Arizona Sweeps Bucs in Ho-Hum Fashion 5-0

It's kinda sputtering out, and the Snakes & Corsairs got it going after a half-hour delay. A single and bopped batter with one away put Jamo in some hot water. It boiled over when Christian Walker doubled a run home, and another scored on a ground out to once again put the Bucs are in a quick hole. The Pirates worked a walk off Zack Greinke in their half. Jamo tossed a clean second; ditto for Greinke, who survived one well struck ball by Eli. JT settled in for another quiet frame in the third. The Buccos got one-out singles from Jamo and Cotuck, leading to *sigh* a couple more stranded runners this series. Walker banged an opening two-bagger in the fourth; Ketel Marte singled and went to second when the throw went home to hold Walker. A right side bouncer made it 3-0; the D-Backs weren't as lucky the second time as Tucker threw out Marte on the contact play. There was no Pirate pushback as Zack ran up his K-count to five. To add insult to injury, the sweet-swingin' Greinke (.500 BA) led off the fifth with a triple on a ball that kicked off the wall past Gregory; another three-bagger to right that kissed the chalk by Jarrod Dyson plated him. A sac fly made it 5-0. Again, all was quiet on the home front.

JB's grab was the Buc's sole highlight today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Frankie Liriano took over in the sixth and worked around a two-out double. It was a 1-2-3 showing by Pittsburgh. The Snakes were held to a single in the seventh, thanks to JB Shuck pulling back Eduardo Escobar's blast that was ticketed for the seats. Zack cruised out with a clean frame; he left with a two-hitter and seven K. Kyle Crick got the eighth and a whiff, walk & DP made it an easy round. Andrew Chafin toed the rubber, and with two away, Melky & Tuck banged back-to-back knocks, the first Buc hits since the third and with the same end result. Keone Kela got the ball in the ninth and was tagged for a double (Arizona's sixth multi-base hit of the day) but no runs. Yoshihisa Hirano gave up an at 'em ball to Redbeard and two-out rap by JHK while finishing the goose egg.

Well...now on to Dodgerland, looking to snap a five-game losing streak. What a difference a week makes.

Notes:

• Cole Tucker had two hits today and smoked the ball in all four at bats. It's interesting to watch him as he still doesn't have much of an eye for the strike zone, but is worth the PT to see if he's one of those guys who can learn his lessons after being tossed prematurely into the MLB fire.
• The Pirates expect SS Eric Gonzalez to return to "baseball activities" in 10-12 weeks.
• Attendance was 9,365 on a pretty gray and miserable day.
• The Pirates have lost 12-of-13 to the D-Backs and eight games in a row. PNC Park is home-away-from-home for 'Zona; they've won 10 in a row here.
• Zack Greinke's triple was the first of his career after 555 PA's. He is handy with a stick - Greinke is a lifetime .265 hitter coming into the game with 35 extra-base knocks. He has five X-BH's this year (he's now hit for the cycle in April), tied for second all-time as the quickest to reach five to open a season by a pitcher, behind some guy named Babe Ruth back when he was tossing for Boston.
• The Mariners have signed LHP Jon Niese to minor league contract.