Big Joe Gets Just Enough Help In 2-1 Victory Over the Padres

Joe Musgrove struck out the side on 13 pitches to open the game. Bryan Reynolds wasted no time against Eric Lauer, singling with an out, and Starling doubled him home, although he was caught at third after a crash collision with diving SS Fernando Tatis, who took the relay and raced Marte to the bag. In the second, Eli botched a foul pop that was prob Joey O's ball - quite a makeshift IF tonight - but Big Joe picked 'em up with his fourth K. That was followed by a fly, then a two-bagger that Starling made close, but no damage done. Lauer's first two pitches were turned into line drive outs to the OF; it took two pitches to get Joey O to do the same...good contact, bad ball luck as two of the drives had velos of 101+. Lauer (.050 BA) doubled with an out in the third, but was a TOOTBLAN at second on a bouncer to short by Tatis. He advanced when J-Bell muffed a pickoff throw for the Bucs second error, but died at second. Eli walked to get the Pirates started. He was bunted up and then was caught a batter later on a grounder to short; baserunning 101 is apparently not in session tonight.

Big Joe stood tall tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Manny Machado knocked a 2-0 fastball off the batter's eye to knot the score in the fourth while Lauer spun a clean frame. The Friars got a one out double from Francisco Mejia in the fifth, but stranded him. Eli got the Bucs first rap since the opening frame with a two-out single and Big Joe hustled out an infield knock, but no cigar. The sixth was a quiet inning both ways. In the seventh, the Padres left a leadoff single aboard. With an out in the Bucco half, JHK got to second on a misthrow by Machado. Steven Brault came in to run for him and scored on a Joey O knock before Eli rolled into a 6-4-3 DP. Clint made a wholesale change in the field for the eighth, and Kyle Crick took over. KC walked a pair with two outs, then coaxed a pop to escape. Trey Wingenter got the call. K-Man singled with one gone, but a couple of well-stroked balls to center found leather. In came Felipe, who gave up a two-out single just for dramatic effect when a sharply-hit changeup ended up in K-Man's mitt. Set off the fireworks and raise the Roger.

Man, it would be a very good thing for Big Joe to find his mojo (and slider) on a regular basis again. A one-run, five-hit, eight K outing is what the doc ordered for him and the Bucs. And hopefully, Clint won't break out the Sunday lineup on Friday night any more.

Notes:

• The teams combined for 13 hits; only one player on either club had more than a single rap - and oddly enough, it was the Friar's eight-hitter Francisco Mejia, who pumped his average up to .197.
• The Pirates haven't won a 2-1 game since May 11th, when they beat the Cards in consecutive contests by that count.
• Nice night, fireworks, good game - the 33,437 announced fans should head home happy after this one.
• Josh Bell was announced as an AS finalist. He, Anthony Rizzo and Freddie Freeman will be on the Starter's ballot. The preliminary vote totals were Freeman w/2,214,793 votes, J-Bell w/1,831,933 and Rizzo w/1,545,682. Voting online during the Starters Election begins at noon on Wednesday, June 26th, and ends at 4 PM on Thursday, June 27th.

• Jason Bay was in the house tonight and visited the booth during the game He was just inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on June 15th.
• The Twins have signed RHP Drew Hutchison to a minor league contract; he was the return on the Frankie Liriano trade to Toronto several moons ago.