Brew Crew Bang Five Bombs, Outlast Pirates In 13 Innings 12-10

Nick Kingham didn't get off to much of a start - a single was followed by a triple, then a bouncer that made it 2-0 Brew Crew three batters in. The Bucs managed a two-out rap by Starling but nothing else off Brandon Woodruff. The second went no better with a walk and Orlando Arcia dinger; another walk was left aboard. Eli and Fraze singled with two gone; Nick batted and rolled out. Mike Moustakas hammered a 1-2 curve over the fence to start the third; an infield knock was kept of the scoreboard. Gregory and Starling singled back-to-back with an out, and with two away (a bad relay cost the Brewers a DP and a big inning, as it would turn out), Melky poked one up the middle to plate El Coffee. Redbeard walked to load the sacks, and Eli cleared them when he ripped a slider that hung dead center for a two-bagger to make it 5-4. Fraze was plunked and Bryan Reynolds grabbed a bat; he was walked to load 'em up again before K-Man lined out to right on a ball that looked like trouble but was snagged by Christian Yelich at the wall.

Nick may have seen his last start - Photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Rookie Davis got the fourth, and gave up an infield knock to Lorenzo Cain for all the Brewer froth. The Pirates went quietly as Woodruff settled down. Rookie stranded a fifth inning double. The Buccos opened with singles from Melky, Redbeard (on a ball that ticked off a glove) and Eli to tie the game. Junior Guerra was waved in and K'ed Fraze, who saw one strike but still couldn't resist swinging the bat. It got worse before it got better - the runners tried to advance on a ball in the dirt with Jose Osuna hitting, and Eli was nailed at second; the Bucs just gifted Milwaukee two outs. But Joey O provided the better part by banging a two-strike heater off the batter's eye in center to give the Pirates the lead. Clay Holmes took over in the sixth and walked the first hitter. After a K, he walked another and Frankie came in to face Christian Yelich, who smacked a reviewed homer (looked at fan interference) off a 2-2 fastball to regain the lead for Milwaukee. To rub some salt in the wound, Liriano had gotten him to hit a playable foul pop that Redbeard and K-Man let drop the pitch before. The only Bucco response was a Starling single.

Geoff Hartlieb was the seventh inning contestant and walked the second batter, then the third. He survived the wildness to post a zippo. Jeremy Jeffress stepped up to 1-2-3 the Corsairs. Geoff struck out the side in the eighth. Jeffress was tagged for a Tuck two-bagger and infield knock by K-Man, and in came Josh Hader. He fanned Gregory, but his second serve to Starling was sent out of the yard, and it was the Bucco turn as top dog on the seesaw. He struck out the rest of the side and Felipe Vazquez climbed the mound. He bopped Moustakas and paid for it an out later when he tossed a middle-middle fastball to Keston Hiura - it came in at 97 and left the park quicker. The Brewers followed with a double, but The Nightmare kept him at bay. With two away, Fraze got the fans on their feet with a triple off Hader; he had the green light on a 3-0 pitch. Tuck K'ed on three pitches. Kyle Crick got the 10th and bopped Yelich, who stole second and third. A two-out walk left Brew Crew on the corners, but there they stayed. Matt Albers was beckoned. Gregory almost got clubbed one over Cain's head in center, but no luck for him or the Corsairs.

McRae was a strike away - Photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Alex McRae took the bump in the 11th. He gave up a leadoff knock, got two whiffs, then threw a wild pitch. A walk was followed by another K to put it to bed. J-Bell walked, was bunted up, and then Colin Moran was walked intentionally. Good plan; Eli bounced into a 4-6-3- DP. The windy weather is more threatening than the batters now as McRae fanned two more in a clean 12th. Adrian Houser came in. Fraze singled; Tuck couldn't bunt him along and fanned instead. It evened out; K-Man walked, and a passed ball moved them up 90'. Gregory was given a free pass. Of course, we know all about Pirates on third with less than two outs...Starling slapped the first ball to third (a knee-high sinker down the middle) for a force at the plate and J-Bell fanned on three pitches; he took the first two. The dam had to break, and with two outs, Milwaukee got a double off a 3-2 fastball and Arcia banged his second homer two pitches later on another heater. Redbeard singled with an out and Eli grounded into another DP to end it.

513 pitches, 32 hits, 14 walks, three hit batters, a wild pitch, a passed ball, 35 whiffs and two big misplays - neither charged as an error - that opened a floodgate for both sides. Closers who couldn't close. The Brewers used six pitchers; four were scored on. The Bucs used eight; five gave up runs. Though the Buccos hit two dingers, that was the difference in the game - the Brewers banged five. It was entertaining game, but in the end just another loss because too many little things were left undone, and the Pirates aren't in a position to be giving away games.

Notes:

• Starling had four hits, Fraze and Eli three (although Diaz's last two at bats ended in GIDPs), and Mlky & Redbeard a pair. Marte has 11 hits in his past five games.
• K-Man has an 11 game hitting streak.
• This was the first blown save of the year by Felipe Vazquez.
• Eli's third inning double broke a string of 18 consecutive singles by the Bucs.
• There were 28,770 tickets sold for today's match. The game lasted five hours and 23 minutes.
• In May, MLB sluggers pounded a record 1,135 dingers, the most ever hit in a month.