RTJR For The Last Time As Bucs Take The Finale 6-5 in 10 Innings

For the Bucs, it was three up, three grounders, three down to Sal Romano. Billy Hamilton doubled, stole third and scored off Clay Holmes; a walk was erased by a DP. Eli led off with a knock in the second; an out later, Joey O's hard one hopper (104 MPH) was snagged by Romano and he turned two. The Reds opened with a walk and a knock. A line drive DP temporarily eased the pressure, but Tim Federowicz dumped one in the seats to make it 3-0. The bottom of the Bucco order went down peacefully in the third when K-Man was robbed on a diving catch by Phillip Ervin in right, and it was 1-2-3 for the Redlegs also. Starling doubled high off the wall, just missing homer #20, with an out in the fourth that led to nothing. Clay escaped after walking a pair in the Cincy half. Red Beard walked and Joey O doubled to open the fifth. Krame's sac fly brought in a run and moved Osuna to third, where he scored from after a wild pitch. Tanner Anderson took the bump and gave up a single, then bopped a batter on an 0-2 pitch. He almost got out of it, but a fly that moved the lead runner up and a two-out bouncer that Krame butchered (ruled an infield knock, home cookin', we guess) plated a run. A walk loaded the sacks before a whiff ended it.

Michael Feliz got the last win of '18 (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Matt Wisler got the sixth inning as the bullpenning began in earnest. This time Starling didn't miss as he connected on a long fly, and J-Bell followed with a tater of his own to knot the score. With two outs, lefty Amir Garrett took the hill with Red Beard up and stopped him on a liner to first. The tie didn't last long; Dilson Herrera led off with a homer off Anderson, who settled in and fanned two of the next three Reds. Joey O banged a two-bagger to open the seventh and a fly moved him up. Jared Hughes was waved in, and K-Man slapped an 0-2 sinker into right to even it up again. Ryan Lavarnway singled him to third, but Pablo squelched the rally with a 6-4-3 DP. Dovy Neverauskas answered the phone and punched out a pair in a clean frame. David Hernandez worked the eighth without a blip. Steven Brault climbed the slope and K'ed a pair in a calm frame. Raisel Iglesias toed the slab in the ninth and Colin smacked his first offering for a double. Joey O lined out to right and the two Kevins K'ed to freeze him at second. Michael Feliz spun for the Bucs and struck out the side, kinda. The last K was a ball that escaped Diaz and J-Bell couldn't come up with the throw to first, but a grounder made it a moot boot.

Jackson Stephens entered in the 10th and K'ed Feliz; guess the game's outcome isn't a big deal to Clint since he still has guys on the bench and in the pen. Pablo doubled and went to third on a bobble. Starling bounced out to third, then J-Bell walked semi-intentionally and Eli unintentionally. A wild pitch gave the Pirates the lead before Colin's soft liner ended it. Now Clint cares as Felipe Vazquez responded to the bell. Pablo made a nice running grab to get the first out, then The Nightmare took over, punching out the next pair. RTJR.

Joey O had two doubles today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Well, got it all in the last game - homers, botches, B-Listers, an entertaining finale and the win. The Bucs finished 82-79 and now it's officially hot stove season. There will be lots to chew the fat over in the off season.

Notes:

• Starling and Joey O each had a pair of hits, with a homer and three doubles between them. The Pirates had 10 hits (five were two-baggers and two left the yard) but went 1-for-11 w/RISP.
• Neal Huntington said on this Sunday show that they'd like to find a middle ground to bring Jung-Ho Kang back, though his $5.5M option is still in play. Kang's considered competition for Red Beard at third; there are no plans to use him at short.  NH added that the the club will "keep the door open" for Jordy and J-Hay to return, depending on their off season market value.
• Starling Marte became the third Pirate to have a 20 HR/30 SB season, joining Barry Bonds (four times) & Andy Van Slyke (1987-88).
• Clint Hurdle got his 1,200th career victory in the show today. He joins Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia, Buck Showalter and Terry Francona as current skippers in the 1,200 win club.
• This is the first time that the Bucs have two relief pitchers with at least 80 strikeouts in the same season: Felipe Vazquez has punched out 89 and Ric Rod 88. Only two Pirate relievers have hit 90 Ks in a campaign (Joel Hanrahan w/100 in 2010 & Jason Grilli w/90 in 2012).

The Last Hurrah, Clayton v Romano, Lineup & Notes

Today: The last game of 2018 begins at 3:10 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers:  RHP Clayton Holmes (1-3, 7.25) closes the campaign versus RHP Sal Romano (8-11, 5.37). Holmes has pitched four scoreless innings over his last two relief outings, but hasn’t started for the Pirates since August 10th. He's faced the Reds once, in April, and gave up a run in two innings of work. Romano hasn't started since August 21st, being relegated to the pen, and hasn't thrown more than 29 pitches in a game since. In three outings (one start) against Pittsburgh, he's given up six runs (four earned) in 6-2/3 IP on nine hits. This may not officially be a bullpen game, but the odds are that it will end up one.

Clay gets last call... (photo Dave Arrigo/Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Pablo Reyes LF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Elias Diaz C, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuma RF, Kevin Kramer 2B, Kevin Newman SS & Holmes P. It's the peach fuzz lineup for the Bucs while the Reds are going with their A-Team for the hometown finale.

Notes:

• Guess who else is missing the playoffs for the third straight season? Yep, the Cards. They were eliminated by the Dodgers, who rallied for a 10-6 win over the Giants yesterday. 
• The Cubs and Brew Crew are tied for first in the Central; ditto for the Dodgers and Rox in the West with a game to play. Both division titles could be decided by tie-breaker games on Monday.
• Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams both went 14-9 this season. The last time the Pirates had two RHPs win 14 or more games in the same season was 1978 with Bert Blyleven (14-10) and Don Robinson (14-6). The last season with two Pittsburgh pitchers who won 14 games or more was 1992, when righty Doug Drabek (15-11) and lefty Randy Tomlin (14-9) did the deed.
• More tossing twosome stuff: Willy (3.11) and Jamo (3.20) rank eighth and 10th respectively among the NL leaders in ERA. It's the first time since 1991 that the Pirates will finish the season with two pitchers among the Top Ten, when Randy Tomlin (2.98) was eighth and Doug Drabek (3.07) was 10th.
• Deja vu all over again: In just 179 days, the Pirates and Reds are scheduled begin the 2019 regular season on Thursday, March 28th at Great American Ball Park.
• Big day in Bucco history: OTD in 1972, Roberto Clemente doubled for his 3,000th and final hit.

Bats Quiet, Reds Even Series With 3-0 Win

Starling cracked a one-out double off Michael Lorenzen; J-Bell lined the next pitch to short and Marte was doubled off. He beat the throw to second, but his foot came off the base with the tag on. The Reds got a knock off Jamo and nada else. J-Hay singled amid three bounce outs in the second. JT struck out the side. Jameson singled with one gone in the third and an out later, Starling hit a rocket to center, but even 100 MPH lasers can't outrace Billy Hamilton. And on cue, Hamilton tripled to right (a wrist shot up the line that hopped into the corner) with one gone, scoring the game's first run on a sac fly. Another rap prolonged the inning by two pitches, ended thanks to a nice running catch by Corey. Lorenzen cruised through the fourth, fanning a pair. Pablo replaced Fraze in right; not sure what that's about. Eugenio Suarez deposited the second pitch into the seats to make it 2-0. With two outs, Dilson Herrera doubled and came home on Lorenzen's knock (he's a good hitter) when Jake Stallings lost Dickerson's throw on the tag; the runner was beat.

