Can't slow the guy down... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates) |
Reyes Moronta toed the slab in the sixth; he benefited from a bit of robbery by Cutch on Eli's gapper as the Giants OF's have helped contain the Pirates so far. Nova lost Brandon Crawford with two gone after being ahead 0-2, but worked out of it with a whiff. Mark Melancon got the seventh inning call, and a boot let J-Hay reach to begin the frame. A misthrow followed to put Buccos at second and third. Corey D helped the Shark; he swung at ball four and his tapper froze the runners. Fraze picked him up by swatting a two-strike mistake pitch into left to plate Josh. A short wild pitch again put Bucs at second and third, but Starling's hopper to first got the Pirates another contact play out. Then a bit of luck; Gregory was jammed and dropped a dink into short left. Another run scored and yes, second and third yet again. No sweat this time; Derek Law came in and Freeser went yard on his second serving before the party broke up. Ric Rod was waved in and cruised.
The Bucs opened the eighth with a walk & knock, and Red Beard singled home a run an out later. Fraze's sac fly put up another point before the music ended. Dovy Neverauskas took the bump and worked a clean frame. Pierce Johnson took over in the ninth and watched Freeser reach second on a dropped fly ball after an out. Eli legged out a bleeder but J-Bell's 6-4-3 DP made it moot. Casey Sadler made his first appearance on a MLB hill since 2015. The first G-Man reached when J-Bell dropped a throw to first, followed by an infield knock on a weak roller; the BABIP gods are mischievous right now. A whiff & grounder left Giants on second and third, then back-to-back doubles spoiled the outing before Casey shut the door. Time to RTJR.
Welcome back, Casey! (photo Pittsburgh Pirates) |
Nice way to start the set, even if it wasn't pretty (eight of the 15 runs scored were unearned)...now to take two of the next three.
Notes:
- Fraze had three hits; Freeser, Eli and J-Hay had a pair of raps. The Pirates went long three times (Freeser, Eli & J-Bell).
- J-Bell's homer was his first of the year from the right side.
- Starling's 28 stolen bases are second in MLB.
- It took a decade, but Freeser banged the 100th regular season homer of his career tonight.
- Ol' Pirates who are now Giants: Cutch, Alen Hanson, Gorkys Hernandez, Chase d'Arnaud, Mark Melancon & Tony Watson. Toss in reliever Derek Law, who is a Seton LaSalle HS grad from Beechview.
- The next big thing, Mitch Keller, has had a rough start after being promoted to Indy but got back on track tonight. He gave up a run on four hits and a walk with six whiffs over six innings in a 3-1 Tribe win.
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