pitches; job well done. S-Rod singled and went to second on a wild pitch. He cruised home on Starling's two-out two-bagger.

Joey O making the most of his day in Pittsburgh (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Michael Feliz came out for the seventh. After a one-out walk, S-Rod made a nice stab of a laser, kissing the fence of The Notch to keep the heat on low. Victor Martinez nevertheless almost tied it with a foul that missed the pole by inches before popping out. Buck Farmer took the ball and shot himself in the foot. Joey O singled with an out and Eli hit a soft comebacker; Farmer muscled up on the throw and launched it into the outfield, allowing Osuna to come all the way around; it was ruled a single and error. George Kontos took his eighth-inning spot; seven pitches, three grounders. Artie Lewicki climbed the hill and Jordy welcomed him with a knock. Two outs later, Freeser swung through two pitches, fouled off four more and then rapped a high heater to right for an RBI double, with Mercer's twisty slide slipping the tag. Colin Moran singled him in, Eli followed with another knock and Max walked before the music stopped. Felipe Vazquez spun the ball in the ninth - two-out action, plus he hasn't worked since the 21st seem like good enough reasons for him to close an 8-3 game - and he gave up a hit but otherwise no damage. RTJR!

The Bucs snapped a five-game losing streak and it looks like the offense maybe coming out of its slumber, though one day does not a season make. Chad and Joey O did the heavy lifting early, and the Three Musketeers did what the middle pen couldn't; put up zeroes. So tomorrow is a chance to take another series (w/o much of a nap; it's a 12:35 getaway game) before the Cards come to town for their first dance of the year.

Eli's been a hitting machine for the Bucs in April (image Positively Pittsburgh)

Notes:

• Eli had three hits today; two were infield singles. Who sez 215 lb. catchers can't run? Joey O, Freeser and Jordy each had two knocks. Every Pirates starter, including the pitcher, had a hit.
• Cool Chad's eight K's ties his personal best; he did it by mixing in a goodly portion of sliders and curves, with the slider being particularly effective tonight.
• The twin bill attendance: 9,396. There may have been 1,000 in the stands.
• Rehab report: AJ Schugel is at Indy with the clock ticking; Joe Musgrove will begin his rehab shortly if he survives his two-inning sim game from earlier in the day, and Bo Schultz is close to starting his own stint. So a little more calvary is getting ready for boots and saddles in the next couple of weeks.