Jamo's year didn't end the way he hoped... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

J-Hay walked to start the fifth; three very soft grounders left him aboard. Kevin Newman took over at short; the September lineup is in blossom (Jordy did play a hard hop off his shoulder/upper arm earlier in the game). Mason Williams collected his third hit of the day with one gone, but was quickly erased trying to steal, leading to a 1-2-3 frame. With two outs, a J-Bell walk and knocks by Corey and Jung-Ho loaded the bases in the sixth. David Hernandez came in to face J-Hay, who grounded to Joey Votto to stop the music. Jamo K'ed a pair in the Reds half. K-Man opened the seventh with a single and he got to second after a wild pitch, but two punch outs and a pop up kept him there. Kyle Crick took over and struck out the side. Ol' matey Jared Hughes took the bump in the eighth and added three more ground outs to the log. Felipe Vazquez punched out a pair in the Redlegs' half. Raisel Iglesias answered the ninth inning call and tucked the Pirates away quietly.

The Bucs were held to six hits and they only threatened once, and that with two outs. Lorenzen and company kept the ball down, served a lot of grounders and induced soft contact, a credit to them and the Pirates lineup. One more to go...

Corey is at .300... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• No Pirate had two hits though Corey D went 1-for-3 to get his average to .300. He was pinch-hit for, we suspect to keep him at that mark, and the consensus is that Clint will sit him tomorrow so he can end the year as a .300 hitter. 
• The Reds snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Bucs.
• Fraze was removed as a precaution; his hammy tightened up on him.
• Jordy was taken out because he bruised his arm on a ball that came up on him earlier in the game.
• Jamo ended the season with 22 straight starts that he gave up three or less earned runs, just shy of Bob Friend's run of 23 in 1963. He finished the year with a 3.20 ERA, among the Top Ten for NL starters. Willy, with a 3.11 ERA, is also among that group.

Bucs & Reds at GABP, Jamo v Lorenzen, Lineup & Notes

Today: It's a 4:10 start with the game aired by AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Jameson Taillon (14-9, 3.16) goes against RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-2, 3.35). Taillon will complete his first full season in the majors with his 32nd start, and he's grown into his big boy pants. The Bucs have won 20 of Taillon’s 31 starts and he's been not only good but consistently so. He's 3-1/2.74 in four starts against the Redlegs this year. This will be Lorenzen’s third 2018 start as he auditions for a rotation spot next year after working as a reliever the past three seasons; he was in the club's starting rotation as a rookie in 2015. He's appeared five times against Pittsburgh this season and tossed eight innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits. But career-wise, he's been tough - Lorenzen is 4-2/2.18 in 23 games against Pittsburgh.

Jamo takes the hill for the last time during his breakout campaign (photo  Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Adam Frazier RF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy Mercer SS, Jacob Stallings C & Taillon P. Well, a blast from the past at the hot corner...

Notes:

• Clint is going after win 1,200 today, Jamo is looking for his 22nd straight three-runs-or-fewer start and the Bucs are looking for their eighth in a row over the Reds. 
• The Rockies, winners of eight straight, have clinched a playoff spot. LA's magic number to eliminate the Cards is one with two games remaining.
• New feather in Russ Martin's cap: He'll get to manage the Blue Jays on Sunday, said departing Toronto skipper John Gibbons.

Reds Still Bad, Bucs Roll To 8-4 Win

Fraze opened the game with a flare oppo-field double and Starling walked. After a whiff, Corey doubled Fraze home and Eli's sac fly brought in Marte against Anthony Sclafani before the third out, a fly to the LF track by Red Beard. The Reds started with an infield knock and a walk an out later, but two K's by Nick Kingham closed it out for a rare scoreless first inning. The bottom of the Pirates order went down meekly in the second. A leadoff rap was bunted to second, followed by a two-out walk, but a rollover grounder got Nick to the dugout. The top of the Bucco order was just as quiet in the third. Joey Votto dinked a double down the line with an out and moved up on a grounder. He jogged home after Eugenio Suarez tagged a slider that hung mid-plate into the seats in dead center to tie it up. That was followed by a triple and intentional walk before fanning Sclafani. Eli regained the lead in the fourth when he was served a hung 3-2 slider that he drilled into the second deck in left. Billy Hamilton robbed Krame of extra bases/maybe homer via a leaping catch at the wall, with degree of difficulty added after crashing into teammate Phil Ervin, who was also all over Kramer's drive.

Colin had the hot stick tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Hamilton started up the Reds with a single, and a soft roller moved him along. After a fly, Steven Brault was waved in to face Votto; The King is at 76 pitches. Votto walked on a full count as Hamilton stole third. Then Votto stole second, but a comebacker ended the threat. So far, the Reds have left eight runners on base. Nada from the Bucs in the fifth. With one gone, Tucker Barnhart got his third hit; it went off Brault's glove then kicked off the second base bag. Steven whiffed his way out of the inning. Wandy Peralta was called in for the sixth, and the Bucs opened with three raps that all went off infielder's gloves. Matt Wisler took the ball and after a whiff, Colin's sac fly and Krame's single plated a pair to put the Bucs up 5-2. With two away for the Redlegs, back-to-back knocks and a relay error left runners at second and third before a gentle bouncer closed the door. JHK led off the seventh and lined the second pitch into left for a knock. Starling doubled him to third an out later and Amir Garrett took the bump. J-Bell smoked an at 'em ball to second and Corey fanned to strand the pair. Ric Rod gave up a lead off single followed by a bunt knock, but a 6-4-3 DP and whiff (on a generous call, thank u) burst the Reds balloon.

Jesus Reyes was waved on in the eighth and Colin launched homer #11 off him. The Kevins chipped in when Krame's single was misplayed by Hamilton, allowing him to reach second, and he scored from there on K-Mans oppo field rap that ticked off Votto's mitt. After the smoke cleared, Michael Feliz got the next trip to the mound, fanning a pair with a walk in a calm frame. Raisel Iglesias made ninth inning appearance, and a walk and error put him a one-out hot water. He almost escaped before a two-out rap by Red Beard brought home Starling. Dovy Neverauskas toed the slab. With one away, a single and Barnhart's fifth hit, a homer this time (he's a double shy of the cycle), made it 8-4. Dovy then finished it off. RTJR.

Steven went 2-1/3 IP for the win (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Reds...well. They stranded 13 runners and fielded like their gloves were forged at Riverfront Steel. Still, nothing like rolling into next season with a head of steam.The team kept it's head up throughout September (15-9) when they could have easily laid down and gave the FO a fair chance to evaluate what they have and what they need for next year.

