Clint Canned, Bucs Bats Take Final Day Off As Pirates Drop Finale 3-1 To Reds

Well, a little excitement before the game; Clint was let go. Tom Prince will take the reins after Hurdle declined to manage today after his release. With that determined, Willy went to the hill, gave a literal tip o' the cap to Steve Blass in the radio booth, and put up a zero, though with a walk, in the first. Ty Mahle worked a 1-2-3 inning. Aristides Aquiro banged a leadoff dinger in the second, followed by a K and DP to calm the Reds down. Pablo led off with a rap but went nowhere. Trevor bopped the first Red up in the third but nothing came of it; the Pirates again made not a peep. Cincinnati drew another walk in the fourth; the Bucs went down in order again. The Reds added another run on Brian O'Grady's solo shot in the fifth. Erik Gonzalez singled with two away for all the Pittsburgh action. A walk and two-out double put Willy in a sixth-inning jam, but he eased out to keep it at 2-0. Amir Garrett came in. A walk, wild pitch and swinging bunt knock put Bucs on the corners with a out, bringing in Sal Romano. Joey O's sac fly, pulled in at the 399' mark, cut the lead in half.

Willy had a good showing today - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Willy came out for the seventh and gave up an opening single; he once again dug down for a whiff and DP to finish a very nice outing today. Joel Kuhnel toed the rubber, and Jake Elmore singled. After a pop, it was the Bucs turn to roll into a twin killing. Ric Rod gave up the third homer of the day to Alex Blandino - he now has two MLB long balls on his resume - in the eighth. The Reds drew a walk before the bell rang. Robert Stephenson took the ball, and K-Man singled with an out. Two pop ups later, he still stood on first. Yacksel Rios got the ninth inning wave. With an out, a single and error on an infield ball put a Redleg at second. An out later, another single put Cincy's at the corners, but Rios wriggled out of the pickel. Michael Lorenzen was greeted by a Joey O rap before sitting the Bucs down.

Well, lost the game, their skipper, and had a year with internal brawls, on field wrasslin' matches, arrests, and more guys down than General Lee had in Virginia. Oh, and 69 wins, their lowest total since 57 victories in 2010 (and that season got John Russell fired). Can't wait to see what the offseason brings.

Notes:

• Melky had two hits today; he was the only Buc to reach base safely twice.
• Mahle was the surprise starter today; the scheduled Trevor Bauer was under the weather this week and pushed back to this afternoon, but apparently still felt the effect of the bug.
• The last game of the year drew an announced crowd of 23,617.
• Sheesh. Steve Baron underwent surgery today to repair a fractured lower mandible (jaw bone). He is expected be ready for spring training. Baron was hit on the face by a pickoff throw during last night's game.
• The Cards ran roughshod over the Cubs today, 9-0, to clinch the NL Central title.
• Joe Maddon also bit the dust today; the Cubs announced he wouldn't return for 2020. 

Clint Canned

Here's a release you might want to read...

Guess the suits had a change of heart, or maybe Clint was trying a backdoor move. Either way, he and Joe Maddon are gone on the same day. More later...

Willy v Trevor Bauer, Lineup & Notes

Game: It's a late start for Sunday at 3:05 with the game aired on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. It's Sunday kids day, with stuff outside the yard pregame, a free backpack for the 14-and-under fans, and baserunning after the game.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Adam Frazier 2B, Melky Cabrera RF, Jose Osuna 1B, Pablo Reyes CF, Jake Elmore RF, Jake Stallings C, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Trevor Williams P. And what's left of our 2019 Pirates...God bless Stalls, who caught 11 innings last night and starts today's day game, presumably without a backup.

Willy gets the finale - image Pirates wallpaper

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams (7-8/5.52) ends the campaign against RHP Trevor Bauer (2-5/6.39).  Trevor is making is 26th start; this is his third straight year with 25+ starts for the Bucs. Willy's last six trips to the hill have been workmanlike, except for one beat down delivered by the Cubs. He has been money against the Redlegs in three starts, with a slash of 2-0/1.50. Bauer hasn't done much for the Reds since they acquired him, although he has settled down some in September, going 2-2/4.10. He was chased after three innings in late August by the Bucs in his only start against them this year, giving up eight runs. (Sonny Gray was supposed to start, but had his elbow scoped a few days ago.)

Notes:

• Bryan Reynolds at .314 finished with the highest batting average for a qualified MLB switch-hitting rookie since 1896.
• The Pirates starting pitcher picks out the locker room music. Willy is playing a holiday playlist, because he feels like “every day in the majors is like Christmas.”
• The Pirates close out the season today and Steve Blass will close out his broadcast career.
• The Cards and Brewers are a game apart with one to go. The possible scenarios are here.

Buc Slumber Company in 4-2,12-Inning Loss to Reds

It was a gray and thundering night, but Steve Blass got his ceremony in before some drizzle fell, albeit cutting his farewell speech a little short as the ground crew yanked out the tarps as soon as he threw the game's Opening Pitch. As Stevie Ray Vaughan would note, even "The Sky Is Crying" over Blass' departure. The game started about an hour late after the mop up. James Marvel was dinged for a two-out bloop double with no damage. Lucas Sims tossed a clean frame. The Reds got on the board in the second on a Tucker Barnhart two-out solo shot. Joey O singled and Kevin Kramer walk to open the Bucco half. A fly and passed ball tallied Jose; Kramer came home on Steve Baron's two-out two-bagger to put the Bucs up 2-1. He hurt himself on the bases, so now Jake Stallings is the only catcher left standing. The Cincy's answered with a double and walk to start the third. Another walk juiced the sacks with an out, but a pair of comebackers kept the plate clean. Matt Bowman spun a clean frame.

