Arch, Pablo Set the Cubs Down 6-0

The game started after a rain delay (it was a pretty good storm) that pushed the start back an hour. Mike Montgomery had no probs with the Bucs in the first, though J-Bell did send a fly to the track. Arch had Cubs on the corners after a couple of singles but whiffed the frame to a close. In the second, Corey D doubled with one gone and Joey O walked. Montgomery showed Pablo back-to-back change ups; Reyes dropped the second one into the LF seats. K-Man followed with an infield bleeder but was erased when Arch bunted into a DP. The Cubs got a walk and wild pitch with one away but it just turned the order over. Starling doubled with an out in the third and Cervy's two-out two-bagger sent him home. Anthony Rizzo blooped a double on an 0-2, two-out heater, but a punch out of Javy Baez made it moot. Pablo singled with one done in the fourth. He moved up on a roller before Arch left him at second. Kris Bryant got bopped on the hand with an out; a quick 4-6-3 DP started nicely by Fraze on a smoked shot up the middle ended things quietly. Fraze opened the fifth with a double; that brought Brian Kinsler to the hill. Starling hit a bullet to right but straight to Ben Zobrist, with Adam tagging. J-Bell walked and Cervy's soft roller brought in Fraze & moved up Josh.

Arch is starting to feel it (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lefty Randy Rosario came in to face Dickerson and his infield knock left Bucs on the corners. Righty Dillon Maples took over to match with Joey O, who went down looking. The Cubs went down in order. Alec Mills took the hill in the sixth and walked Pablo on four pitches. Newman inexplicably struck out looking at three 90 MPH fastballs, all good pitches. Arch bounced one of those fastballs up the middle, sending Reyes to third. Lefty Jorge De La Rosa was waved in to toss to Fraze, who popped out. Starling walked to pack the sacks and another free pass to J-Bell forced in Pablo before De La Rosa stopped Cervy on a hard-hit ball to short. Arch gave up a one-out walk; Baez hit a swinging bunt to third and was rung up; Joe Maddon challenged and won to put Arch in a jam. Two punch outs later, he was out of it. Allen Webster toed the slab in the seventh, and with an out plunked Joey O high for his only blip. Dovy Neverauskas climbed the hill after Arch gave up four hits & two walks with nine K on 91 pitches, and tossed a clean frame. Fraze reached on an error after Baez robbed Moran with a great diving stop in the eighth, then Marte walked. James Norwood was waved in and Baez snagged J-Bell's 107 MPH hot shot before Cervy's bouncer closed the door. Good inning for Javy.

Dovy gave up a single off Fraze's glove on a well-stroked ball by Zobrist with one away and left him there after Baez flew out to the track in left for the third out, run down nicely by Corey D. Corey singled and Pablo walked around another Krame K in the ninth. He wasn't alone as Newman and Red Beard also went down swinging. Steven Brault got the final curtain call, and three grounders later, the game was in the books. RTJR.

Pablo's feelin' it too (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Outside of the human pace of play plug, Joe Maddon (eight pitchers!), interesting game and month. Pablo is the kind of September story every club could use, Arch looks like he's assimilating and Fraze is removing doubts about his leather at second while Corey & Cervy seem to be no-brainers to return as 2019 Buccos (unlike the two Kevins). September does have a purpose, and the Bucs aren't wasting the final days of the season even being out of the race.

Notes:

• Corey D had three hits; Pablo had two knocks and two walks while Starling had a rap to go with two free passes.
• Chris Archer has a 2-1/2.70 slash w/36 strikeouts in five starts covering 30 innings this month. It's his birthday today (9/26) and what better way to celebrate than shutting out the Cubs?
• Pablo Reyes has had multiple hits in 7-of-14 games. 
• Dovy Neverauskas broke a streak of four straight outings where he gave up a run; ditto for Steven Brault. The A-team needed the break.
• Kris Bryant left the game a couple of innings after being HBP; we'll see tomorrow if that's precautionary or his wrist is a thing.
• The Bucs are 80-76 with five games to go; they're 9-8 against the Cubs, who have scored five runs in the past six games against the Pirates staff.