Even Mama Never Said There'd Be Days Like This: Cards Crush Bucs 17-4

Michael Wacha had no problems with the first two Bucs, but he did with Gregory, who pounded a high 3-2 change 426' into the seats. J-Bell continued his streak when his gentle liner ticked off a glove into right before the frame ended. The Cards went down 1-2-3. The Pirates drew a walk in the second, turning the order over. The Cards cranked it up in the second - a single, back-to-back doubles and another rap made it 3-1, and a walk and another knock made it four. The Pirates chipped away; a Fraze single and Gregory double plated one run in the third, and another was saved when Dexter Fowler ran down J-Bell's rocket. But Big Joe's not feelin' it tonight; a leadoff walk, out and back-to-back singles chased another run home, and another scored on a bouncer that the Bucs were an eyelash late from turning; it's now 6-2. Bucco fourth: three liners, three outs. Joe issued his fourth walk to start the Cards off and followed with another; Clay Holmes took over, making Big Joe's start about the worst case scenario for a battered staff. He walked a pair around a whiff to force another run home, and a single tallied two more. Then came an error and double; it was 11-2 when the smoke cleared.

Pittsburgh got two runs back in the fifth on singles by K-Man and Starling, followed by a Gregory double, and Paul DeJong robbery on a J-Bell grounder, still pushing home a point but saving another. The Redbirds got a goose egg *yay* John Gant come on in the sixth with two outs and Cervy aboard to finish up. Dovy Neverauskas got the call, and three doubles, a single, walk, wild pitch (on a third strike) and two K later it was 16-4. Dom Leone got the seventh inning and the first pair of Pirates reached but never moved on. Montana DuRapau got his baptism and pitched a clean inning. Leone sat down Pittsburgh in the eighth, while Clint decided to burn Montana this game and sent him out (where are you when we need you, JB?). The Redbirds got three straight knocks, two of them grounders through the infield. Another grounder plated a run (Newman & Moran in the middle aren't going to turn many DP's) but yet another ball in the dirt did get two, Bell-to-Moran-to-Bell (equally unlikely but welcome). So DuRapau has lived up to his ground ball rep, at least tonight. John Brebbia put it bed.

At least Gregory had a good day (image Root Sports)

Two bad starts for Big Joe; hope he was just amped up and not another candidate for the IL. As far of the bullpen, Clint is probably rethinking saving his guns for tonight now; the old adage is to coach the game you're playing, not the next one. We're not real sure why Holmes was called up; he had a 6.32 ERA at Indy with a walk per inning; guess the well is dry. Even guys with passable peripherals (Geoff Hartlieb and maybe Brandon Maurer) both average six walks per nine innings, albeit both average a K per inning. You have to wonder if the FO is kicking itself in the butt for not sending Brault to Indy so he could start and be stretched out, especially after Brubaker was hurt; many of the pitching problems are bad luck, but some are self inflicted.

Notes:

• Gregory had three hits (HR & 2-2B's) and Starling two; they accounted for half of the Pirates 10 hits. 
• The Buccos walked eight more batters tonight; that's 29 free passes in the past four games.
• Melky's 11-game hitting streak ended tonight. In the C department, Fran is hitting .178 and Eli .133, while at third Redbeard is batting .230 and JHK .135.
• SS Paul DeJong took two hits away from the Pirates in the first four innings and saved two or three runs. Gloves are sometimes overlooked in big scores but can help swing the game (although not tonight). A Bucco error gave the Cards two runs while DeJong's snags saved two or three, so in a more even-handed game, that's quite a tally.