James dodged a lot of bullets but only gave up a pair - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

The Reds led off the fourth with a double that was singled home an out later, the ball deflecting off Newman's mitt into center. K-Man then snagged a liner for an unassisted DP to close the inning. With an out, Kevin Kramer lined out just beyond The Notch. Jake Elmore reached on a two-down bungle, causing no damage. Marvel gave up his fifth extra-base knock in five innings, another leadoff double, but he left him at third. The Reds are 1-for-9 so far w/RISP. It was three grounders, three outs for the Pirates. Yefrey Ramirez took over in the sixth and fanned a pair in a quiet inning. Amir Garrett retired the Bucs in order. After a leadoff single in the seventh off Ramirez, Williams Jerez was called in and gave up a double. The Reds first out was a contact play tag at home, followed by a whiff. Parker Markel was brought in to face Eugenio Suarez and walked him to jam the sacks, with the Buccos again squeaking through after a fly to right. After an opening K, Sal Romano was waved in and walked Elmore. He was caught stealing an out later to end the frame.

Markel walked the first Redleg in the eighth. A balk moved him up 90' and was followed by a free pass with two gone. Clay Holmes was dispatched to the slab and got a bouncer to sit 'em down. After an out, Romano was flipped for Kevin Gausman. He was tapped for a two-out single by K-Man,who was thrown out trying to stretch it. The Bucs have had four runners so far tonight; two have been thrown out on the bases. Keone Kela worked the ninth, and gave up a walk that never advanced. Pablo walked to open the Bucco half and Fraze doubled Reyes to third. Melky was given four wide ones to fill the bases after a three-pitch Joey O whiff. The Reds went to a five-man infield - kinda crowded there with the three Bucco runners and umps - and stayed that way as Elmore also fanned on three pitches and Erik Gonzalez popped out. Bases loaded, Pirates...well, ya know. Chris Stratton answered the 10th inning bell. He gave up a two-out walk, the Pirates seventh, and then walked another, both on full counts, before closing the lid. Raisel Iglesias tucked the Bucs away on six pitches.

Joey O was the only Buc to see the bases twice tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Alex McRae gave up a leadoff knock in the 11th. He then dished out a DP ball, and gave up another rap before the third out. RJ Alaniz climbed the hill. After Pablo lined out and Fraze flew out to the track, Joey O walked and McRae, batting for himself (Big Joe Musgrove is the only bench bat left), singled him to second. No cigar; Jake Elmore couldn't cash him in. The Reds again got an opening rap in the 12th and a bopped batter was next. He got another DP, but a two-out double made it 3-2 Cincinnati. Then he hung a two-strike curve to the pitcher Alaniz, and he singled home an insurance run. The Bucs went down 1-2-3.

Ah, September. Kinda miraculous that it took the Reds 12 innings, four hours and 27 minutes to win; they banged out 13 hits (seven for extra bases) and got eight walks, stranding 15 runners and going 3-for-18 w/RISP. The Bucs had five hits to go with five walks. One more game to go, if Clint can find nine guys in one piece to finish out the season.

Notes:

• In 12 frames, Joey O was the only Bucco to reach safely twice with a walk and a knock.
• With his third team and 26th MLB at-bat, Steven Baron collected his first big league extra-base hit and RBI tonight, but left immediately afterward with a head injury. 
• The announced attendance tonight was 21,084.
• During Steverino's ceremony, the Pirates announced they are creating a Hall of Fame, based in PNC Park, for next year and that Steve Blass will be an inductee. Not many details, so stay tuned.
• The Pirates gave out 38 grants as part of the "Field for Kids" program; a third went to Allegheny-Westmoreland county organizations, with the rest scattered around the region.
• Steve Pearce, who carved out a respectable AL career after leaving the Pirates, is on the verge of retirement.

Marvel v Lucas Sims, Lineup & Notes

Game: It's a 7:05 start and will be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. It's Steve Blass big night; the first 20,000 fans get a player/broadcaster double bobblehead of Steverino with his pregame to-do starting at 6:40. Here's knocking on wood that the weather cooperates.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Pedro Reyes CF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jose Osuna 1B, Kevin Kramer RF, Jake Elmore LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Steven Baron C, James Marvel P. OK, down to two starters and if our count is right, three healthy bench players.

Marvel gets a last chance to impress - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP James Marvel (0-3/10.22) meets RHP Lucas Sims (2-1/4.39). Marvel's last two games have been disasters - in 7-1/3 IP, he's allowed 12 runs and given up three homers. He gets a fourth start to leave an impression. This will be his first outing against Cincinnati. Sims has been used out of the pen since being recalled in late July, so it's an opener game for the Redlegs today. He got one start in May; he lasted 7-1/3IP against the Bucs, giving up four runs. He's also seen them twice more in relief during his second tour, surrendering four runs in three frames.

Notes

• Erik Gonzalez has an 11-game hitting streak. Another lucky 11 - that's how many straight games the Bucs have won at PNC Park against the Reds.
• The wheels are turning already: the Pirates are talking about using Steven Brault some in the OF next year, ala Michael Lorenzen of the Reds, per Jason Mackey of the Post Gazette. It would add some value to his portfolio; he's hitting .341 this year, been used as a pinch hitter (4-of-7), and sports a .268 lifetime BA.
• CBS has a Bucco prospect list, and oddly, considering how the year has gone, it's primarily guys who haven't appeared in MLB yet. Most of the names should be familiar if you keep up with the minors; if not, time for an intro.
• Steve Blass will be off this game to enjoy his night with his family & friends; tomorrow will be his last broadcast (radio side) as part of the crew.