Notes:

• Four Pirates had two hits - Colin Moran (three RBI), Starling Marte (three runs scored), Corey Dickerson and Kevin Kramer.
• Steven Brault got the win to go 6-3.
• With their 81st win, the Bucs sewed up a winning record for the first time since 2015. Clint is also one win away from his 1,200th victory as a manager.
• Kevin Kramer's RBI single in the sixth broke an 0-for-21 batting streak.
• Dovydas Neverauskas has made nine September appearances; he's given up runs in five of them for a 4.83 ERA.
• Eli has 10 long balls and Cervy 12; the last pair of Pirates catchers to hit 10+ homers in the same season were Michael "The Fort" McKenry (12) and Hot Rod Barajas (11) in 2012. The Pirates have never had a catcher hit 20 HRs; Jim Pagliaroni's 17 in 1965 is the team single-season high mark.
• Clint says that it's "likely" that JHK will get a start this weekend.

Bucs Final Trip, The King v DeSclafani, Lineup & Notes from GABP

Today: The game starts at 6:40 and will be on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Nick Kingham (5-7, 5.23) opens against RHP Anthony DeSclafani (7-7, 4.91). The 26-year-old Kingham will be making his 15th big league start/18th appearance tonight. He's gone 0-3/12.19 in his last four starts and has a final chance to put up. He allowed two runs in 6-1/3 innings to win a 6-2 decision against the Reds in July. De Sclafani is a strong starter but the classic "can't get through the order a third time" guy. He's 1-1/4.50 against the Bucs in two starts, giving up five runs in 10 IP.

Nick gets a last look (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Adam Frazier RF, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Elias Diaz C, Colin Moran 3B, Kevin Kramer 2B, Kevin Newman SS & Kingham P. The Kevins team up today.

Notes:

• The Pirates have won six straight games against the Reds and have gone 8-1 in the last nine meetings.
• Josh Bell has reached base safely in 17 of his last 18 games and put up a .407 OBP in 21 games this month.
• Jung-Ho Kang is in town and wearing #16. He played his last MLB game on October 2nd, 2016.
• Pablo Reyes recorded Pittsburgh’s 34th outfield assist of the season last night. The Bucco outfielders led the NL in assists (the Cubs have 28) and are tied with the Tigers for the MLB lead.

Buc Bats Silent In 3-0 Loss to Cubs - JHK Back, Luplow & Arch Done for the Year

The Bucs opened with a Pablo infield knock and Starling walk. Cervy also walked an out later. Joey O whiffed and J-Hay grounded out. Despite the walks, ump Jim Wolf was giving Jon Lester a very wide strike that affected a couple of the at bats, particularly Joey O's. Ben Zobrist doubled with an out and Willy left him at second. Red Beard led of the second with a double and was stranded at third. The Cubs singled to start when Marte and Osuna let a fly drop between them, prob a miscommunication. Ian Happ followed with a slapper to center. After fanning a pair, a wild pitch moved the duo into scoring position. David Botes triple to left sent them both home, as the missed fly cost. J-Bell walked with one gone in the third and stole second as Cervy fanned on a 3-2 pitch. He joined the 0-for-7 RISP list. Willy dodged a bullet when Starling ran down Anthony Rizzo's laser, then issued a two-out walk, costing him just three more tosses. With two gone in the fourth, Jordy legged out an infield knock and Willy worked an 11-pitch walk before Pablo was rung up on an iffy call.

Willy struggled some tonight but had a great campaign (photo Pgh Pirates)

Happ walked to begin the Cubby half, but was caught stealing. Good thing, too, as Willson Contreras doubled. Lester followed with a knock, but Contreras was nailed at home by Reyes. A walk was next as Willy is laboring, and a single sent Lester home before it ended. It was a 1-2-3 fifth for the Pirates. Javy Baez doubled with an out but continued the Keystone Cubs routine on the bases by getting caught between bases on a comebacker, and a K finished the frame. There was no Bucco noise in the sixth. Dovy Neverauskas took over and stranded a double. Steve Cishek answered the seventh inning call and made it 10 straight Buccos retired. Clayton Holmes trotted out and worked a clean frame. Carl Edwards Jr. was beckoned for the eighth, and a walk & boot gave the Bucs a pulse; Cervy's 6-4-3 DP pulled the plug before Joey O flew out. Clay allowed a harmless knock. Jesse Chavez worked the ninth. Jordy had a two-out knock before the gate was shut.

Four hits won't win ya many ball games and so far, the audition period hasn't turned up any near-term help (maybe Pablo as an S-Rod type). Hopefully the Reds sad sack staff will help the Bucco bats warm up in the final set of the year. Of course, Wolf didn't help; he gave the Cubs a different zone than the Bucs tonight, and we suppose that's to be expected when you're in a playoff-bound club's rockin' house when you're an also-ran. That happens in every sport; kinda sucks when you're the underdog.

Jordy had a pair of raps (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• Jordy had two of the Bucs four hits.
• The Cubs won the series 10 games to nine (same as last year). Five of their wins were by shutout.
• Trevor finished the year with a 14-10/3.11 slash in 31 starts covering 170-2/3 IP. Pretty good stuff.
• Jung Ho Kang will join the Pirates tomorrow in Cincinnati. Don't expect a whole lot; he's got five Instructional League games under his belt since late June.
• Jordan Luplow had an appendectomy this morning, ending his season. He'll miss 2-4 weeks.
• Arch won't work the season finale at Cincy; he has a slight groin pull that's he worked through since mid-season and the Bucs decided to shut him down. No replacement has been named yet, and Clint said it may end up a bullpen game.

Last Dance at Wrigley, Willy v Lester, Lineup & Notes

Today: Game time is 8:05 and will be broadcast by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams (14-9, 3.04) closes the Cubby set against LHP Jon Lester (17-6, 3.43). This will be Willy's last star, and geez, what a second half. The 26-year-old righty owns an 8-2/1.00 slash in his last dozen starts, averaging just shy of six innings per outing. He's 1-1 in two starts against Chi-Town, giving up two runs in 13 IP. The 13-year vet Lester has been sharp in the stretch, going 6-1/1.96 in seven starts since mid-August. He's 3-1/3.72 in five starts against the Pirates this year, so he's not had his best days against Pittsburgh. Still, this should be a dandy matchup between two hot-as-pistols hurlers.

Willy's last hurrah for 2018 (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Pablo Reyes LF, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Jose Osuna RF, Josh Harrison 2B, Colin Moran 3B, Jordy SS & Willy P. More mix-and-match, with the first showing by Josh and Jordy since the Brewer series.

Notes:

• Today will decide the season series; the teams are tied at nine wins each. The Cubs won last year's set 10-9.
• The Bucs have posted a 41-31 record against teams from the Central (they have four divisional games remaining) this season for the best intra-divisional record among the five teams. It's only Pittsburgh’s second winning season against the Central since it was formed in 1994.
• No date has been set for Edgar Santana's TJ surgery as of  now.
• Colin Moran is hitting .301 over his last 53 games, and his 11 pinch hits over the season are tied for third in MLB. He's in tonight.
• Jordan Luplow has started 10 of the last 13 games, with two hits in his last 30 at bats. He's off tonight.
• Bad timing: Ric Rod surrendered his first run since August 14th in yesterday's walk off loss to the Cubs.

