Bucs Streak Over; Halos Salvage Finale 7-4

K-Man walked on four pitches to open the game and B-Rey got bopped. So did Starling (are we playing the Reds?) to jam the sacks. They paid some; J-Bell banged hard into a 6-4-3 DP to plate Newman and Melky's single brought home Reynolds. Arch gave up a single as he got through the first with no drama. Both sides went down in order in the second. K-Man was plunked to open the third but cut down stealing, leading to another quiet frame.The Halos went down 1-2-3, and Archie has rung up five K already. The Bucs got a two-out rap from Redbeard in the fourth for all their noise. Mike Trout walked and stole second, which cost the Bucs when Albert Pujols two-out single sent Trout home. The avalanche began; a wild pitch and a two-bagger tied it. Another double gave the Halos the lead and when Reynolds misplayed the ball, the second straight night he was too aggressive, the two-base error led to a Little League homer to make it 4-2 Anaheim.

Melky led a quiet offense with two raps - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

K-Man tripled with two away in the fifth, but was left on the pond. Archer left runners at second and third by fanning Trout with two gone. Starling started the sixth with a single and steal, but there he stayed. Keone Kela worked a calm frame in his long-awaited return to the hill. Ty Buttrey took the ball in the seventh. An opening walk and error put Bucs on the corners; Erik Gonzalez's 6-4-3 DP made it 4-3. Kyle Crick got the call and was touched for a single to go with two strikeouts. Cam Bedrosian climbed the bump in the eighth and had his way with the 2-3-4 hitters. Geoff Hartlieb was waved in, gave up back-to-singles (one a catchable pop between B-Rey and Gonzalez) and then added a wild pitch. Pujols singled them both home, and a bunt and rap put up another tally, and at 7-3, that should about do it. Hansel Robles came in for the close. Melky singled to open,went to second on a bouncer, and scored on Eli's rap before tucking it away.

Little things count - missing balls in the outfield, killing big innings with DPs, running out of arms in the pen, and they added up tonight.

Notes:

• The Pirates had six hits; Melky had a pair while Kevin Newman & Elias Diaz reached twice, on a knock and a walk.
• Jake Stallings was scratched shortly before gametime with a migraine (hopefully it's not from getting banged by an elbow to the noggin during a play at the plate last night); he had been penciled in to start. Redbeard moved to first, Eli caught, and Erik Gonzalez was at the hot corner, batting ninth, to explain the mass switcheroo of players tonight.
• Starling now has consecutive 20/20 campaigns and has swiped 20 bases for seven straight years. He's the fifth Pirate to join both clubs, and the first since 1918 to put together seven 20+ steal seasons.
• The Pirates are off tomorrow and then play nine games at PNC with a side trip to Williamsport to take on the Cubs in the Little League Classic.
• The Pirates released LHP Tyler Lyons from Indy; the FA vet had a 3.35 ERA there and was tough against lefties, so he may find a new home. The Bucs had him up for three May outings and he gave up five runs in four frames.