Kevin Newman Walks It Off, Leads B-Team Bucs To Fourth Straight With 6-5 Victory Over the Reds

Not a great start by Steven Brault - a couple of doubles, a walk, stolen base, throwing error, and hey, it's 2-0 before the Bucs get to bat. The Bucs went quietly to Anthony DeSclafani. Brault struck out the side in the second; the Pirates went down 1-2-3. The Reds made no noise in the third. Jake Elmore and Erik Gonzalez led off with raps and were bunted up before K-Man walked to juice the sacks. Per SOP, they left them loaded. The Redlegs walked twice and fanned three times in the fourth. Stalls singled for all the Bucco noise. A walk, two singles and throw to the wrong base gave Cincy a couple of more tallies in the fifth. The Bucs did answer this time; Erik Gonzalez and Steven singled; they both came in on Newman's three-run shot to make it a one-run game at 4-3. Clay Holmes got the sixth and gave up an opening double but kept the scoreboard clean. Kevin Kramer and Stalls opened with raps for the Pirates. That brought in Robert Stephenson. A fly moved KK to third before Gonzalez lined out swinging at a full-count ball four; 2B Jose Peraza tried to double up Stallings at first, threw the ball away, and the game was knotted as two wrongs did make a right.

Kevin was the show tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Ric Rod got the seventh; the Cincy's drew a walk and nothing else. Michael Lorenzen bopped Fraze with two outs, and after a barrage of throws to first, Fraze was caught stealing. The Reds got two knocks and walk off Frankie Liriano to take the lead in the eighth. A grounder left runners at the corners, but Frankie stopped the bleeding. The Pirates went down without a peep in their half. Yacksel Rios came on for the ninth, and left a couple of free passes aboard. Raisel Iglesias took the ball. Elmore led off with a rap and went to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, he was at third. K-Man got a 1-1 slider that hung over the middle of the plate and bang - a walk off dinger. The B Team rallies for another win, and you can raise the Roger.

Lotta names for both teams that make you dive deep into the program. Clint is getting a good chance to assess some of the bubble guys, and players like Erik Gonzalez and Jake Elmore are making the most of it. And hey, heck of a way to end Steve Blass' TV career.

Notes:

• Newman (five RBI), Stallings, Elmore and Gonzalez all had two hits. Per Joe Block, Kevin Newman tied Al Oliver (1969) tonight for most walkoff hits (4) for a Pirates rookie, since at least 1920.
• Steven Brault had a career-high 10 strikeouts. The Pirates struck out 16 and walked eight tonight.
• The announced crowd was 18,554 tonight.
• The Blass blast starts: Bill Peduto issued a special Mayoral Proclamation to Steverino today in recognition of his six decades of service to our city.
• The MLB will experiment with robo umps in the Arizona Fall League this year, per CBS Sports.

Steven v Anthony DeSclafani, Lineup & Notes

Game: The game starts at 7:05 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Tonight is a Zambelli Fireworks night, so one way or another, the night will end with a bang.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Pablo Reyes CF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jose Osuna 1B, Kevin Kramer RF, Jake Stallings C, Jake Elmore LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Steven Brault P. Colin Moran, btw, has an unspecified hip injury.

Steven gets his last start - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: LHP Steven Brault (4-6/5.07) v RHP Anthony DeSclafani (9-9/3.84). Steven had a brilliant start for his return to the rotation, but with a chance to cruise into a frontrunner role for 2020, he's tossed to a 0-3/12.38 slash in his last three outings. He's only had one start against the Redlegs, shutting them out on three hits over 5-1/3 IP in May. DeSclafani has gone the opposite direction from Brault, with a 2-2/2.05 line in his last seven starts, none of which has been shorter than six frames. He hasn't had much luck against Pittsburgh, going 0-2/5.28 in three starts, so one of his trends is gonna end tonight.

Notes:

• Erik Gonzalez has a 10-game hitting streak going on.
• Connor Byrne of MLB Trade Rumors wonders where Frankie Liriano will land next year.
• This is it - the last series of the season. Cincy has lost 5-of-6, and even though the Pirates are 11-5 v the Reds, they still can't escape the cellar.
• Cutch will return to lead volunteers from November 16th-23rd in a variety of community projects around the City. If you're interested, check out the Cutch Week link.

Bucs Broom Cubbies 9-5

Joe Musgrove gave up a walk and nothing else in the first. After two outs, Melky and Joey O singled off Jose Quintana. Pablo kept the parade going with a trip-trip-triple to give the Bucs an early 2-0 leg up on Chicago. Both sides went down quietly in the second. It was a 1-2-3 third for Chi-town. K-Man and Fraze opened with singles for the Bucs. An out later, Joey O doubled home a run and another crossed when the relay was muffed. The Cubs made up when Osuna was thrown out at the dish on a pretty bad send by Joey Cora, trying to score on Pablo's rap. Reyes went to second on the play and scored on Stall's knock. Moose spun a clean fourth. Erik Gonzalez led off with a leg hit, but Big Joe was swinging away and bounced into a DP and Newman fanned. David Bote dropped a fly single into center in the fifth for the Cubs first hit with no damage done. Joey O beat out an infield knock with two away, followed by a ground rule two-bagger by Pablo. That saved a run for a heartbeat; a Chicago throwaway quickly plated Osuna. Jake Elmore then singled Reyes home to make it 7-0.

Pablo had three hits tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

The sixth started out rough - a catcher's interference was followed by a 3-2 walk, and a double brought both the free runners in. An out later, a broken bat single and grounder cut the lead to 7-3. Dwayne Underwood Jr took over and Corban Joseph welcomed him with a double; he scored after a bouncer and Fraze single. Adam stole second and tallied on Melky's two-bagger to end the frame at 9-3. Chris Stratton got the seventh. A leadoff single scored off a two-out double, followed by an RBI knock. Williams Jerez took the ball and put the inning to bed with a whiff. Dillon Maples tossed a quit frame. Jerez got a whiff and a walk in the eighth before Parker Merkel got the beckon. He did the job, serving up a DP ball. James Norwood gave up a walk but kept the score 9-5. Merkel spun a strong ninth, fanning the last two Cubbies. Raise the Roger.