Bucs Put A Late Scare In Cubs Before Going Down in 10th, 7-6

After two whiffs from Jose Quintana, Joey O got a high 1-2 heater and drilled it into the LF stands to put Ivan Nova up 1-0 before he even toed the rubber. The two-out lightning hit him, too - after a pair of routine outs, Anthony Rizzo dropped a single into center and Jason Heyward went long to left center to claim the lead. It was a quiet second for both clubs.K-Man opened the third with a single; for the second night, the Buc pitcher bunted into a DP. They have to counter the Cubs aggressive D by swinging away or at least chopping the ball if they want to quit killing innings. Chicago opened with back-to-back knocks, one a bullet and one an infield knock. Then Fraze booted a possible DP ball, sheesh. A sac fly brought in a run and moved the other runners up. Diaz caught a pop foul; it was reviewed and ruled to have brushed the netting, a view not supported by any angle we saw. A pop to short was ruled a good catch, tho. A walk jammed the sacks and another chased home a run before Nova worked out of it. After two K in the fourth, Eli tried to get a run back but his drive was hauled in short of the track in right center. With two gone, Daniel Murphy singled, stole second and scored on Javy Baez's knock, followed by an infield rap that Fraze should have eaten up. A fourth straight hit tallied another point, tho J-Low tossed out Rizzo at third.

Tanner tossed two zeros tonight (photo ESPN)

Corey D got a run back with a first-pitch homer in the fifth. Ian Happ ran down Pablo's bid for extra bases, then J-Low came back from 0-2 to a full count and tripled. Newman tapped back to the mound and Q caught Luplow napping at third, tossing him out before he could scamper back. A liner to right ended it. Tanner Anderson took over and gave up two quick knocks, again a rope and infield hit; a bunt moved them up. An intentional walk filled the bases and a 4-3 DP made it the smart play for the Bucs. Jesse Chavez got the ball in the sixth, and gave up just a two-out Joey O single. Tanner spun a clean, nine-pitch frame. Not a peep was heard from Pittsburgh in the seventh. Michael Feliz climbed the bump and gave up a rap, then missed on a pickoff toss, but left the Cubby at second. Carl Edwards Jr. got a whiff and then walked a pair, getting the hook for Steve Cishek. After a fly, a wild pitch put the Pirates in scoring position and J-Bell walked to juice the sacks. Eli singled home a pair and moved to second when the relay to third bounced off Bell. An intentional walk filled the bases again before Pablo's full count bouncer ended the fun. Steven Brault got the call and tossed a clean frame. Justin Wilson was waved in for the ninth.

Eli had a pair of knocks in Cubbyville (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

K-Man singled with an out and moved to third following Cervy's two-bagger. Krame ran for Fran. Fraze popped out, but with two strikes, Starling lined a double to right off Rizzo's glove and it was tied. That brought in lefty Jaime Garcia to turn J-Bell around. Josh cranked out 112 MPH smash, but it was banged right to Baez. Kyle Crick claimed the hill to face the 2-3-4 hitters and worked a 1-2-3 frame. Garcia gave up a leadoff knock to Diaz in the 10th. After a fly out, Brandon Kintzler was beckoned and got Pablo to bang into a DP. Ric Rod toed the slab and walked Happ to start the frame, and burner Terrence Gore ran for him. A bunt and grounder moved him up and with two-outs, Albert Almora's grounder through the left side walked it off for the Cubbies.

A sloppy start got them in a 6-1 hole (If Fraze makes two routine plays, Ivan only gives up two runs instead of six despite laboring tonight), but the guys kept it interesting. Seems like they know that even if the games mean nothing to the team, it means a career to the young guns.

Notes:

• Starling, Eli and Newman each had a pair of hits tonight.
• This was Super Nova's last start of the year. He finished the campaign at 9-9/4.19.
• Add another to the list: the Pirates announced that Edgar Santana will go undergo TJ surgery and miss the 2019 season. Been a rough month after a fairly injury-free campaign.
• Jung-Ho Kang played a nine-inning game in the Florida Instructional League w/o pain, per @RobBiertempfel, so that's a start.
• Reese McGuire, who went to Toronto as part of the Drew Hutchinson/Frankie Liriano deal, hit his first MLB homer today.
• The Brewers beat the Cards 2-1 to clinch a playoff spot. The Redbird loss also guaranteed the Cubs an October slot.

Bucs Going For 3-In-A-Row at Wrigley, Ivan v Quintana, Lineup & Notes

Today: It's an 8:05 start that will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (9-9, 4.01) vs. LHP José Quintana (13-11, 4.11). Nova has allowed two runs with 15 strikeouts in 16-1/3 innings over three starts this month, with his last outing a shortie thx to a two-hour rain delay. Since coming off the DL on June 10th, he is 7-4/3.40. He's been very good against Chicago, recording a 2-1/2.33 line in three starts. Quintana is a Jekyll/Hyde guy, either very good or very bad. Q faced the Pirates once this year and was good, giving up one run on four hits over five innings, although he wasn't around for the decision.

Ivan's last trip to the hill in 2018 (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Jose Osuna 1B, Elias Diaz C, Corey Dickerson LF, Reyes 3B, Jordan Luplow RF, Kevin Newman SS, Nova P. This is a true September lineup.

Notes:

• The Pirates have Nick Kingham on tap to start Friday, Jameson Taillon on Saturday and Chris Archer on Sunday in Cincinnati for the season's final series.
• The Bucs have won seven of their last nine games and eight of their last 11.
• Pablo has three homers in 47 MLB at bats; he had eight in 447 at bats for Indy/Altoona this season.
• Kevin Newman has started 16 games at short; the Pirates are 13-3 in those games. K-Man is hitting .220 with three errors/-3 DRS in those contests.
• HBD to Arch and J-Low.
• MLB.com's Adam Berry has a comeback tale of 2015's September out-of-nowhere story, Big John Holdzkom.

Arch, Pablo Set the Cubs Down 6-0

The game started after a rain delay (it was a pretty good storm) that pushed the start back an hour. Mike Montgomery had no probs with the Bucs in the first, though J-Bell did send a fly to the track. Arch had Cubs on the corners after a couple of singles but whiffed the frame to a close. In the second, Corey D doubled with one gone and Joey O walked. Montgomery showed Pablo back-to-back change ups; Reyes dropped the second one into the LF seats. K-Man followed with an infield bleeder but was erased when Arch bunted into a DP. The Cubs got a walk and wild pitch with one away but it just turned the order over. Starling doubled with an out in the third and Cervy's two-out two-bagger sent him home. Anthony Rizzo blooped a double on an 0-2, two-out heater, but a punch out of Javy Baez made it moot. Pablo singled with one done in the fourth. He moved up on a roller before Arch left him at second. Kris Bryant got bopped on the hand with an out; a quick 4-6-3 DP started nicely by Fraze on a smoked shot up the middle ended things quietly. Fraze opened the fifth with a double; that brought Brian Kinsler to the hill. Starling hit a bullet to right but straight to Ben Zobrist, with Adam tagging. J-Bell walked and Cervy's soft roller brought in Fraze & moved up Josh.

