Bucs Bring the Boomers to Queen City, Bomb Their Way to 12-1 Win

Well, good start. It's supposed to rain all three days here, and tonight's game started with an unspecified delay. The Reds announced at 7:30 that they'd have another announcement at 8:30 regarding the game; meanwhile, the post-game fireworks were moved to pre-game and lit the skies at 8:15. It wasn't necessarily a white flag; Cincy has a noise ordinance that would forbid the show after midnight, so it may just be an omen of a long night ahead. On the other hand, it was still raining through the show, sooo... The Reds are a stubborn bunch and scheduled the start for 9:55, sheesh. The humanity...then they started it 10 minutes late on top of that.

Fireworks in the rain (photo Greg Brown)

The Pirates went down 1-2-3 to Tyler Mahle in a steady drizzle; ditto for the Reds against Jameson Taillon, who was saved by El Coffee making a leaping grab at the wall to bring back Scooter Gennett's long ball bid. The Bucs got back-to-back singles from Eli and Red Beard in the second. After a J-Bell whiff, a wild pitch moved the runners up, but S-Rod's shot up the line froze them; it was scorched, but Eugenio Suarez made a diving stop to save two runs. Jordy was given a free pass before JT grounded out to end the fun. Cincy opened with consecutive knocks, and a soft roller moved them up a sack. A pair of easy comebackers kept it at zero. The Pirates stranded Starling after a third-inning double; the Reds got two one-out knocks (one was on an infield ball when nobody bothered covering first) but couldn't move them around. After a Red Beard rap and J-Bell walk in the fourth, S-Rod's knock brought home the game's first run. Jamo helped himself with a squeeze to plate Bell, making it 2-0.

After a single off S-Rod's mitt, Jamo took things into his own hands and struck out the side. Both sides went quietly in the fifth. Red Beard started the sixth with a knock and J-Bell followed with a walk. After a mound chat, Mahle spun a first-pitch slider down Broadway and S-Rod sent it into the second deck. Two outs later, Corey D dumped a 3-2 slider over the fence on Mahle's 111th pitch, bringing on David Hernandez to close out the frame. Jamo opened with a walk and a whiff, using up 15 pitches. A double brought in a run and ended JT's night at 99 tosses as he handed the ball to Ric Rod. Still, nice job - Taillon gave up a run on six hits with six punchouts, and Rodriguez left his inherited runner anchored. Austin Brice got the ball in the seventh and was welcomed by a Gregory three-bagger (not very well played by Billy Hamilton) that was cashed in on Eli's single. Michael Feliz toed the rubber and got two strikeouts and a pop.

Short but sweet outing by Jamo  (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Jackson Stephens got the eighth inning phone call, and the unstoppable S-Rod said "hi" with a single, followed by a Jordy rap. An out later, Corey D lined a shoe-top curve into right to fill the sacks. They were unloaded when Starling spanked a fastball into the stands for a grand salami. The Pirates stranded a couple of following singles. Steven Brault climbed the slope. After a whiff, he was tapped for back-to-back knocks, remedied by a 4-6-3 DP. Michael Lorenzen worked the ninth and opened with consecutive walks. J-Low is having a tough day; after K'ing in his first at bat, he banged into a DP. It hurt the Reds too; 2B Alex Blandino was taken out hard by Mad Max at the bag, and the trainers helped him limp off the field. His sub, C Curt Casali, booted Corey D's roller and another run crossed the dish. Brault fanned the first batter, then gave up a double. But no damage done; RTJR.

Long day, but worth missing some shuteye over. Everything went right; let's hope Maxie's slide doesn't develop into another Bucs-Reds beanball battle tomorrow; it's promising that the Bucco following that play didn't wear a pitch.

Big day for S-Rod (photo USA Today Sports)

Notes:

• This was S-Rod's first multi-hit day since May 17th and his fourth of the campaign. It was his first three-hit game since August, 2016. But he couldn't keep up with Red Beard, who had four hits, and was equalled by Eli, who added three knocks. Corey D and Starling also had a couple of knocks. Marte, Rodriguez and Dickerson homered.
• Colin Moran had a streak of five straight hits before he lined out to right in the seventh. Ironically, it was probably his hardest hit ball of the night. And he followed that out with another rap.
• OF Brian Reynolds and 1B Will Craig hit back-to-back homers for Altoona; they each lost a pair of baseballs in a 10-8 win. The Curve dropped the second game 7-4.