Bucs Walk Off Another; Rally to Stop CWS 5-4

Big Joe Musgrove was tagged for a leadoff double, but glued the runner at second after two K's and a grounder. The Bucs went down quietly to Dylan Cease. The Sox left a single aboard in the second. Redbeard opened with a rap; an out later, J-Bell bounced into a shifted DP. In the third, lots of action for naught - a walk, force out, pick off/rundown, a single that ricocheted off Joe's calf and finally a roller. There was no fuss raised by the Pirates. The fourth was a true outcomes inning for Chi-town - three whiffs and a walk. Nada happening for Pittsburgh, either. Big was done after 64 pitches, giving up no runs on three hits, two walks and with five strikeouts. Dovy Neverauskas got the ball in the fifth and was tattooed. A double was erased at home after a single, B-Rey-to-Jake, who made a long sweep tag. But an infield hit (a play that K-Man should have made; he's no better at 2B than at SS) and Yasmani Grandal two-out bomb made it 3-0. Pittsburgh answered with two outs: J-Bell banged a two-bagger, Ke'Bryan Hayes tripled and Kevin Newman's leg single made it 3-2.

Kevin Newman - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Kyle Crick was waved on in the sixth and fanned two-of-three Sox. Fraze opened with a single, bringing in Codi Heuer to dust the rosin. He shut down the next three Buccos. Chris Stratton took the ball for the seventh and punched out two in a clean frame. Matt Foster was next for the CWS and cruised through, with the mandatory smoked line-out by Gregory. With two outs in the eighth, a single/double combo gave Chi-town an insurance marker. A walk followed, but a fly kept the damage minimal. Evan Marshall took his turn and was welcomed by back-to-back doubles by K-Man and Stalls. An out later, Erik Gonzalez tied it with a knock. Marshall then fired a pair of wild pitches to move Gonzo to third, but struck out B-Rey. Ross Detwiler went lefty-a-lefty v Redbeard and won a 9-pitch battle with a grounder to first.

Ric Rod made his ninth-inning bow and tagged for a ground rule double, but a lot of pressure was lifted when the runner tried to get to third on a grounder to short; Gonzo was having none of it. Detwiler gave up singles to Gregory and J-Bell, followed by Jimmy Cordero, a wild pitch and an intentional walk. That allowed K-Man to be the hero, kinda - he tapped a comebacker, and Cordero's flip to Grandal was in plenty of time though a little low, and the catcher dropped the ball. So Newman picked up a "'scuse me" walk off; it works just as well as a ball into the river...

Ric Rod: good job for an accidental closer - photo Pgh Pirates

Tonight both sides blundered away chances. It doesn't make for a textbook game, but it does keep it interesting, and it is nice to have one fall Pittsburgh's way. Also good was Joe staying strong for 65 pitches and four innings.

Notes:

• Kevin Newman and Josh Bell each had a pair of raps. Fraze kept his hitting streak alive at 11 games while it's a nine-gamer for Erik Gonzalez. Every starter except Bryan Reynolds had a hiot tonight.
• Reynolds leads the NL in OF assists with five.
• Once-upon-a-time Bucco prospect IF Dilson Herrera was DFA'ed by Baltimore; he was just added to their MLB roster a week ago.