Bucs Can't Cash In, Stro's Pull Away To 5-1 Win

K-Man kept his streak alive with a knock to open against Gerrit Cole; he was quickly caught stealing and the the next two outs were quiet. Jose Altuve doubled off Willy, but no other noise was made. Redbeard doubled with two gone in the second amidst three ground outs. The 'Stros managed a single. Eli led off the third with a knock, and a bunt/passed ball combo got him to third, but no further. The Astros went down quietly; Willy has a very sweet pitch count of 30. Starling and J-Bell both drilled balls to start the fourth, but Josh Reddick pulled Marte's back from the seats and a well-positioned George Springer turned Bell's bullet into an out. Melky lined out to center, so no ball luck this frame. Alex Bregman banged a leadoff double, and with two gone, Yuli Gurriel homered, a big fly that stayed just inside the foul ball. With an out in the fifth, Joey O beat out an infield knock and Eli walked. Fraze flew out to the base of the scoreboard and K-Man K'ed. Willy spun a clean frame.

Two more hits for Eli - image Pittsburgh Pirates

Corey D started the sixth with a double, just missing a four-bagger by inches, and a tapper moved him along. J-Bell fought for nine pitches, but ended up hitting a comebacker. Melky picked them up with a single through the right side to make it 2-1. Redbeard followed with another rap before Joey O walked to fill the bases. Eli couldn't cash them in, bouncing out softly to first. Houston got the run back when Bregman smacked a leadoff dinger. Josh James tossed a 1-2-3 seventh. The Astros added on. Reddick's double and a pair of flies plated him before Michael Feliz came in to get the last out. Will Harris took the ball in the eighth; Michael Brantley robbed Starling of extra bases, J-Bell lined out, and it was another zero. Clay Holmes, who's getting a pretty good look in different situations, took the hill. They won't like today's look - a single, double, walk, catcher's interference by Eli, a couple of wild pitches... Amazingly, he was only tagged for a run; two K helped him leave three 'Stros stranded. Collin McHugh, just recalled after a month on the IL, gave up a two-out rap to Eli before tucking the Bucs away in the ninth.

The diff was that the Astros reached the seats and the Bucs just the track with their flies, adding to a frustrating night for the Pirates hitters, who kept finding leather instead of grass. Going 1-for-8 w/RISP was a factor, too, all contributing to a garden variety win for Houston.

Notes:

• Redbeard had two hits against his old club; Eli also had a pair of knocks.
• The Pirates are now 2-9 in their last 11 road matches.
• Nick Burdi had surgery today to treat thoracic outlet syndrome and is lost for the campaign. The Bucs hope to have him back by Spring Training.
• The Yankees set an MLB record tonight by homering in their 28th straight game.