Bucs Take Advantage of Red Gifts, Strong Outings by Willy & Big Joe To Roll Over Cincy 5-0

The first started off with the Pirates being gifted a run; Sonny Gray missed a Joey Votto flip to first, allowing Starling to reach. Marte stole second and came in on J-Bell's two-out rap. The Bucs almost had a big frame in the second. A Melky rap opened it, a grounder moved him up and Willy knocked him home. Another rap and walk loaded 'em up, but the Reds turned a 1-2-3 DP on Corey-D's comebacker, stopped by Sonny's wicket, to escape relatively unscathed. The Bucs used three walks - one with the bases loaded and two outs to Willy - to add a third tally and chase Gray. It went quietly through the sixth; the Reds have posted three singles, a walk and six K off Williams so far as he picked up from where he left off last year. Good thing he was sharp; despite six singles, seven walks, a HBP and two Reds boot, the Pirates had left 11 stranded runners to allow Cincy a heartbeat.

Willy kept it going (photo Pittsburgh Pirates) 

That was it for Willy after 80 pitches on a cold day. Pittsburgh went quietly in the seventh, then Big Joe Musgrove got some work in by tossing a 1-2-3 inning. A bunt single by Fraze and throwing error on the play to begin the eighth set up the Bucs fourth run when Starling doubled Frazier home. Marte later touched the dish after a misplayed pickoff try moved him up and Corey D's right side bouncer chased him in to make it 5-0. Joe tossed another clean frame. The Bucs blew another shot in the ninth, with JHK at third, Redbeard at first and an out when Erik Gonzalez rolled into a 6-4-3 DP. Felipe came in to close just to get some work in. He got plenty of that, working 2/3 IP, giving up a double and walk during a 25-pitch outing. Kela Keone got the wave and punched out Matt Kemp, preserving the shutout and win as the Bucs raised the Jolly Roger for the first time in 2019.

When the opponent is sloppy - four errors, seven walks, one bopped batter - you'd like to see the scoreboard spin a little more. We'd hope for a little less base-at-a-time attack and more muscle in the future, but with the way Willy and Big Joe were tossing, it was plenty enough offense today. Now off to welcome the Cards to Pittsburgh.

Notes:

• Fraze and Melky had two knocks and five other Pirates had a knock and a walk; every Bucco reached base. Of the five runs, four Pirates had RBI and four more scored (Williams had two RBI, Marte two runs scored).
• Pirates pitchers allowed just six Reds runners; two reached third.
• Fraze apparently was hopin' for some sun in chilly Cincinnati; he started the game wearing a jersey with the Florida spring training patch on the sleeve. By the next inning, the light went on and he swapped it out for a regular season shirt with the Bucco logo. Mother Nature refused to fall for Adam's ploy; the game was played in the thirties, brrrr.