Jamo Gem: One-Hitter v Reds Backed by Polanco, Dickerson Bombs in 5-0 Series Clincher

Sweet start: a clean 14-pitch first inning with two strikeouts for Jameson Taillon. That was followed by J-Hay drawing a 13-pitch walk off Tyler Mahle to open for Pittsburgh, with Gregory singling after him. Josh went to third after Starling lined out to right, but Mahle bore down to put up a zero. It took 11 pitches for Jamo to close the second. The Bucs worked some more pitches out of Mahle (he finished the inning at 51) and put together a two-out rally when Jordy doubled and scored on JT's knock to right, sliding past a throw up the line. Mahle paid Jamo back with a one-out knock up the middle in the third, but no mayhem followed. Mahle got what he needed badly; a quick, 1-2-3 inning. It was a nine-pitch fourth for Taillon; a bopped batter was cleaned up 4-6-3. The Bucs hit three balls on the nose in their half, but only Corey Dickerson's found grass as they put up another goose egg.

Jamo was ace stuff today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Jamo tossed a five-pitch! fifth and is at 54 tosses. J-Hay rolled a single to left with an out. Gregory went from 0-2 to a full count, then soared a changeup over the Clemente Wall. Marte followed with a double to The Notch and J-Bell singled him home, though he was caught between bases when the relay was cut. That cost a run when Corey D ripped his first long ball of the campaign, catching all of an 0-2 heater, to make it 5-0. Amir Garrett came in to get the final out. The Reds were mowed down again in the sixth; Garrett put a lid on the Buccos. Cincy worked a walk in the seventh for its third baserunner while Jamo became the first Steel City starter to get this deep into a game this year. J-Hay opened with a rap, but was doubled off on Gregory's liner to second, and the frame ended quietly. It was 1-2-3 in the eighth thanks to a nifty snag by Red Beard at third. Yovani Gallardo took the ball and gave up a walk to Cervy and knock to Colin Moran with two outs but escaped. The Reds got a two-out walk in the ninth to delay the inevitable. Jamo got his shutout by polishing off Joey Votto on a fly; JT gave up one hit, two walks, a bop and had seven K, using 110 pitches. Benissimo!

He deserves more than bobblehead so far...

Sure takes the edge of last night's disappointment; taking 3-of-4 isn't quite a sweep,but it's a pretty good recipe. Jamo pitched brilliantly and the boys backed him with a well-defended, cleanly played outing. So now it's of to Chicago to see if the Pirates can spoil the Cubbies Home Opener.

Notes: 

• This lineup sure looks deep in the early going - all nine players reached base with J-Hay, Gregory, and Colin Moran collecting two hits. El Coffee & Corey D homered and they've spread that around, too, with seven different players going long in the first nine games.
• This was Jamo's first complete game and the first for the Bucs since last April when Ivan Nova went the distance. It was the first Bucco one-hitter since AJ Burnett's 2012 outing v the Cubs.
• Today's paid attendance: 11,251. Summer can't get here soon enough.
• Eugenio Suarez, who was HBP in the hand in the fourth, left the game after the inning. The Reds later announced he broke his thumb.
• Plate ump Greg Gibson had a rough day; he missed several pitches for both sides that were clear strikes. Talk about getting squeezed...
• Neal Huntington told Jerry DiPaola of the Trib that the door is still open for Kevin Siegrist if he decides to report to Indy.
• Mitch Keller’s 2018 debut at Altoona went well - six IP, no runs, two hits, two walks and eight whiffs after 77 pitches.