Arch is starting to feel it (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lefty Randy Rosario came in to face Dickerson and his infield knock left Bucs on the corners. Righty Dillon Maples took over to match with Joey O, who went down looking. The Cubs went down in order. Alec Mills took the hill in the sixth and walked Pablo on four pitches. Newman inexplicably struck out looking at three 90 MPH fastballs, all good pitches. Arch bounced one of those fastballs up the middle, sending Reyes to third. Lefty Jorge De La Rosa was waved in to toss to Fraze, who popped out. Starling walked to pack the sacks and another free pass to J-Bell forced in Pablo before De La Rosa stopped Cervy on a hard-hit ball to short. Arch gave up a one-out walk; Baez hit a swinging bunt to third and was rung up; Joe Maddon challenged and won to put Arch in a jam. Two punch outs later, he was out of it. Allen Webster toed the slab in the seventh, and with an out plunked Joey O high for his only blip. Dovy Neverauskas climbed the hill after Arch gave up four hits & two walks with nine K on 91 pitches, and tossed a clean frame. Fraze reached on an error after Baez robbed Moran with a great diving stop in the eighth, then Marte walked. James Norwood was waved in and Baez snagged J-Bell's 107 MPH hot shot before Cervy's bouncer closed the door. Good inning for Javy.

Dovy gave up a single off Fraze's glove on a well-stroked ball by Zobrist with one away and left him there after Baez flew out to the track in left for the third out, run down nicely by Corey D. Corey singled and Pablo walked around another Krame K in the ninth. He wasn't alone as Newman and Red Beard also went down swinging. Steven Brault got the final curtain call, and three grounders later, the game was in the books. RTJR.

Pablo's feelin' it too (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Outside of the human pace of play plug, Joe Maddon (eight pitchers!), interesting game and month. Pablo is the kind of September story every club could use, Arch looks like he's assimilating and Fraze is removing doubts about his leather at second while Corey & Cervy seem to be no-brainers to return as 2019 Buccos (unlike the two Kevins). September does have a purpose, and the Bucs aren't wasting the final days of the season even being out of the race.

Notes:

• Corey D had three hits; Pablo had two knocks and two walks while Starling had a rap to go with two free passes.
• Chris Archer has a 2-1/2.70 slash w/36 strikeouts in five starts covering 30 innings this month. It's his birthday today (9/26) and what better way to celebrate than shutting out the Cubs?
• Pablo Reyes has had multiple hits in 7-of-14 games. 
• Dovy Neverauskas broke a streak of four straight outings where he gave up a run; ditto for Steven Brault. The A-team needed the break.
• Kris Bryant left the game a couple of innings after being HBP; we'll see tomorrow if that's precautionary or his wrist is a thing.
• The Bucs are 80-76 with five games to go; they're 9-8 against the Cubs, who have scored five runs in the past six games against the Pirates staff.

Bucs-Cubs Round Two, Arch v Montgomery, Lineup & Notes - Starling Returns

Today: The game starts at 8:05 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Chris Archer (5-8, 4.49) meets LHP Mike Montgomery (5-5, 3.75). Arch is coming off his best start for the Pirates, a seven-inning, eight-strikeout victory over the Royals on Wednesday. This will be his fourth career start against the Cubs, who dealt him to the Rays for Matt Garza in 2011. This will be his first 2018 outing against the Bruins; he was 1-1 v Chicago in 2017, giving up four earned runs (five overall) in 12 IP. Montgomery will make his 18th start of the season, and he's 5-4/3.35 in that role. He's been sharp with a 2-0/2.63 against the Pirates this year.

Arch is on the bump (image AT&T SportsNet)

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Chris Dickerson LF, Jose Osuna 3B, Pablo Reyes RF, Kevin Newman SS, Archer P. Starling's back and Pablo is back out in right field.

Notes:

• In their last five games played against the Cubs, the Pirates have surrendered just one run in each game, and all the runs have come by way of the homer. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this marks the first time in MLB history that a team has held an opponent to one run in five straight contests with all the runs being scored on a solo shot.
• Who'd thunk that Ric Rod (87) would have more punch outs then The Nightmare (85)?
• Cervy's homer last night was just the fourth to land on Waveland Avenue this season. It also dented a car parked (illegally, may we add) on the street.
• As both teams are officially eliminated from the WC race, the Pirates’ home makeup game against the Fish on October 1st has been cancelled. That cost Ivan Nova big time; he was in line to make his 30th start if the game was played and reel in a $750 K bonus for the outing. He already pulled in an extra $250 K for making 28 starts, and with a $9.167 M base salary, he probably doesn't have to chase many wolves from his door.
• Some fans have wrinkled their nose and said "ew" while watching their erratic Buccos on the field. Now you can use the word regarding another game - it's been added to the Scrabble dictionary.

Jamo, Backed By Cervy, Pablo & Joey O, Tame Cubs 5-1

Cole Hamels got two quick outs before J-Bell singled and Cervy followed with a towering blast to Waveland Avenue to give the Bucs a quick 2-0 jump. Jamo had a clean start. The Bucs went 1-2-3 in the second, with a couple of well-hit outs. The Cubs got a walk and nada else. Hamels cruised through the top of the order in the third with a couple of whiffs and a pop up. Cole got ahead 3-1, got a BP heater from JT and crushed it 437' over the center field wall to halve the lead. The next three Cubbies went quietly, go figure. Fran opened the fourth with a walk and an out later, Joey O dinked a double. J-Low fanned looking; two of the called strikes were off the plate; Hamels has benefitted from a way wide strike zone tonight from ump Alfonso Marquez. K-Man left them aboard with a can of corn to right. Chi-town went down w/o a peep; Javy Baez was rung up on a wide one, too. No noise from the Buccos in the fifth. The Cubs got a couple of dying-quail singles and an infield single jammed the sacks with two away, but Jamo got Ben Zobrist to roll one to J-Bell to escape. Amore got the infield single/throwing error combo to reach second with one gone in the sixth, and Joey O made it hurt with a two-out double the oppo way to make the score 3-1.

Can't ask for more out of Jamo (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Cubs started their half with an infield knock and a four-pitch walk. A 4-6-3 DP relieved the pressure, but a walk left Baby Bruins on the corners before a whiff of Jason Heyward calmed that storm. Jaime Garcia took the hill in the seventh and walked Newman; Jamo bunted him up. After a second out, the lefty was swapped out for righty Steve Cishek with Pablo up. Reyes won, singling to left to score K-Man, with J-Bell drawing a walk before Fran bounced out. JT spun a clean frame. Randy Rosario took the ball in the eighth and after an out was replaced by righty Eric Mills to face Joey O; Clint sent up Colin instead. Mills got a whiff, walk and grounder to finish up the frame. Ric Rod was waved in. He was touched for a two-out infield rap but K'ed his way out of the inning. Brian Duensing took the bump in the ninth and gave up a one-out dinger to mighty mite Pablo to give the Buccos a 5-1 margin. Felipe Vazquez got the call, and after a leadoff single put the game to bed. RTJR.

