Jamo & Enny Rocked; Bucs Bumble Ball As Tigers Win 13-10

Well, the house was almost empty as the game started; losing streaks and gray skies will do that to a stadium. Loenys Martin led off by fouling a ball, well, someplace where no man wants to get smashed by a baseball, but shook it off and eventually drilled a 3-2 heater from Jamo into the CF shrubbery. That was followed by a gift double when a high chop went off J-Bell's glove; it should have been out #1. Taillon almost worked out if it; with two outs he got ahead of JaCoby Jones 0-2, missed low with a couple and then watched a curve get spanked for another two-bagger. So much for the rest helping the cause. Jordan Zimmerman had no probs with a 1-2-3 opener. After a clean second frame from JT, Corey D singled and with two gone, Colin Moran dumped a first-pitch heater into the RF stands. Jordy followed with a knock to turn the order over. The Tigers got three straight one-out singles in the third, with the last off of Jameson's leg, to regain the lead.

Another bad day at the office (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Fraze singled, and Starling sliced an end-of-the bat knock an out later. J-Bell's grounder (the Tigers lost the force at second after a challenge; the 2B'man came off the bag) knotted the score. Cervy made that muffed force hurt when he yanked a three-run, two-out dinger 466' into the LF rotunda. The Tigers came back in the fourth with a leadoff homer and single, followed by a bunt hit an out later. The Bucs had two chances at turning a DP and couldn't; it cost when Miggy drilled a 1-2 fastball right down the middle for a two-out, game-tying double off the Clemente Wall. That ended Jamo's night as Kyle Crick got the call. His first pitch left the yard - he didn't have a lot of time to warm up, but still - and it's 8-6 Jungle Cats. Warwick Saupold took the hill for Detroit and gave up a harmless knock. Richard Rodriguez came in the fifth and gave up a leadoff double but a couple of whiffs froze him there. Corey D singled, went to second and came in on Amore's knock to make it 8-7, with Daniel Stumpf finishing the frame for Motown.

Edgar Santana answered the sixth inning bell and gave up a leadoff homer, sheesh, and the Bucs went quietly. El Tigres got a hit but no more points in the seventh. Buck Farmer claimed the mound and gave up a leadoff double to Corey D followed by a walk. Alex Wilson came in and a force put Bucs on the corners with an out, but neither Jordy nor S-Rod could close the gap. Enny Romero became the fifth Pirate hurler, and an error (J-Bell & Fraze, SMH) and double greeted him. A passed ball and single scored them and was followed by a walk, still w/o an out. Another knock and a couple of walks (one intentional) put up another marker. Joe Jimenez got into his own mess in the Bucco half as a walk, a couple of knocks and Fran's two-run, two-out double made it 12-10; Red Beard put a charge into a ball, but Jones made a sweet grab in LF to end the frame.

Corey had three hits (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Romero stayed on for the ninth. After a 10-pitch K (nine straight fastballs, with a swing & miss on an at-last slider) he was tapped for a double followed by an intentional walk. A whiff later, Fran threw away a swinging bunt and another run crossed. Shane Green came in for the save and 12 pitches later, had it.
Poor pitching and poor defense go hand-in-hand. And if Tyler Glasnow is the pick to start Sunday against the Cards (that's uncertain at this point) and was being saved from pen duty, then calling up Jose Osuna instead of a pitcher for the extra man looks to be a pretty derelict decision.

Notes:

• Vita Bella! Cervy's six-RBI day is a career high. Fran had three hits, as did Corey D while Starling and Colin Moran added a pair. The Bucs had 14 hits on the day.
• This was the first time in five starts that Jamo had given up a first-inning hit.
• The Pirates had a video tribute to Bruno Sammartino before the game.