Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 5 DODGERS 3

WHY THE PIRATES WON: FROM A DODGER PERSPECTIVE IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS. THE DODGERS HIT A LOT OF HARD BALLS RIGHT AT THE PIRATES AND COULD NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PIRATES GIFTS. DILLON PETERS AND MAX KRANICK PITCHED A SUPERB 6 INNINGS ALTHOUGH BOTH BENEFITTED FROM THOSE AT’EM BALLS. THE PIRATES WENT YARD 3 TIMES AND SCORED AN INSURANCE RUN WITH SOME DARING BASE RUNNING.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: BY FAR, IT WAS THE TOP OF THE SEVENTH. THE PIRATES DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO GIVE THE GAME TO THE DODGERS IN THAT INNING. THEY WALKED 4 BATTERS, COMMITTED AN ERROR, AND THREW A WILD PITCH WITH THE BASES LOADED, THAT HIT OFF THE BACK WALL AND CAME RIGHT BACK TO THE CATHCER. THE DODGERS COULD NOT SCORE TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT PLAY. THEN WILL SMITH SMASHED A HARD LINE DRIVE THAT CASTILLO WENT UP THE LADDER TO GET. MAX MUNCY LOOKED LIKE A PIRATE AND TOOK A CALLED THIRD STRIKE TO END THE INNING.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, REDS AT PITTSBURGH. THE MAN I WANTED RESTED THE TURTLE HIT THE GO-AHEAD HOME RUN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH, TO TAKE A 4-3 LEAD. ONE THING ABOUT THE TURTLE HE IS HUSTLING ALL THE TIME. EVEN ON HOME RUNS HE IS RUNNING FULL THROTTLE. YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM CREDIT, WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. THE NEXT 4 GAMES ARE AGAINST THE REDS LET’S HOPE THE PIRATES CAN GET SOME PAY BACK HERE AND APPROACH .500 BALL. VAN METER HAD HIS BEST GAME OF THE YEAR YESTERDAY, HE SHOULD NEED AT LEAST A 2 GAME REST. ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS.