Better Late Than Never: B-Rey Walks It Off As Bucs Break Out in Ninth To Hook Fish 6-5

After two routine outs, the Marlins banged back-to-back doubles to wrest the early lead from Trevor Williams. The Bucs game-opening streak of homers ended at three when Fraze lined out to center, just short of the track, off Robert Dugger. B-Rey reached on a boot, Colin got bopped, and J-Bell dropped an RBI flare to plate a run before Joey O hit into a DP to kill the frame. The Fish led off the second with a rap; Magneuris Sierra baited Osuna to throw behind him and continued to second. Two K's and a tapper kept him there. Malky & Tuck singled to start the Bucs before Jake rolled into another DP and Willy bounced out. Miami had a pair of two-down singles in the third but Willy left them on the pond. Fraze got plunked and Reynolds doubled. Colin K'ed and J-Bell was walked intentionally, and the sacks stayed packed after a pop and liner. It was a clean fourth for Trevor. Stalls walked with one gone; Willy couldn't bunt him up, but no diff as Fraze tripled off the Clemente Wall. J-Bell booted a ball in the fifth, and it cost the lead when Starlin Castro went deep. The Pirates went down 1-2-3.

Fraze is staying hot - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

The sixth was quiet for the Marlins. Melky singled for the Bucs, Tuck hit into a force and then scored on Pablo's two-out, two-bagger to knot the game. Kyle Crick gave it back and more with two outs in the seventh, when he was smoked for a double and Garrett Cooper dinger. After a walk, Yacksel Rios came in to get the last out. Adam Conley put the Pirates down without breaking a sweat. Rios started the eighth and used just eight pitches, with a pair of whiffs, to get through it. Ryne Stanek took the bump and the Pirates again went down in order. Wei-Chung Wang got the ninth; Castro stayed hot with another double, sandwiched around three grounders and causing no problems. Jose Urena, and Eli said "hello" with a homer to cut the gap to one. Kevin Kramer drew a full-count walk and Erik Gonzalez came in to run. Fraze doubled to put Bucs at second and third with no outs. B-Rey ended the party when his well-placed, double-clutched pop plated the pair; walk it off and raise the Jolly Roger.

Great baseball it ain't, but it the series so far has gone down to the wire. It looks like it's gonna be a scorecard kinda month as Clint is getting everybody in, so bone up on those bench names.

Notes:

• Fraze, Melky and B-Rey had two hits; J-Bell had a knock and a walk.
• Tonight was Bryan Reynolds first MLB walk off.
• This is the third straight game that Kyle Crick has allowed a homer. He's given up 10 long balls in his last 28-1/3IP.
• Starling Castro and Garrett Cooper had seven hits (of 10 total), all five RBI and four of the five Miami runs tonight.
• Kevin Kramer wasn't the Bucs red-haired stepchild after all; he was called up today to take the spot of Jason Martin, who is done with a dislocated shoulder. In addition to the infield, KK also played both corner OF spots at Indy, so he can step into the fifth OF'er role.
• There were 9,043 tickets sold for tonight; a lot were not used.
• The Reds Michael Lorenzen became the first player to earn a win, play the field, and homer in the same game since Babe Ruth (6/13/1921) tonight, per MLB Stats.