Tribe Outslugs Bucs In Finale 8-6

Cal Quantrill found out you can't stop Ke'Bryan Hayes, who singled, but the righty did put down everyone else at the opening bell. After two outs, a bopped batter and two-bagger put JT Brubaker in a jam until his slider got him a the inning-ending K. The second was awkward; the Pirates led off with a knock, followed by a DP. Then the third out was botched by the Tribe, putting JT Riddle at second, where he scored on Joey O's looper to right. Bru ran the gamut, too, with a single, DP, walk and whiff but no damage done. Key kept rolling in the third, homering to make it 2-0 (he must keep his red cape tucked under his jersey). The lead didn't last the inning; a bunt single scored when Carlos Santana took a high 3-0 fastball and knocked it out of the yard to knot the score. The fourth was quiet for the Pirates, with Phil Maton now on the hill. Cleveland got a single, quickly erased by a DP liner back to JT. 

Joey O closed it out with three hits - photo Pgh Pirates

Cam Hill got the ball in the fifth and Joey O greeted him with a second-pitch dinger. An out later, Fraze doubled, Key was intentionally walked and Ollie Perez was waved in. Redbeard hit a ball ticketed for a DP, but the relay to first went astray (it was Francisco Lindor's first error of the season), plating another Bucco run. JT tossed a clean frame. Nick Wittgren was called on for the sixth. JT Riddle singled and Joey O doubled with an out. Andrew Susac walked to juice the sacks and Fraze doubled two more runs home. Key proved human by whiffing, but the Bucs had upped their edge to 6-2 after the smoke cleared. But Bru went an inning too long; a double, walk and Franmil Reyes bomb made it 6-5 without an out. Geoff Hartlieb took the bump. After two were gone, he gave up consecutive raps before escaping. James Karinchak answered the call in the seventh and struck out the side. Nik Turley took his turn, plunked the first Indian before the next pair doubled to give Cleveland the lead. A wild pitch and sac fly added an insurance marker.

Adam Cimber was beckoned for the eighth. After two were out, he issued a walk. Brad Hand then came on to get the last out. Blake Cederlind worked a 1-2-3 frame. Hand stayed on for the ninth. Ke'Bryan smoked a shot to center, but it found leather. The next two outs were routine. Goodnight, 2020 campaign. 

Fraze was hot at the end with two more knocks - 2020 Topps

Notes:

• Ke'Bryan Hayes had eight straight hits before he was intentionally walked in the fifth. He had two hits and a walk; Joey O had three raps and Fraze a pair.
• Everyone in the NL Central Division qualified for the playoffs except the Pirates, who finished 19-41.