...or from Cervy (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Jamo has been spectacular, mastering his slider and pitching chops, leaving runners and big innings in the dust. The Cubs, like the Brewers, are a big bopper team and keeping them in the yard is half the battle. Good win to start of the series, especially for the kids playing in front of 34,000 hostile fans instead of 3,400 friendlies, and it puts the Bucs three games over .500 after a lackluster set against the Brew Crew.

Notes:

• Pablo, Cervy and Joey O each had a pair of hits, all five RBI and four runs scored tonight.
• Jamo tossed his 21st straight start with 3-or-less runs; he's pretty much worked his way into the "ace" tier this year. 
• Jordan Luplow is 2-for-23 w/RISP and Kevin Newman is 4-for-21.
• There were no medical updates on Starling (unavailable tonight) or Edgar Santana.
• Sneaked a Fangraphs peek at what Cutch and Cole Train are doing this year. Andrew is hitting .250 w/19 HR with a wRC+ of 118, a bit below last year's 123, and his WAR dropped from 3.7 to 2.4. Interestingly, he went from -14 Defensive Runs Saved in center for the Pirates to +1 in right for SF/NY. Gerrit is 15-5/2.92 w/12.6 K per nine for the 'Stros after going 12-12/4.26 w/8.7 K with the Bucs; his WAR has jumped from 3.2 to 6.1.

Bucs off to Cubbyville, Jamo v Hamels, Lineup & Notes - Fran Back, Starling Not

Today: The first pitch is at 8:05 at Wrigley. The game will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Jameson Taillon (13-9, 3.24) opens against LHP Cole Hamels (9-10, 3.90). Jamo and Willy have been the best 1-2 punch the Pirates have since maybe Vern Law and Bob Friend. He tossed seven scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his last start v Kansas City, but earned a no-decision. JT has made 20 straight starts allowing three earned runs or less and in 27 of his 30 starts. He's posted a 2.34 ERA in his last 13 starts and has gone 7-2/2.25 in 11 starts since the All-Star break. In two starts against the Cubbies this year, he's 1-0, giving up four runs in 12-2/3 IP. Hamels is 4-1/2.42 as a Cub, and the Pirates have helped those numbers - they've haven't scored an earned run against the ol' vet in two starts covering 12 IP. But he's 1-3/5.18 in September, so we'll see if his spell can be broken tonight.

Jamo has been dealing (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Pablo Reyes RF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Corey Dickerson LF, Jose Osuna 3B, Jordan Luplow CF, Kevin Newman SS & Taillon P. Lefties Fraze and Corey take on the southpaw Hamels; Fran's back and Starling's not.

Notes:

• Corey Dickerson has gone 15-for-40 (.375) with six doubles, a triple, home run and seven RBI in his past 12 games to raise his batting average to .298. He's hit safely in seven straight games against the Cubs.
• Counting tonight's outing, Jordan Luplow has started nine of the last 11 games. He has just one hit in his last 23 at bats.
• Chicago is starting four lefties against the Bucs in this series.
• Pittsburgh is 7-8 on the season v the Baby Bruins. Pittsburgh lost two of three in the last set, dropping a pair of 1-0 games to Jon Lester and Cole Hamels.
• The Bucs are 78-76; they were 69-85 after 154 games in 2017 and 77-77 in 2016.

Bullpen B-Team Embarrassed 13-6 on Fan Day

After a whiff, Nick Kingham gave up three straight knocks to jam the bases. Another punch out almost got him out of the pickle, but he bopped Mike Moustakas on a 2-2 pitch and it was 1-0; The King just can't work a scoreless first frame. He had two strikes on five batters, but three of them reached base anyway. Wade Miley tossed a clean inning. Orlando Arcia led off the second with an almost homer; a fan reached over The Notch wall to snag the ball, and it ended up a ground rule double. Then the pitcher walked and a batter later, Christian Yelich hit a dinger that counted; there's no fan interference 440' away from the plate. Pablo added to mess by dropping a ball in right, then Travis Shaw launched one 425' into the seats; that's the third ball hit over 400' in the span of six batters. After a knock and a walk, Tanner Anderson was called into action and four pitches later, the bleeding was staunched. The Bucs put up an Eli single, J-Low 6-4-3 DP and Joey O 104 MPH at 'em ball inning. A double, grounder, and wild pitch (a walk & stolen base also happened) tallied another run for the Brew Crew in the third. The bottom of the Bucco order went down without a peep.

Josh's PNC farewell as a Bucco? (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

A comebacker, single and 5-4-3 DP made the fourth an easy, six-pitch frame for Tanner. Miley's was easy, too, taking eight pitches to complete. Anderson is feelin' it now, with a seven-toss fifth. The Bucs opened with an Eli knock and Luplow walk; a boot on Joey O's grounder packed the sacks. J-Hay doubled home a pair and Jordy did likewise on the next pitch. Ryan Lavarnway grabbed a bat and Corey Knebel took the ball. Ryan fanned on three pitches, Pablo on four and Krame, who hit inexplicably for Marte, on six. In the sixth, it was now Krame at third, Joey O in right, Pablo in left and J-Low in center with Steven Brault pitching. With an out, a knock, wild pitch and couple of five-pitch walks filled the bases. Moustakas got ahead 3-1, but Steven came back to fan him and was pulled for Michael Feliz to match up with Erik Kratz; Ryan Braun hit for him and walked on four pitches, then Arcia on five. A very wild pitch that kicked up the first base line cleared the bases, the third run scoring when Feliz whiffed on Bell's throw to home. Five runs on one hit... Corbin Burnes tossed a 1-2-3 frame. Michael stayed on in the seventh and plunked Yelich, who then stole second before the Brewers went down. Jordan Lyles tucked the Bucs away.

May be Jordy's last call, too. (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Dovy Neverauskas worked the eighth and Moustakas welcomed him with a homer. Lyles bopped Colin Moran to even up, we suppose, then retired the Buccos in order. Nick Burdi got the ninth and gave up no runs on a knock and a walk to go with two strikeouts. Joey O singled off Matt Albers with two away and it counted when Fraze banged a pinch hit homer. K-Man fanned and that ended it.

Well, not a great taste left in the fans' mouth today. It just emphasizes that the middle infield isn't the only winter concern; the Pirates FO needs to build pitching depth for 2019.

Notes:

• No Pirate had more than one hit; Eli was the only Bucco to reach twice with a knock and a walk.
• Today's announced attendance at PNC Park was 20,623 for a season total of 1,465,316. That's the lowest mark ever for PNC Park and the fewest fans since the '96 Bucs drew 1.3M.
• The Pirates were mathematically eliminated from the wild card race today.
• J-Hay was pulled from the game in the top of the eighth and got a standing O as he went to the dugout waving to the fans. Jordy also was taken out a batter later and got the same treatment from the faithful.
• The Pirates announced Starling was pulled because of left calf tightness that occured when he was running out a grounder in the fourth inning.

See Ya, Buccos - Brew Crew In the Last Home Match of 2018, The King v Miley, Lineup & Notes

Today: The farewell to 2018 at PNC Park begins at 1:35 and will be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. It's the last Kids' Day and the tykes will get a Pirates knit cap to serve as summer reminders during the coming gray months.

