Pirates Morning Report:

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 2 DIAMONDBACKS 1

WHY THE PIRATES WON: FIRST GREAT PITCHING BY STARTER ROANSY CONTRERAS AND THE BULLPEN HELD THE DIAMONDBACKS TO 1 RUN. THE PIRATES WERE PRETTY INEPT IN ALL OTHER PHASES OF THE GAME. THEY HAD FIELDING ERRORS AND BASE RUNNING BLUNDERS TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE NOT GOING TO SCORE. THERE WAS ONE STRETCH OF THE GAME WHERE THEY MADE 18 STRAIGHT OUTS. THEN WITH SOME HELP FROM WALKS AND A DRIPPLER TO BEAT THE SHIFT, THE PIRATES LOADED THE BASES WITH 2 OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 8TH. KE’BRYAN HAYES THEN STRUCK OUT TO END THE INNING. IT LOOKED LIKE THE PIRATES WERE GOING TO LOSE 1-0 AND CONTRERAS WAS GOING TO SUFFER A TOUGH LOSS. THEN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH HAPPENED.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH BRYAN REYNOLDS WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET A GROUND BALL THROUGH THE SHIFT INTO RIGHT FIELD FOR A BASE HIT. JACK SUWINSKI AND CLOSER MARK MELANCON BATTLED TO A 3-2 COUNT WITH MANY FOUL BALLS AFTER THAT. THEN ON A SINKING CURVE BALL, SUWINSKI WAS ABLE TO BARREL IT UP FOR THE WINNING HOME RUN.

NEXT GAME: THIS AFTERNOON, DIAMONDBACKS IN PITTSBURGH. ANOTHER SUNDAY AFTERNOON LINE UP WILL BE INTERESTING. WHAT CAN SHELTON CONCOCT UP, ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS FOR SURE.