Bravos Get Into the Bullpen, Run Away Late in 12-5 Win

A walk and a single to start didn't look good for Steven Brault. He followed with a pair of K; unfortunately the runners were going on a 3-2 pitch for the second whiff and Eli airmailed the throw to third to let a run in. The Bucs answered. With two gone (both line outs, an omen) against Max Fried, Starling singled and Melky banged one into the LF seats. They weren't done. Eli singled, then Joey O and Tuck doubled. Fraze was walked to get to Steven, who K'ed but was up 4-1. Steven again walked the leadoff guy in the second; he came in on a wild pitch and two bouncers. Fried then singled and went to third on a double before Brault escaped imminent danger on a nice stop by K-Man at third. The Pirates had some two-out lightning left in their half - Starling doubled and scored on Melky's rap, followed by an Eli knock before Joey O ended the fun. Atlanta opened the third with a single and walk, but no damage during this spin. The Bucs got runners on the corners with two away thanks to a Tuck walk and K-Man knock, but the ducks remained on the pond. Quick game; it's taken about 1:30 for three innings.

Melky had a big night - image Pittsburgh Pirates

The fourth went quietly; a one-out bopped batter was erased on a 5-4-3 DP and may have bought Brault, who is at 93 pitches, another inning. Melky, that wily vet, kept it going by reaching on the ol' strikeout/wild pitch ploy, but two line outs kept Fried's ledger clean. Clint called it a day for Steven and Clay Holmes got the call for the fifth. He got three grounders for a clean frame. Touki Toussaint took the ball for the Bravos and gave up a walk. The sixth started off with an error by K-Man, then a four-pitch walk. Ric Rod took over and was touched for an RBI knock with an out. He had Ronald Acuna Jr fanned looking next, but the ump blew a pretty obvious strike call. RR hung tough and eventually coaxed a fly ball out of him. A grounder closed it out. Dan Winkler toed the slab and plunked Reynolds but didn't allow the Bucs to bruise the scoreboard. Kyle Crick was called for the seventh to face the middle of Atlanta's order. Gift runners bit him - a four-pitch walk and an error by Bryan Reynolds on a dropped fly prior to an Austin Riley homer (and not much of one at 341') put the Bravos up a point.

Geoff Hartlieb came in after another walk and gave up a double, but got the third out before any more blood was shed. Lefty Sean Newcomb walked Tuck with an out; he made to third on a passed ball and bouncer. RHP Anthony Swarzak was beckoned to face Jake Stallings with two gone and fanned him. Hartlieb got lit up for a single, double and Josh Donaldson dinger before he got an out in the eighth. The Bucs got a single and walk to man the corners with two gone, but a Redbeard comebacker garnered another goose egg. Rookie Davis took the ball for the ninth. A walk, single and bouncer plated another run; a Freddie Freeman homer that hopped into the Allegheny put two more up on the board. Josh Tomlin put a quick and merciful end to the evening.

Eli's shown no power but he's getting on - image Pittsburgh Pirates

Well, when seven gift runners (four walks, three errors) score and ya give up a two-run and pair of three-run homers, it's gonna be a long night. And it could have been much worse - the Braves were 3-for-19 w/RISP! The FO can whistle past the graveyard all they want. Even the locker room has to know that without some help pitching, management has raised the white flag. The hard part is that in June, there's a pack of clubs also looking for an arm or two, so kicking the can down the road hasn't done the team any favors.

Notes:

• The middle of the order - Starling, Melky and Eli - each had a pair of hits. Pittsburgh stranded 12 runners and weren't so hot at RISP themselves at 3-for-12.
• The Pirates committed three errors, gave up seven walks and bopped a batter.
• Per Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic, who did the dreary math - "Combined stats for tonight's starting pitchers, Braves Fried and Pirates Brault, who each worked four innings: 14 hits, seven runs, five walks, six strikeouts, two wild pitches, one HBP, 176 pitches."
• The sale for tonight's game was 13,963.
• Cervy was moved from the 7-day concussion IL to the regular 10-day IL. It's a paper shuffle as he hasn't been cleared physically yet and the move keeps the active roster spot in play.
• Bad news for Cutch; his MRI showed a torn ACL, and he's done for the season. Hopin' he's back at 100% in 2020.