Moran, Diaz Cast Ninth Inning Black Magic As Bucs Broom Sox 6-5

The Bucs went quietly in the first to Reynaldo Lopez; the Chisox got an infield knock and walk to pressure Trevor Williams, but an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP calmed the seas. There was no Bucco noise again in the second. Chicago put Pittsburgh in an early hole again when Tim Anderson dug out a slider and bopped a two-run, two-out homer. The runner ahead of him, Daniel Palka, had hit a hot one-hop shot right at Colin Moran; he couldn't come up with the reaction play and the Bucs paid. Jose Abreu doubled with two outs, then Nicky Delmonico lined a shot that Jordy knocked down; Abreu was waved home on the carom, but Mercer recovered nicely and tossed him out. J-Bell was hurt during the play; he got caught watching the action and Delmonico collided with him while taking the turn. Josh limped off, but seems no worse for the wear (Delmonico later left the game w/a bruise).

J-Bell is starting to come around (photo: Pittsburgh Pirates)

With an out in the fourth, Gregory got the Bucs first rap and J-Bell walked with two gone, but that was it. A single and Palka homer off a first-pitch changeup made it 4-0; Willy's luck in keepin' in the yard has run out the past two outings. That was followed by a walk on an iffy 3-2 call but no more markers. It was nada for both the Bucs and Sox in the fifth. Jordy got a 3-2 heater at the top of the strike zone and drilled it over the fence to open the sixth. A batter later, Gregory sent a first-pitch changeup long to cut the lead in half. J-Bell walked with two outs but Corey D's fly to the fence was just short and stopped the party. Steven Brault came on and gave up a single while fanning a pair. Lopez tossed a 1-2-3 seventh but had the BABIP gods to thank; five of the last six outs he's gotten have all been spanked. Steven whiffed another pair. Lopez started the eighth by K'ing Jordy, then Jace Fry came in and finished the job with two more whiffs. Richard Rodriguez took the ball and gave up back-to-back doubles; the second was a 50-50 ball that Gregory couldn't pull in.

Ditto for Gregory (photo: Pittsburgh Pirates)

Nate Jones came in for the save in the ninth, and was greeted by Starling and J-Bell singles. A roller put them on second and third. After getting ahead of Eli 0-2 with sliders, he tried to sneak some high heat past him; didn't work as Diaz doubled to cut the lead to a run. Jones tried the slider game with Red Beard; that didn't work either as he clobbered a middle-middle hanger over the wall, and the Bucs were improbably up a run. Felipe Vazquez took his turn at looking for the close, and 11 pitches later, he had it. Wasn't easy, but RTJR!

Well, it sucks to be the White Sox, but these are the teams you gotta beat to contend, and tho it took all nine innings, beat them they did. We wouldn't worry too much about Willy unless you were deluded into thinking he was a front-liner; he's a pretty solid fourth starter who had an en fuego start and is regressing to his norms, and he does, even while normalizing, keep the team in the games he starts. And Brault has been a different guy since moving to the pen; he could go a long way toward stabilizing it with a lefty presence if he settles in. Another day of rest and then a nine-game stretch at PNC Park, with a chance to make some hay with the Giants, White Sox and Padres visiting.

Is Steven finding a home in the pen? (photo: Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• The Pirates had seven hits; Gregory had two of them. J-Bell was aboard often, too, with a knock and two walks. 
• Richard Rodriguez had a five-game scoreless streak snapped today, but earning his first MLB win probably makes up for it.
• Today was the Pirates 10th come-from-behind victory.
• Travis Sawchik of Fangraphs loves him some Richard Rodriguez.
• Some good news for fans of the upcoming homestand - the Point State Park fountain is now on and spouting off for your viewing pleasure.