The Beat Goes On - Bucs Bopped By Bravos 6-1

The tarp stayed down til the original game time, which pushed the start back to 7:45. Ivan Nova tossed a 1-2-3 frame after the 40-minute delay, using just seven pitches. It took Kevin Gausman eight flips to do the same. It was a clean second for Ivan. J-Bell and Cervy opened with a knock & a walk, but a Red Beard bouncer and Hechy 6-4-3 DP (yes, again) earned the Pirates another goose egg. Atlanta went down in order in the third; ditto the Buccos. The Bravos got back-to-back one out singles in the fourth, followed by back-to-back bounce outs. Pittsburgh fizzled again, with Ozzy Albies making a sweet play to retire J-Bell on a hot shot to second. After an out in the fifth, Ivan tossed three sinkers; the second was banged for a single and the third one left the yard, compliments of Dansby Swanson. It took a dozen pitches to fan Gausman, followed by a ground out nicely fielded by Hechy. It took seven tosses to sit down three Bucs. Atlanta was retired in order in the sixth. J-Hay hit for Ivan with an out and singled; Corey D followed suit. Fraze hit into a force - hey, it wasn't a DP, though only a Braves mix up at second prevented that (the Bucs challenged the out to no avail) - before Gregory drew an eight-pitch walk. No help; J-Bell bounced into a shift on the next pitch.

Gregory averted another shutout... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Michael Feliz got the call in the seventh and sorta predictably, a single/double combo with one away made it 3-0. Swanson then drilled another long ball on the next pitch, a hung slider, and that should bring in the Fat Lady. A walk sandwiched between a pair of outs closed it out. Cervy doubled to open for the Bucs. Red Beard and Hechy both smoked balls; they found leather. Kevin Newman didn't, grounding out to put up another zero. Clay Holmes and Starling Marte both came in for the eighth as Fraze moved to second. Clay gave up an lead off walk but then settled in to toss a routine frame. Nine pitches netted Gausman three outs; both Starling & Fraze hit 100 MPH+ balls grounded straight to short; maybe a little lift would help, guys. Holmes drilled Kurt Suzuki in the back, and he had to leave the game. A one-out infield single followed, then a walk. He got a pop to left, but a wild pitch that Cervy didn't chase very speedily tallied another Brave before the final out. Chad Sobotka took the hill and watched his second pitch to Gregory land in the stands and then cruised out.

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on...

Notes:

• Gregory and Cervy were the only Bucs to reach twice, both with a knock and a walk.
• There were 13,280 souls in the yard tonight. 
• Gregory joined an elite crew tonight - only four other Pirates have hit 20 or more home runs in one season while playing right field. They were Dave Parker, who did it four times, Roberto Clemente, who did it three times, and solo artists Bobby Bonilla & Reggie Sanders.
• This was Dansby Swanson's first career multi-homer game; both blasts were on the first pitch. Maybe it pays coming up ready to hit...
• An hour or so before the game, the Pirates announced that they recalled RHP Clay Holmes and optioned OF Jordan Luplow back to Indy. Also, RHP Casey Sadler cleared waivers and was  assigned to Indy. Kinda short bench for tonight, even if J-Hay & Starling are available to pinch hit.