Bucs Jump Out Early & Run Out the Clock in 9-6 Victory

Pretty nice start against Anthony DeSclafani: Fraze homered on the second pitch and two outs later, Captain Redbeard dropped another ball into the seats. It was three up, three down for Willy. The beat continued; Gregory went deep to open the second and Erik Gonzalez doubled, scoring on Jake Stalling's rap. Knocks by K-Man and Fraze loaded the bases before J-Bell's single sent two more Pirates across the dish. Moran's rap chased run another home, then B-Rey walked to juice the sacks. Gregory walked too for a bloodless RBI. A grounder made it 9-0 before the music stopped. Cincy came back with a walk and two raps to score with no one out, but a fly and timely DP squelched the rally. Cody Reed took the hill in the third and quieted the lumber. The Reds stranded a two-out two-bagger. No noise from Pittsburgh in the fourth while Cincy got a double and Nick Senzel dinger to chip away. Gonzo got the first hit of Reed in the fifth and Stalls walked with two gone, bringing on Michael Lorenzen to save the day. The Redlegs managed a knock but no points in their half.

He's not Sudden Sam, but he's doing pretty well - photo Pgh Pirates

The sixth brought nary a peep from the Pirates. Sam Howard came on and whiffed a pair; you'd like to see Willy go deeper with a quick big lead, but he was at 91 pitches. The Bucs went 1-2-3 in the seventh; Freddy Galvis went boom to leadoff for Cincy and an out later, Geoff Hartlieb took the ball and finished up. Jarrod Dyson singled and stole a base in the eighth before erasing himself trying to go to third on a grounder to short. Then Fraze, who hit into the Dyson fielders choice, was caught stealing. Sheesh. Queen City opened with a walk and a knock, then Senzel was at it again, doubling in a run just past Gonzo to make it 9-5. Ric Rod was waved in with an out and froze the runners with a K and bouncer. Lucas Sims toed the slab in the ninth and spun a clean frame. Keone Kela got his first call of the campaign, and Tucker Barnhart homered off a high, 1-2 heater to welcome him back. That was followed by an 11-pitch single that deflected off Gonzo's glove. Then came three routine outs - a tapper, fly and whiff - and you can raise the Roger.

Not a thing of beauty for the last few frames, to be sure, but a win is a win is a win. It would have been nice to have KK's pitch count lower (it was 28) but it was the right spot for him to get back in the saddle.

Notes:

• Fraze, Redbeard and Gonzo had two hits apiece. Pittsburgh as a team had two hits after the second inning.
• The three homers hit by the Bucs' first six batters was the first time that feat's been done in franchise history
• The Pirates had scored two runs in total in the first inning this season before scoring two today. And that's not their worst frame; they have yet to score in the sixth.