Baseball is a funny game; the Cubs started the Pirates on a nine-game tailspin with a sweep, and the Bucs returned the favor, with Chicago now losers of nine in a row after being broomed. Vive la différence!

Notes:

• It was as unlikely a middle of the lineup as you'll ever find, but Melky, Joey O and Pablo each had three hits (all three doubled and Pablo tripled to finish a homer shy of a cycle) and ensemble scored five times and drove home four runs. Fraze had a pair of raps and K-Man collected a knock and a walk.
• Pittsburgh finished the year 8-11 against Chicago. The Bucs only won nine games total against Milwaukee and St. Louis.
• The announced attendance was 10,592 tonight.
• Joe Musgrove finished the year slashing 11-12/4.44 w/155 K in 31 starts covering 170-1/3 IP.
• Greg Brown opined from the booth that he thinks that Bryan Reynolds will in all likelihood be shut down for the final Reds set this weekend with his sore hammy.

Big Joe v Jose Quintana, Lineup & Notes

Game: The finale begins at 7:05 and will be on AT&T SportsNet, MLB Network (out of market) and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Adam Frazier 2B, Melky Cabrera RF, Jose Osuna 1B, Pablo Reyes CF, Jake Stallings C, Jake Elmore LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Joe Musgrove P. Hmmm...Redbeard sitting against a righty. B-Rey is also down after tweaking his hammy last night.

Big Joe climbs the hill tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (10-12/4.49) closes out his campaign against RHP Jose Quintana (13-8/4.55). Big Joe has set career highs in games started, innings pitched and wins, and has developed into a sturdy mid-to-back end rotation guy. His FIP is 3.98 and his peripherals are solid, so the next step is to develop some consistency from start to start. Moose has been strong v Chicago; he's 0-1 but with a 1.08 ERA in three outings with excellent hit (9) and K (19) numbers in 16-1/3IP. Quintana had a solid season go to pot; in his last six outings, he's posted an 8.49 ERA and been chased in the third or fourth inning in his last three trips to the hill. But Q has had Pittsburgh's number; his slash is 4-0/3.38 in five starts against the Buccos this year.

Notes:

• Erik Gonzalez has a nine-game hitting streak.
• The Cubs carry an eight-game losing streak into tonight; it's their longest since 2012.
• Clint's return in 2020 seems to be his take on the situation, not necessarily that of management, per Jason Mackey of the Post Gazette. He had a sit-down with the suits after last night's game and was mum on the situation afterwards; we don't know if he spoke out of school or just too soon. There's never a "yes-or-no" answer from this management gang.
• After tonight, the Reds come to town over the weekend for the last series of the season and for Steve Blass last hurrah in the booth.

Bucs Roll Again 4-2 Over Cubbies Behind Dario & Gonzalez

Dario was off to a good start - eight pitches and a 1-2-3 first against the Cubs. It took Jon Lester a couple of pitches more to get his three ground outs. It also got Bryan Reynolds out of the game; he left hobbling. In the second, a Willson Contreras triple was cashed in by Ian Happ as the Cubs took the early lead. With an out, Pablo doubled and Erik Gonzalez singled, with Reyes getting thrown out at home. The Bucs put up another zero. It was a quiet third for Chi-town; the Bucs got a Dario single for their troubles. Happ singled in the fourth, but he was gunned out at second by Jake Elmore for all the Cubbie ado. As we all predicted, the Bucs took the lead around Gonzalez's bat - he doubled in Joey O with two outs and scored on Jake Elmore's rap. Steve Baron singled Jake to third, but the fun was done. Dario bopped a batter with one gone the fifth, then gave up a two-out knock to Lester, but Agrazal escaped. The Pirates made not a peep.

Dario making his pitch for next year, finishing 4-5/4.91
photo Garrett Mansfield/Altoona Curve

Chicago managed a two-out knock in the sixth. Gonzalez legged out a two-away dribbler for the Buccos. Happ tied it in the seventh with a leadoff solo shot, and that brought on Frankie, who cleaned up the rest of the frame despite a Gonzalez boot. Brandon Kintzler took over, and was tagged for a two-gone three-bagger by K-Man. Brad Wieck got the call to face Melky, who bounced out. Michael Feliz was next up in the eighth. He walked two guys around a sharp grab by Pablo in center but posted a zippo. Joey O worked a one-out walk and Pablo drew another. David Phelps toed the slab and uncorked consecutive wild pitches to score Osuna and send Reyes to third, where a Gonzalez sac fly chased him home as an insurance run. Jake was issued the third walk of the frame before Phelps put the lid on it. Keona Kela gave up an opening walk, then served a 3-6-3 DP ball and another grounder to earn his first Pirates save. Raise the Roger.

Gotta wonder how much heat is on Joe Maddon, Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein. The Bucs have fielded a AAAA club for most of the month; no excuse for the Cubbies.

Notes:

• Erik Gonzalez had three hits, the only Bucco with more than one rap tonight. Pablo and Jake Elmore both had a knock and a walk.
• Bryan Reynolds has "right hamstring discomfort."
• Tonight's paid attendance was 10,592.
• Per Stephen Nesbitt of The Athletic: Clint Hurdle has been informed he’ll be back (behind a paywall) as the skipper next season. Though less certain, it appears Neal and Frank will also return, although several heads are expected to roll on Monday. All NH would say to the press gang on the topic was "As we have in the past, we will publicly address any personnel decisions at the end of the season."
• The Pirates have set up a voicemail box so you can share your favorite memory of Steve Blass or send him a retirement message at (412) 325-4660.
• The Brewers eliminated the Cubs from the postseason tonight a few minutes before the Pirates could. The five NL playoff teams are now set: the Dodgers, Braves, Cards, Nats and Brew Crew.

