Buc Bats Boom in 12-5 Win Over Brew Crew

Derek Holland walked the first batter, then served up a 4-6-3 DP and whiff to make for a peaceful start. The Bucs got a Fraze rap with one away off Josh Lindblom and it counted when Colin Moran dropped a two-out cutter on the line and Adam just beat the rap (and review) at home with a hand-first slide. An infield tap and bopped (on the ankle) batter gave the Brew Crew an opening with an out in the second, but a second 4-6-3 DP calmed the waters. Gregory opened with a two-bagger. A grounder moved him up and another retired him at home on a contact play; Pirates and baserunning, sheesh. Milwaukee couldn't bring home a leadoff double (he made it to 3B after a botched pickoff try) in the third while Pittsburgh made nary a peep. Jedd Gyorko's solo dinger tied it in the fourth. A walk and another misfired pickoff didn't add to the damage. The Bucs had an answer; Redbeard walked and Gregory lost a ball over the right center wall to give the Bucs a 3-1 lead. The Pirates added back-to-back singles by JT and Tuck but couldn't cash them in.

Welcome aboard, Gregory - 2018 Stadium Club

The Brewers stranded a double and walk in the fifth; they're 0-for-7 w/RISP. Brent Suter took the hill and was greeted by a Fraze bomb  over the Clemente Wall. Back-to-back two-baggers by Redbeard and B-Rey plated another Bucco. Tyler Bashlor got the sixth. He hit a batter with an out, then fanned the next pair. Eric Yardley got the Brew call, and was banged quickly when a boot was followed by a Jake Stallings homer into the bullpen. With a 7-1 lead, Dovy Neverauskas toed the slab in the seventh and made a game of it with a walk, knock and two-out, three-run homer swatted by Keston Hiura to make it 7-4. Angel Perdomo climbed the hill and gave up a double to Colin, who is back in the swing. Gregory walked with an out. Another free pass juiced the sacks, and a K made it two away. Drew Rasmussen answered the phone, came in and walked Jake for a bloodless RBI. Then Gonzo singled home a pair, Fraze's double brought home two more Buccos, and the scoreboard read 12-4. 

Chris Stratton worked the eighth quietly, as did Rasmussen, thx to a DP. Nick Mears came on to close it out in the ninth. A walk, wild pitch and double gave the Brewers another point. After a second out, he walked the bases loaded, but he had an out left. Raise the Roger; the Bucs have won two in a row.

It wasn't pretty; there were seven more walks and the Brewers left runners all over the place. But it's promising to see the offense kick it into gear, and the bullpen overall is getting better though it's still way overexposed. The Bucs have taken their first series and back-to-back wins of the year, so there's that bit of light as we head into the last few weeks of baseball's weirdest campaign.

Notes:

• Fraze and Redbeard each had three hits while B-Rey, Gregory and Stalls added a pair apiece. The Bucs collected 14 raps today.
• The Pirates bopped six doubles and three homers; the nine extra-base knocks are a season high.
• Keone Kela was examined today by the team medicos, who said they'd reassess his availability early next week.
• Keston Hiura has hit eight home runs in 15 games played at PNC Park.