Rox Rock Bucs 9-3

After a K, a knock and a walk started simmering the water around Montana DuRapau. It boiled with two outs when Daniel Murphy clobbered a 2-1 heater into the seats. That was followed by another rap and a new pitcher, Nick Kingham; Montana was already at 27 pitches. He gave up an infield dribbler, but finally closed the gate. Jon Gray got two grounders and a whiff for a quiet opener. Nick held the Rox to a walk in the second. The Bucs got a run back when J-Bell banged a solo shot to lead things off; for the second time this month, he dropped it into the Allegheny on the fly. The cut the lead to one with a two-out mini-rally when Eli singled and came all the way around on K-Man's two-bagger. Nick's not having a lot of luck; he gave up two infield knocks in the third, both soft squibs and one off a glove. They cost when Tony Wolters pounded a high heater into the stands to make it 6-2. Fraze opened with a single for the Pirates, but a K and DP ball quickly ended the frame. The fourth saw The King issue a couple of more walks, but a caught stealing led to a zero. The Bucs settled for a two-out single.

Clay Holmes saved the pen tonight (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

The Rox kept coming in the fifth, with back-to-back doubles followed by a single. Eli helped him with a pickoff at third and the Rox gave up an out with a bunt, but another single and walk did Nick in (he was at 89 pitches, too, so...). Clay Holmes came on and the first hitter he faced singled in the Rockies ninth run of the night before the third out. Not a peep was heard from the Bucs. The sixth was 1-2-3 for Clay, and the Bucs scratched out a run on a Gregory walk, J-Bell single and Bryan Reynolds bouncer. It was a walk for the Rox in the seventh and a clean inning for Gray. Colorado bopped back-to-back one-out singles to occupy the corners in the eight; Clay manned up and fanned the next pair of Rox. Bryan Shaw toed the slab, and Pittsburgh got a one-away rap followed by a GIDP. Michael Feliz got the ninth. He was tagged for a double and fanned a couple for a scoreless outing. Jairo Diaz was sent out for the last lap; a walk and bopped batter didn't move the tally.

To everything there is a season, it's said, but the opener ploy as a regular tactic doesn't seem to be one of them. Still, a pair of high, straight, two-out fastballs on the outside of the plate that left the yard made the diff in this one; it's especially galling that of the four runners who were on before the blasts, one was walked and two more reached on infield knocks. Well, sera, sera, and go try to salvage a game tomorrow.

Notes:

• J-Bell and Eli Diaz each had a pair of raps.
• Jake Elmore was hitting .380 for Indy; he's 1-for-16 since being called up.
• There were 9,534 tickets sold for tonight.
• The Mets continue to shuffle ol' Bucco OF'ers - after trading Keon Broxton, they called up Rajai Davis to replace Brandon Nimmo, who is on the IL.