Dario v Jon Lester, Lineup & Notes

Game: The opening toss is slated for 7:05 and will be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds CF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jose Osuna 1B, Pablos Reyes LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Jake Elmore RF, Steven Baron C, Dario Agrazal P. Well, if you didn't get a chance to see Indianapolis play this year, you've sure gotten to see a lot of their lineup this month. Sorta surprised Redbeard is sitting; he's hit .273 against LHP this year. Fraze, the only lefty starting, is batting .259 against southpaws.

Erik Gonzalez gets another start - photo Elsa/Getty

Pitchers: RHP Dario Agrazal (4-5/5.08) takes on LHP Jon Lester (13-10/4.51). The league caught up to Dario; in his last two months, his ERA has doubled and he hasn't thrown a pitch in the sixth inning since July 26th, a span covering eight starts. He hasn't faced the Cubs yet, so we'll see which side has the uncharted waters advantage. Lester's had a tough September, but he's been solid against Pittsburgh, with a slash of 3-0/3.20 in four starts.

Notes:

• It's official: Josh Bell (strained left groin), Starling Marte (sprained left wrist), Elias Diaz (sprained right knee) and Cole Tucker (left knee strain) are done for the season.
• Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors has a "Three Needs" post on the Pirates.
• The Pirates, despite their list of developmental shortcomings, have never stinted on getting their players out in the community. Today, the Florida State League awarded the Bradenton Marauders the 2019 John Henry Moss Community Service Award for their commitment to the community.

Bucs Snap Streak At Nine, Whup Cubs 9-2

Mitch got the first two outs easily, then a single/double/walk packed the sacks. He whiffed his way out of the jam at the cost of 23 pitches. K-Man reached on a boot and stole second, but Kyle Hendricks had no problem working around Newman. Keller tossed a clean second. Kevin Kramer got aboard on a two-out misplay, but pressed his luck and was tossed out at second. Ya can't even hand the Bucs an inning. The Cubs stranded a pair in the third; the Pirates went down without a peep. A single and Nick Hoerner double chased home the game's first run for Chicago in the fourth; Pittsburgh was handed a third free runner via error and again, nada.. The Baby Bruins left runners at second and third in the fifth; Mitch has had the big K today when he's needed it. Hendricks cruised through his half. Chris Stratton got the call in the sixth as Kells was at 92 pitches, and tossed a clean frame. Newman broke up the no-hitter with a one-away single; an out later, he was picked off first.

Mitch finished up on a high note - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Frankie Liriano spun a 1-2-3 seventh. Fraze doubled to leadoff, and Joey O legged out a rap to put Bucs on the corners. Redbeard knocked in a run and Stall's rap jammed the sacks. Kevin Kramer doubled in a pair, and a muff at second on Erik Gonzalez's bouncer leaked a couple of more runs home. Joe Maddon finally decided to bring in a new arm, David Phelps. He gave up a Pablo single and grounder, leaving Bucs on the corners for Danny Hultzen, and he threw away a tailor-made DP ball off B-Rey's bat to make it 6-1. Fraze singled home another Bucco, and Joey O walked to juice the bases. Redbeard whiffed, then James Norwood took over and finally shut it down. Ric Rod worked the eighth and was nicked for a run via a two-out single. Jake Elmore opened with an infield knock and Gonzalez then pounded his first dinger of the campaign to get that run back with some gravy. Keone Kela put it away after a two-out walk. Raise the Roger (if you can find it, lol).

The Cubs are bad right now, and that's good for Pittsburgh. Chicago committed five boots and was 1-for-10 with RISP with 11 stranded runners...

Erik Gonzalez flashed some muscle tonight - 2019 Topps

Notes:

• The Pirates had 10 hits from nine different players; Fraze was the only Bucco with two raps. Joey O also reached base twice with a walk and a knock. Every starting position player scored, chased home a run, or both.
• Tonight's announced crowd was 9,989. Thank you, Chicago visitors.
• The Pirates broke a nine-game losing streak; the Cubs are in a seven-game freefall. Chi-town's magic number for postseason elimination is one.
• Josh Bell (groin), Starling Marte (wrist), Elias Diaz (knee) and Cole Tucker (knee) may be done for the rest of the season; it's still TBD. Tuck's was the surprise; apparently he's had a minor knee problem throughout the season and it flared up again late last week.
• The Pirates held a pregame moment of silence for Jason Rollison, who worked the Pirates webworks from Rumbunter to Pirates Breakdown to Bucs Dugout to his latest gig with DKSports, and just recently fell to cancer at 38 years of age. He was one of the good guys in both real life and Bucco social media and will be mightily missed.

Mitch v Kyle Hendricks, Lineup & Notes

Game: First pitch of the last homestand is at 7:05.The game is on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan, and it's the last night for you and your pup to enjoy a game.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds CF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jose Osuna 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Jake Stallings C, Kevin Kramer RF, Erik Gonzalez LF, Mitch Keller P. Kinda odd there aren't any, you know, outfielders playing right and left, but... Gonzalez, in case you're wondering, is hitting .320 over his last seven games (8-for-25) although his OPS+ is still just 54 (very few walks & extra-base bangs).