Pitchers: RHP Nick Kingham (5-6, 4.69) closes the last homestand against LHP Wade Miley (5-2, 2.08). Nick's replacing Big Joe Musgrove, who was shut down yesterday. Kingham hasn't started since September 2nd and only appeared one other time since, on the 8th. But he has seen Milwaukee plenty. In three outings (two starts) he's 2-0, but with a scary 5.27 ERA. He's been tagged for eight runs in 13-2/3 IP, but on the other side of the coin, he does own 18 whiffs against the Brew Crew. Miley has made 14 Brewers starts and surrendered two or fewer earned runs in 13 of them, letting in three earned runs in the other. He's faced Pittsburgh twice this season and allowed two runs over five innings in each outing.

Nick Kingham gets the last home start of the campaign (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Pablo Reyes RF, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Elias Diaz C, Jordan Luplow LF,Jose Osuna 3B,Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy Mercer SS & Kingham P. Lefty lineup.We thought Clint was saving J-Hay & Jordy for the home finale; nice touch for a pair of vets who aren't likely to be returning.

Notes:

• Nick Kingham will make both starts that were on tap for Joe Musgrove, today and Friday in Cincy.
• Ric Rod's 85 strikeouts are the club's single-season rookie record for a relief pitcher, topping the old mark of 84, set by Blas Minor in 1993.
• Ryan Lavarnway has gone 3-for-3 as a pinch hitter since joining the Pirates on September 4th.
• Edgar Santana will have an MRI on his arm tomorrow.
• Big Joe told the press gang that he first noticed his ab injury just prior to the All-Star break and it got progressively worse. He added that surgery is still a possibility if the rest period doesn't solve the problem, like the wait-and-see process recently undergone by Chad Kuhl.
• After tonight, the Bucs have four games at Wrigley against the Cubs starting tomorrow and close out the year at Great American Ball Park versus the Reds; there are no remaining off days.

Bucs Quiet Brewer Bats, Starling Clutch In 3-0 Win To Even Series - Other News: Big Joe Done For the Year

After a whiff, Kevin Newman ruined a 10-pitch battle between Willy and Christian Yelich by throwing away his grounder but caused no damage to the scoreboard. After Fraze lined an at 'em ball to Yelich in center, Starling walked against Zach Davies. A wild pitch moved Marte up, then he was caught trying to steal third, with a tapper ending the frame. A single, punch out and strike 'em out, throw 'em DP made up the Brew Crew second. Corey D opened with a single; J-Low bounced into a 4-6-3 DP on the next pitch followed by a whiff; hope its not another of those days. Milwaukee left a Davies knock and Yelich walk aboard in the third. The Bucs got a two-out infield knock by Trevor. Fraze banged out a rap and Starling doubled the pair home. He went to third on the throw home, but J-Bell couldn't cash him in. There was no Brewski noise in the fourth; ditto for the Pirates. A leadoff single in the fifth was countered by a whiff and 4-6-3 DP. Brandon Woodruff came on to hurl. Stalls walked with an out; he was sent to third on a two-out single by Fraze after Willy couldn't bunt him along. Starling was bopped on a 1-2 pitch on the hand to pack the sacks, staying in after a check by the trainers, but J-Bell's fly left 'em loaded.

Willy is a baddd man... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

In the sixth, Ryan Braun dropped a two-out bunt single (who'd thunk it?) to set up Travis Shaw. No sweat; Willy fanned him. Xavier Cedeno was waved on and red hot Corey D started it up with a single. A wild toss got him second. After an out, Joey O came to pinch hit and the Brewers answered with Taylor Williams; Clint flipped Osuna for Colin Moran. He singled off the pitcher's glove to put Bucs on the corners. K-Man fanned and Stalls bounced out. It was another opportunity lost; the Pirates have stranded five in the past two frames. Ric Rod got the seventh inning job and sailed through it on eight pitches. Joakim Soria took the hill and Ryan Lavarnway greeted him with a knock. A pop and Marte 6-4-3 DP quickly ended the frame. Kyle Crick was beckoned in the eighth and was sharp, getting two whiffs & a roller in front of the plate. Lefty Dan Jennings took the ball and J-Bell led off with a single. After a force, righty Jacob Barnes came on to face J-Low, who walked. Red Beard singled the opp way on a 3-2 heater to plate a third run. Newman fanned for the second time with a runner on third and one out. The Bucs tried a delayed double steal; it didn't work as J-Low was tossed out by a mile. Felipe Vazquez entered for the close; Yelich said "hi" with an opening double. The Nightmare waved back and cruised out with a bouncer & two strikeouts for his 36th save. RTJR.

Notes:

• The Pirates announced that Joe Musgrove was diagnosed with a stress reaction (a microfracture, as best we can figure) on the front of his pelvic bone and an abdominal wall muscle strain. The injuries call for six weeks of rest before he can start his offseason work routine. Nick Kingham will pick up tomorrow's start. Geez, Bucco pitchers are dropping like flies...

J-Grove is done for the year (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• Fraze, Corey D and Colin Moran each had a pair of knocks; Starling's two-out, two-run double was the telling blow. It was Pittsburgh's only extra-base hit.
• There were 23,070 at the ballyard tonight.
• This was Willy's 10th shutout start of six+ innings this year, and he has an ERA of 1.00 over his last 12 outings. Tonight, he put up six zeros on four hits with a walk and seven K after 95 pitches.
• Starling is fourth in MLB with 33 stolen bases; he leads the majors in caught stealings with 14.
• Jordan Luplow has hit into six GIDP in 33 at bats with runners on first; he has three hits in that time.
• Rough transition: In his last 18 at bats, Kevin Kramer has one hit and 13! strikeouts.
• Kinda Figuring It Out: In his last 11 games, Kevin Newman is 10-of-40.

Brew Crew Round Two, Willy v Davies, Lineup & Notes

Today: The game starts at 7:05 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Today's giveaway is a Bucco Oktoberfest stein (it's early October weather already), so trink, trink, trink und essen.

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams (13-9, 3.16) meets RHP Zach Davies (2-6, 4.66). After a burp, Willy got back to dealing in his last outing. He owns a 1.10 ERA over his past 11 starts and a 1.19 mark in the second half; he and Jamo have become pretty formidable at the top of the rotation. He's owned the Brewers - in two 2018 starts, he's gone 13 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and four walks while fanning 14. This is Davies' second straight start against the Pirates and just his 12th of the season, as he was on the DL for three months before returning in September. In that outing, he allowed two earned runs on three hits in five innings last Saturday.

Willy on the bump (photo Joe Guzy/Pirates)

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Jordan Luplow RF, Kevin Kramer 3B, Kevin Newman SS, Jacob Stallings C & Williams P. Four starters, four auditioners & Willy.

