Bats Quiet, Reds Even Series With 3-0 Win

Starling cracked a one-out double off Michael Lorenzen; J-Bell lined the next pitch to short and Marte was doubled off. He beat the throw to second, but his foot came off the base with the tag on. The Reds got a knock off Jamo and nada else. J-Hay singled amid three bounce outs in the second. JT struck out the side. Jameson singled with one gone in the third and an out later, Starling hit a rocket to center, but even 100 MPH lasers can't outrace Billy Hamilton. And on cue, Hamilton tripled to right (a wrist shot up the line that hopped into the corner) with one gone, scoring the game's first run on a sac fly. Another rap prolonged the inning by two pitches, ended thanks to a nice running catch by Corey. Lorenzen cruised through the fourth, fanning a pair. Pablo replaced Fraze in right; not sure what that's about. Eugenio Suarez deposited the second pitch into the seats to make it 2-0. With two outs, Dilson Herrera doubled and came home on Lorenzen's knock (he's a good hitter) when Jake Stallings lost Dickerson's throw on the tag; the runner was beat.

Jamo's year didn't end the way he hoped... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

J-Hay walked to start the fifth; three very soft grounders left him aboard. Kevin Newman took over at short; the September lineup is in blossom (Jordy did play a hard hop off his shoulder/upper arm earlier in the game). Mason Williams collected his third hit of the day with one gone, but was quickly erased trying to steal, leading to a 1-2-3 frame. With two outs, a J-Bell walk and knocks by Corey and Jung-Ho loaded the bases in the sixth. David Hernandez came in to face J-Hay, who grounded to Joey Votto to stop the music. Jamo K'ed a pair in the Reds half. K-Man opened the seventh with a single and he got to second after a wild pitch, but two punch outs and a pop up kept him there. Kyle Crick took over and struck out the side. Ol' matey Jared Hughes took the bump in the eighth and added three more ground outs to the log. Felipe Vazquez punched out a pair in the Redlegs' half. Raisel Iglesias answered the ninth inning call and tucked the Pirates away quietly.

The Bucs were held to six hits and they only threatened once, and that with two outs. Lorenzen and company kept the ball down, served a lot of grounders and induced soft contact, a credit to them and the Pirates lineup. One more to go...

Corey is at .300... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• No Pirate had two hits though Corey D went 1-for-3 to get his average to .300. He was pinch-hit for, we suspect to keep him at that mark, and the consensus is that Clint will sit him tomorrow so he can end the year as a .300 hitter. 
• The Reds snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Bucs.
• Fraze was removed as a precaution; his hammy tightened up on him.
• Jordy was taken out because he bruised his arm on a ball that came up on him earlier in the game.
• Jamo ended the season with 22 straight starts that he gave up three or less earned runs, just shy of Bob Friend's run of 23 in 1963. He finished the year with a 3.20 ERA, among the Top Ten for NL starters. Willy, with a 3.11 ERA, is also among that group.