Mitch makes his last pitch for 2019 - 2019 Bowman Prospect

Pitchers: RHP Mitch Keller (1-5/7.74) starts it off against RHP Kyle Hendricks (11-9/3.37). Mitch is closing out his first jog around the block, and hopefully the rocky road will help smooth his way in 2020. He has been a lot sharper at PNC on the road, so it'd be good to see him come up roses tonight. He's faced the Cubbies once, five weeks ago in Pittsburgh, and was sent to the showers after 4-1/3 IP, two dingers and six runs. Kyle's had a bump or two, but overall, he's given up two runs or fewer in 20 of his 29 outings. Hendricks is 1-1 against Pittsburgh in three starts with a sparkly 2.25 ERA.

Notes:

• The Cubs started the Pirates tailspin on Friday the 13th of this month, sweeping a three-game set at Wrigley by a 47-15 overall count, launching homers by the truckload. The Pirates have lost 8 of the last 9 versus the Windy City squad, and this is their last chance to be spoilers in the division. The Cubs are all but dead in the division at 7-1/2 games back and trail the Brewers by four games for the second wildcard.
• The Bucs are 31-44 at PNC Park this year.

Nine In A Row - Bucs Fall 4-3

Brandon Woodruff tossed a 1-2-3 first. Willy lost the first two Brewers on 10 pitches, but came back to fan the last pair and post an opening zero. Nada for Pittsburgh in the second. Milwaukee got a two-out solo shot from Orlando Arcia to take the early lead. Woodruff was pinch hit for (it's his second game back from the IL; the Brew Crew has used him as an opener in both games), and another knock was added before the frame ended. Jay Jackson worked the third and struck the side out swinging. Trevor spun a clean third. It was another quiet frame for the Bucs in the fourth with Gio Gonzalez now on the hill; Eric Thames banged a leadoff long ball for Milwaukee to make it 2-0. There wasn't a ball hit out of the infield by either club in the fifth. No noise from the Pirates in the sixth, and Michael Feliz claimed the bump. He gave up a single and a second Thames dinger as the gap grew to four runs.

Willy gave the Bucs a short but solid start; it didn't help - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

A one-out single in the seventh by B-Rey broke up the perfecto (a soft liner that ticked off Arcia's mitt) and brought on Drew Pomeranz, who quickly sat the Bucs down. Clay Holmes took the ball. The Brewers got two knocks and a walk to open, but a whiff and 4-6-3 DP kept the score 4-0. Freddy Peralta got two outs in the eighth, then Stalls singled and Erik Gonzalez legged out a roller. Melky slapped a bouncer to short; Arcia muffed it, allowing a run to score and leaving Bucs at second and third. Josh Hader was called on, and Tuck banged a two-run rap to make it 4-3. Roc Rod got the call, and allowed one runner to reach, on catcher's interference. Hader removed any iffy glovework from the equation to earn his four-out save; he struck out the side in the ninth.

The Brewers couldn't even gift the game to the Pirates; nobody has stepped up since Starling and J-Bell have gone down. Michael Feliz, who went seven straight outings scorelessly, has now given up three homers and four runs in his last three innings. Oh well, six to go...

Notes:

• Elias Diaz hurt his right knee Saturday; that leaves Jake Stallings and Steven Baron (who caught last night after Eli went down; Stalls is back in action today) as the catching corps. Kevin Newman is also off; Clint decided to give him a day of rest after a pair of 0-fers.
• Pittsburgh has been swept in three consecutive series, lost nine straight games while being outscored 87-26, is 21-46 since the All-Star Break, 65-91 overall, and going through their first 90 loss season since 2011 (72-90). Until yesterday, that was the only 90-loss campaign for Clint with the Pirates.
• The Buccos pitching staff has given up 10+ runs in a game 31 times this season, more than any team since the 1999 Rockies.
• The Pirates close out the campaign in Pittsburgh starting Tuesday with three games against the Cubs and a final series v the Reds.

The Brew Crew Weekend

Yah, kind of curveball with this setup. But my boy is getting married Saturday, so you're on your own for this weekend; lots of good guys and material out there for you to keep ya up to speed from MSM to the blogosphere. See ya Monday, if I can pass the interweb sobriety test...

Games: Friday's game is at 8:10, Saturday's at 7:10, and the Sunday matinee at 2:10. All three games will be carried from Miller Park by AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan. Milwaukee is three games behind the Cards in the NL Central standings, one game behind the Nats for the top NL Wild Card spot, and a game ahead of the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot. The Brewers have sizzled in September, with a 14-4 record, even with Christian Yelich out. And the Pirates are 4-12 against them this year...

Friday Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Reynolds CF, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Pablo Reyes LF, Jake Stallings C, Erik Gonzalez, Steve Brault P. Stalls and Pablo are back (injury & paternity leave)

Pitchers:
Friday: LHP Steven Brault (4-5/4.98) opens the set against RHP Chase Anderson (6-4/4.50). Steven has had a pair of rocky back-to-back starts, giving up 16 runs (15 earned), covering just eight innings. Regression? September dead arm? Stay tuned... This should be a good pairing. Though he hasn't gotten a decision against the Crew, he has a 2.66 ERA in four starts against them this season. Anderson has lasted just four frames in his last four starts; he's almost become an opener pitcher for Milwaukee. He's 1-0/3.48 in four starts against the Pirates this year, and lasted just a little longer than his last few outings, averaging five frames per start.

Steven starts it off - photo Joe Guzy/Pirates

Saturday: RHP James Marvel (0-2/9.00) v RHP Zach Davies (10-7/3.70). Marvel was solid against the Cards and chased off the hill by the Cubs. He's projected as a back-end starter by evaluators, so the hype around his call up was probably overdrummed. Like Mitch, he's in a good spot for teaching moments as both learn what works and what doesn't in the show in a no-pressure setting. Davis is another Brewer who goes just five innings. He's been tough on Pittsburgh, going 2-0/2.31 in four starts.

Sunday: RHP Trevor Williams (7-7/5.59) v TBD. Willy's given up 11 runs in his last two starts, lasting just eight innings, so he's another Bucco starter with the September blues. He's faced Milwaukee once this year, giving up six runs in five frames.

Notes:

• Starling Marte and Josh Bell will both be out for this series.
• The Pirates haven't homered since the San Francisco series, matching their current 0-6 run.
• The blog will still be updated with daily history posts at oldbucs.blogspot.com

Close But No Cigar - Bucs Swept Again, 6-5, In 11 Innings

Big Joe had a 1-2-3 inning, thx to a pick-off of the leadoff batter (confirmed by replay review) who he had walked. The Bucs bounced out three times against Yusei Kikuchi. In the second, aye carumba - a walk, a couple of singles, a bunt and two errors opened the gates for four Mariner runs. And holy moly, the Bucs roared right back. They hit four doubles, banged by Redbeard, Eli (should have been an error; yay home cookin'), Jake Elmore and Moose, with a two-out K-Man RBI rap, to score four runs and tie the match. The M's stranded a third inning single; Pittsburgh did the same with Moran's infield knock. Seattle had a quiet fourth. Erik Gonzalez singled and Newman bunted his way aboard with two gone. A walk packed the sacks, but Bucs and bases loaded... The Mariner's lost a leadoff infield rap in the fifth to a caught stealing and Moose fanned the other pair. Zac Grotz took the hill and the Bucs took the lead. Eli walked, went to second on a roller, then was chased home by Jake Elmore's two-out rap. Jake was tossed out on the play heading to second on the throw home, but did job #1.

Jake had a nice day with three hits - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Ric Rod was called on for the sixth, and he left a pair of Mariners on the bases. Dan Altavilla fluffed the rosin, then pitched a 1-2-3 frame. Frankie Liriano got the seventh inning beckon. With two outs, he walked a pair and gave up a single to tie the game. Taylor Guilbeau was tapped for a Joey O single; the other three Buccos bounced out. Michael Feliz got a fly, gave up a walk and then teased out a DP ball to cruise through the eighth. Austin Adams gave up a Jake Elmore rap - go Jake! - and survived Dee Gordon's throwing error trying to turn a DP to post a zero. Keone Kela took the bump as the new ninth inning man. He gave up a trio of one-out raps to juice the sacks, but a whiff and fly doused the fire. Anthony Bass was waved on and put away the Pirates without a peep. Parker Markel got the 10th and gave up a two-gone single and no more. Brandon Brennan climbed the slope and retired the Buccos in order. Clay Holmes toed the slab in the 11th, and the leadoff runner reached on a Joey O boot. A knock with one gone put M's on the corners,and a grounder put them up. Weird play - Kramer went to first on a ball that was hit weakly (he had almost no chance to get the runner at home). That removed the force, though the Bucs did turn the DP via a rundown. Erik Swanson lost Erik Gonzalez with an out, but struck out the side around the pass.

The new closer? - 2019 Topps

Well, ya know - give up three unearned runs and lose by one in extras...it's not just bad luck that keeps losing streaks alive.

Notes:

• Jake Elmore had three hits; K-Man and Redbeard a pair apiece.
• Today's game lasted four hours and 16 minutes.
• The paid attendance at PNC Park was 12,543, again not near to matching the actual crowd.
• Adam Berry of MLB.com notes that going into today, Bryan Reynolds was batting .318 and Kevin Newman, .319. If they finish out the year both hitting above .300, they will become the first pair of qualified rookie teammates to hit .300+ in the same season since Fred Lynn and Jim Rice for the 1975 Red Sox. 
• Last night, Gerrit Cole became just the 18th pitcher in MLB history to notch at least 300 strikeouts in a season.

Big Joe v Yusei Kikuchi, Lineup & Notes

Game: Getaway day begins at 12:35 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman 2B,Bryan Reynolds CF, Jose Osuna 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Elias Diaz C, Cole Tucker SS, Jake Elmore RF, Erik Gonzalez, LF, Joe Musgrove P. Elmore & Gonzalez playing corner OF; holy versatility. We thought Stalls might be ready to get behind the dish today, but it looks like Eli is gonna have to suck it up for a day-after-night game.

Big Joe on the hill - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP  Joe Musgrove (10-12/4.52) ends the set against LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-10/5.46). Big Joe has a sore foot, but he's worked through it OK. In the last five games, he's been solid (2-1/3.68) and is coming off a strong effort against the Giants. Moose has met Seattle five times (three starts), all in 2017, with a slash of 1-1/7.50. Kikuchi is 3-9/6.80 is his last 19 outings, and has given up 36 homers this year. He's had three quality starts to his credit since July; MLB hasn't been as kind to him as the Japanese League was. The big league newbie is facing the Bucs for the first time.

Notes:

• Seattle has won 6-of-8; the Pirates have lost five in a row.
• Jake Stallings isn't starting yet, but should be available off the bench.
• Bruce Bochy became the 11th manager to win 2,000 games last night. The other 10 are in the HoF.

Pirates Drop Fifth In A Row 4-1

Dario got off to a good start with a clean first. B-Rey walked for all the Bucco action. A dribbler infield single and walk turned into a pair of Mariner runs after Dylan Moore's two-out double in the second. Fraze walked, then Eli hit into a DP, taking the wind out of Erik Gonzalez's rap. The M's went quietly and Tommy Milone took over, as planned. K-Man singled, but the inning ended on Redbeard's DP. Kyle Lewis and Tom Murphy hit back-to-back one-out bombs in the fourth because, why not? Dee Gordon singled, but was doubled up basically on a strike 'em out, throw 'em DP when Moore not only K'ed but interfered with an Eli throw. The Pirates were 1-2-3'ed. Seattle wasted a double in the fifth; the Bucs continued to be inoffensive. Chris Stratton was called on in the sixth and spun a clean frame; Pittsburgh got a two-out double from Redbeard, who was stranded.