Notes:

• The Pirates didn't provide updates on the conditions of Edgar Santana (forearm) or Fran Cervelli (stomach).
• J-Bell recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game Friday night after going 2-for-4 and hitting his 11th homer. It's the first time in his career he's put together four multi-hit games in a row.
• Corey Dickerson’s 52 extra-base hits are the fourth-most by any left fielder in all of MLB, and the most by a Pirates LF'er since Jason Bay banged 67 in 2006. Corey-D also ranks first with a .996 fielding percentage and .958 zone rating among NL left fielders, with one error in 256 total chances, and is tied for second with a career-high seven assists.
• Trevor Williams is the only pitcher in MLB this season to make 10 starts of at least five innings without allowing a run. He's also made nine starts of at least six innings without allowing a run this season, with three zeros in his last four outings. Willy is the only pitcher in Pirates history (since 1908) to do that deed.

Brewers Bomb Bullpen, Use Four Homers To Run Away 8-3

Ivan Nova started of with a nice, quick six-pitch inning, with glovely plays by Pablo and Red Beard. With two outs in the Bucco half, J-Bell took Jhouly Chacin's first pitch and sent it into the RC seats. A leadoff walk in the second was erased on an around-the-horn DP, and a pop ended it. Christian Yelich evened the books by robbing Pablo's laser to The Notch, and a walk ended up all the Bucco action, with some hard-hit balls and nice leatherwork going on early for both sides. It was 1-2-3 for the Brew Crew in the third; Chacin almost evened it up by lifting a ball into the windstream, but it was gathered in at the track. Fraze doubled with one gone and was stranded. Nova came back from 3-0 to fan Curtis Granderson to open the fourth. Yelich then banged a double onto the RF corner. A K was followed by an intention walk of lefty Travis Shaw; it backfired when Ryan Braun singled home the tying run before Mike Moustakas' comebacker. Cervy started the Bucs off with a knock and Corey D golfed a tight slider over the Clemente Wall to get the lead back. The rest of the frame went quietly. With one out in the fifth, Orlando Arcia dropped a bunt single. Eric Thames pinch hit, but before he got to swing, the rains came and he was replaced by a tarp.

photo: Pittsburgh Pirates

2-1/4 hours later, the game resumed with Ric Rod on the bump to face Tyler Saladino, as Craig Counsell decided to keep Thames in his back pocket for later. A whiff and a grounder later, the Bucs were up against Corbin Burnes. Fraze singled up the middle with an out and was caught stealing before Starling bounced out. Edgar Santana was called upon for the sixth and was greeted by a Yelich rap. Jesus Aguilar doubled him home on a catchable ball that Reyes lost at the wall; the Brewer was safe at third after the throw home when Cervy's peg was offline. Fran left the game after that toss with Eli Diaz taking over; no obvious sign of injury, so we'll see what type of discomfort the Pirates announce. It got worse; Travis Shaw homered over the short porch in right and Milwaukee had the lead. After running a 3-0 count on Braun; Santana also left the game with the trainer, again with no apparent trigger. Steven Brault came in and finished the walk.That was followed by a long ball served to Moustakas and another to Erik Kratz, sheesh. He got three of the next four to close out a nasty frame, and Josh Hader took the ball. After a pair of punch outs, sizzlin' Corey D drilled a triple into the RF corner, but Pablo joined the whiff parade on a borderline full-count strike.

Ivan was strong again before the rains fell (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Dovy Neverauskas climbed the bump in the seventh and got two outs (and an ejection as Shaw was yapping at the ump from the bench) before giving up yet another dinger, this one to Keon Broxton. After getting an out, Corey Knebel took the ball and fanned Joey O and K-Man. Clayton Holmes answered the eighth inning bell. he plunked Kratz, causing a little snarl, then Pablo made up for his misplay by running down a bullet by Arcia before a K and grounder put it to bed. Joakim Soria tossed next and walked Fraze. Starling hit into an around-the-horn DP. J-Bell dropped a bloop single after that,but Eli fanned. Holmes walked the first pair in the ninth before settling down. Jeremy Jeffress was waved in for the ninth, and nine pitches later the game was done.

Dunno what the Pirates did during the rain break, but we'd sure change that routine. What this does point out is the need for the Pirates to bolster the pen next season. The B-team isn't cutting it, and that'll hurt now, with just three A-Listers left, and they need a Frenchy LeBlanc or Joe Hudson type to anchor the long guys next year.

Notes:

• Fraze, J-Bell and Corey D had three hits; those guys are rakin' every day.
• Fran's stomach was acting up, ending his day. Edgar Santana's ache was more worrisome - it's the dreaded forearm/elbow "discomfort" symptom.
• Ric Rod's 85th K set a record for rookie Pirates relievers.
• Corey Dickerson's homer was his first since July 22nd.
• This was Eli's first appearance behind the plate this month following his hammy strain.
• The attendance was 19,243 for a rainy fireworks night.
• The Pirates announced their minor league PoY award winners: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (Altoona- .293 BA) is Player of the Year and RHP JT Brubaker (Indy/Altoona 10-6/2.81) is the Pitcher of the Year.

Brew Crew Three-Gamer To End PNC's Season, Ivan v Davies, Lineup & Notes

Today: First pitch is at 7:05 and the game will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.The 14-and-under gang will get a Starling Marte replica jersey, delayed from the recent Marlin rainout with the added attraction of the final Zambelli Fireworks night slated for after the game.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (9-9, 4.07) opens the three-gamer against RHP Jhoulys Chacin (14-8, 3.54). Ivan's allowed just one run in his last two stars,lasting 12 innings, and he's gone 7-4/3.46 in 16 starts since being reinstated from the DL, so he's been a solid second half contributor. He's 1-0/1.69 in two starts against the Brew Crew this year. Super Nova had a no-decision in a 2-1 Bucco win in July and won a 3-1 decision last week, cruising through six innings. Chacin has been consistent for Milwaukee, allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his last eight starts. He hasn't been very lucky against the Bucs though he's pitched solidly with an 0-3/2.55 slash, and the Brewski Bunch has dropped four of his five 2018 starts against the Buccaneers.

Ivan & Fran are the battery (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Corey Dickerson LF, Pablo Reyes RF, Colin Moran 3B, Kevin Newman SS & Nova P.  Looks like Starling & J-Bell are biometric-proof; those dudes never sit.

Notes:

• The Bucs have been the Brewers kryptonite this year; they're 11-5 v Milwaukee. The Pirates have been victorious in 11 of the past 14 contests and have won four consecutive one-run games for the first time since 1992, with the only time they've won five squeakers in a row back in 1946, per @joe_block.
• Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors looks at the silver lining for non-playoff teams in the Central Division. For the Buccos, it's pitching, especially if bolstered by some "strategic investments" during the off season. 
• The Pirates have switched Low Class A affiliates, flipping from West Virginia to Greensboro, both members of the Sally League. The Power, based in Charleston, will become a Seattle Mariner feeder while the Grasshoppers had been a long-time Miami Marlin farm club. It's a two-year deal.
• Backyard Brawl, hardball version: the WV Mountaineers will take on the Pitt Panthers on Tuesday, May 14th, 2019, at PNC Park. The 'Eers have played Penn State the past two seasons at PNC, and their rivalry with Pitt extends unbroken back to 1895.
• Boy, that was quick - Banny is out as Texas Rangers manager, w/the story first broken by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Bench coach Don Wakamatsu has been named interim manager for the remainder of 2018 season effective immediately. Wonderin' if there may be a Pirates reunion in the cards...?