Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 3 REDS 1

WHY THE PIRATES WON: PITCHING, PITCHING AND MORE PITCHING. ZACH THOMPSON PITCHED THE MOST DOMINATE 6 INNINGS OF THE YEAR, GIVING UP 1 HIT, ONLY FACING 21 BATTERS. THE REDS ONLY HAD A FEW BALLS THAT WERE HIT HARD. IT WAS AN EASY DAY FOR THE DEFENSE. WHY HE ONLY WENT 6 INNINGS, HAVING ONLY THROWN 76 PITCHES, I HAVE NO IDEA. REMEMBER ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS. WILL CROWE HAD TO SURVIVE A SHAKY 7TH INNING, CHRIS STRATTON WAS CHRIS STRATTON, BUT THANKFULLY DAVID BEDNAR CAME THROUGH AGAIN AND SHUT THINGS DOWN TO GET THE FINAL 4 OUTS WITH LITTLE PROBLEM. THE BATS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE EVEN WITH VAN METER LEADING OFF, AND WE ALLOWED AN INFIELDER TO PLAY RIGHT FIELD. I TOLD YOU THE WEIRD LINE UP WAS ABOUT TO COME UP. THE TURTLE HIT A HOME RUN AND THE REDS HELPED BIG TIME BY BALKING IN A RUN. A MUCH-NEEDED WIN FOR THE PIRATES.

THE KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: WILL CROWE STRUGGLED IN THE 7TH. HE WALKED THE FIRST BATTER HE FACED. A BLOOP SINGLE PUT RUNNERS ON 1ST AND 2ND WITH NOBODY OUT. WITH COLIN (COMATOSE) MORAN RUNNING THE PIRATES BOTCHED A DOUBLE PLAY BALL. THAT LEFT 1ST AND 3RD WITH ONE OUT. IT LOOKED LIKE THE PIRATES WERE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT WHEN THE NEXT BATTER HIT A SHORT POP UP TO RIGHT FIELD. HOWEVER, A SINGLE TO RIGHT AND AN INFIELDER PLAYING RIGHT MAKING A BAD THROW PUT RUNNERS ON 2ND AND 3RD AND THE BALL GAME WAS ON THE LINE. CROWE, UNLIKE KELLER, BORE DOWN AND STRUCK OUT THE BATTER TO END THE THREAT.

NEXT GAME: THIS AFTERNOON, REDS IN PITTSBURGH. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE PIRATES GET THE SPLIT AND REYNOLDS COME OUT OF HIS FUNK FOR REAL. HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE 3 OUTFIELDERS PLAYING TODAY, BUT AGAIN ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS. WE WILL WE EVER SEE A PITCHER GO 7 INNINGS, I DOUBT IT. JUST KEEP WEARING THE BULLPEN OUT, SHELTON. THEY CAN ALWAYS GO TO INDIANAPOLIS, REST AND GET DEVELOPED.