Redbeard had a couple of knocks tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Geoff Hartlieb and Milone traded quiet frames in the seventh. Yacksel Rios worked the eighth, and a walk, a whiff and a DP carried him through it. Anthony Bass took over for the M's. Tuck tripled with one away, and with the infield back, Newman's bouncer scored him, even though it was hit to third. Yefrey Ramirez was waved in for the ninth. He loaded the bases with an out via a single and two walks. A whiff froze them, then lefty Williams Jerez came in to face LH pinch hitter Daniel Vogelbach, who lined out on a 3-2 backdoor slider. Matt Magill got the call, and gave up a Texas league knock to Moran and a rap to Joey O. Fraze took one to the fence, but it fell just short and was gloved for the first out. Eli roped one to center next, but it too was corralled. And why not a liner to left by Kramer to put it to rest?

Well, the bullpen didn't implode for a welcome change, but the offense without J-Bell and Starling is gonna have to grind it a little harder; one inning of good contact won't win too many games, especially with your impact guys out for at least the rest of the week.

Notes

• Colin Moran had two of the Bucs six hits; no one else reached safely more than once.
• Vera and Lorna Clemente presented the 2019 Pirates Clemente Award winner, Trevor Williams, with his trophy and a framed Roberto jersey before the game.
• The paid attendance was 9,875, many disguised tonight as empty seats.
• MLB.com's Jim Callis has released his final Top 100 Prospects List for the season. RHP Mitch Keller (#24), 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (#37) and SS Oneil Cruz (#58) made the cut.

Dario v Justin Dunn, Lineup & Notes

Game: The game begins at 7:05 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds CF, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna 1B, Adam Frazier 2B, Elias Diaz C, Eric Gonzalez LF, Kevin Kramer RF, Dario Agrazal P. The Marte-Bell-Stallings trio are still out; Gonzalez goes to left tonight.

Dario dealin' tonight - photo Associated Press

Pitchers: RHP Dario Agrazal (4-4/4.91) takes on RHP Justin Dunn (0-0/27.00). Dario grinds out four or five innings, but it's been rough - he owns a 7.08 ERA in his last eight starts. He has been limiting home runs lately, though, after a barrage of bombs in a brutal three-game stretch from the end of July through the start of August. Dunn is sort of the Mariners' opener tonight. He lasted 2/3 of an inning in his MLB debut (he walked five) and the M's hope to get two or three innings out of him before turning it over to lefty Tommy Milone.

Notes:

• Seattle is on a bit of a roll; they've won 5-of-7.
• The local Baseball Writers picked their award winners: Roberto Clemente Award (Pirates team MVP): Josh Bell; Chuck Tanner Award (most media/fan friendly): Steven Brault; Steve Blass Award (top pitcher): vacant (it would have gone to Vazquez).
• Today is Roberto Clemente Day around MLB. The Pirates had kids from Arsenal School visit the Clemente Museum to talk with some current Buccos about the Great One. They also made stops in Plum and Hazelwood.
• The Pirates named James Marvel (16-5/2.49) as the Minor League Pitcher of the Year and Mason Martin (.254 BA, 35 HR, 129 RBI) as the Player of the Year.

Mariners Sink Pirates 6-0

Mitch Keller got off to a fine start with a whiff, a walk and a DP. Marco Gonzales gave up a one-out double to Fraze that led to naught. The M's got a single-double-sac fly to plate the first run in the second; Keller survived a wild pitch to keep it at one. Erik Gonzalez singled with two away but was quickly caught stealing. The first two Mariners fanned in the third, followed by a knock and walk but no further two-out lightning. K-Man singled for the Bucs with two down and he was tossed out stealing, too. Seattle left a single aboard in the fourth; the Pirates didn't get a ball out of the infield. A leadoff double/single duo plated a second run for Seattle in the fifth. The Buccos got a two-out rap from Eric Gonzalez, who has been today's hitting star. Michael Feliz came in for the sixth and promptly gave up back-to-back dingers to Omar Narvaez and Aaron Nola to make it 4-0. Pittsburgh again couldn't get the ball out of the infield with two K and a pop.

Mitch was solid tonight - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Williams Jerez worked the seventh and gave up a first-pitch homer to Shed Long. The Mariner's made it a half dozen runs with a walk, bouncer, and two-out single. Melky and Joey O opened with raps, but it didn't help. Clay Holmes was waved on for the eighth and gave up a walk, doh, but a DP took him out of the inning 1-2-3. Sam Tuivailala gave up an opening single to Kevin Kramer and a walk to Fraze but again, no cigar. Wei-Chung Wang spun the ninth with a walk and whiff added to his ledger. Reggie McClain yielded a leadoff rap to Joey O and nothing else.

Well, didn't expect much life from the Buccos after today's news (and the lineup card). At least Mitch pitched better, even if the bullpen did give up three more homers. We'll see if the hangover lasts into tomorrow night.

Notes:

• Joey O and Erik Gonzalez each had two knocks; the Bucs banged out eight hits, but seven were singles. They drew one walk and were 0-for-2 trying to steal.
• This was the second time this year that Marco Gonzales left the game with nothing but goose eggs on the board; the first time was April 25th.
• 10,933 was the announced attendance at PNC Park tonight. It didn't look like enough folk actually made the ballyard to fill a high school gym.