Willy Leads Bucs to 2-1 Win Over Redbirds

Good start: Fraze got a 3-2 heater off Adam Wainwright and dropped it into the stands. J-Bell singled with two outs, but no more damage was done. Willy go into a jam; with two gone and a runner on first, Starling booted the ball, and a following walk juiced the sacks. But Trevor stayed calm and K'ed Yadi. The two sides exchanged singles in the second, with J-Bell making a glovely play to save a run. The Pirates went quietly in the third; the Cards put a couple aboard, but a 6-4-3 DP calmed the waters. A two-out dink by Bryan Reynolds and rap by Redbeard put Bucs on the corners in the fourth, but Cervy fanned on a fullcount heater. With one gone, Dexter Fowler singled and Melky's throw in was off the mark (a combo of misaim, Cole's decision to be a spectator on the play, Fraze's failure to cut and Willy not backing up, all Pony League 101 violations), allowing him to get to second. Tuck then muffed a grounder to put Redbirds on the corners; a Waino bunt put them at second and third. Willy saved his own bacon by fanning Matt Carpenter, no easy chore. It took Wainwright nine pitches to close out the fifth and it took Trevor 10 to cage the Birds.

Willy was the man (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

The Pirate bats stayed silent in the sixth and the same for St. Louis. The Pirates continued to do nothing at the dish in the seventh. A pair of soft hits - an infield dribbler bobbled by Willy and blooper - put Cards on the corners with two outs. An end-of-the-bat infield single tied the game before Willy put out the flames. Andrew Miller took the bump in the eighth. Tuck and K-Man greeted him with singles to put Pirates at first and third. Fraze K'ed and didn't look good. But Starling picked him up with a single into right for the lead. Just in time, too, as Melky bounced into a 4-6-3 DP to end the fun. Kyle Crick answered the phone and gave up a walk and single to set Cards on the corners. But all it did was provide drama - a whiff and 6-3 DP resulted in another zero. Jordan Hicks got the ninth. J-Bell legged out an infield knock and Redbeard walked an out later, but no insurance was to wrung out. Felipe Vazquez tossed a clean frame, whiffing Goldy on three pitches to raise the Roger.

Willy tossed 30 pitches in the first inning and still when seven innings, coming up big when the Pirates needed it for a hard-earned win; it was a dig-deep performance. Starling is becoming pretty clutch lately, too. A very nice bounce back after yesterday's debacle.

Notes:

• Colin Moran is heating up - he went 2-for-3 with a walk; J-Bell also had a pair of raps and a couple of nice plays at first as his glove continues to improve.
• The Cards stranded 10, were 1-of-9 w/RISP and hit into two DP's tonight.
• Yadier Molina was the 2018 Roberto Clemente Awardee of MLB; he received his award pregame from Luis Clemente, and tonight the Cards are giving out a Yadi/Roberto twin bobblehead to fans.
• Archie threw 60 pitches today in a sim game without any thumb issues; we'll see how it stands in the morning. A clean bill of health may get him back in the rotation sometime next week, depending on how cautiously the team handles his rehab.
• Lonnie Chisenhall may start running as soon as this weekend. Wonder if he'll see much time at 3B (he played there fairly regularly through the 2015 season) when he returns to rehab, as the OF seems to be solid now that Gregory is back?
• To clear OF space for JB Shuck at Indy, the Pirates sent OF Patrick Kivlehan to the Blue Jays. No return was noted, so we assume it's for cash/future considerations.
• Rut-roh: Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow left game in sixth inning due to right forearm tightness. Hope it's nothing serious after the way he's turned it around. Tyler said there was no pop or pain, just tightness, so we'll see what his MRI shows.