Final Score: Pirates 7 Nationals 6 Whew!
Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates knew how to use the foul lines, while putting up an early 7-1 lead after 4 innings. Quinn Priester had just pitched a solid 3 innings retiring all 9 batters he faced. The top of the 5th he gave up a solo home run, no big deal, easily retiring the other 3 batters. But in the top of the 6th an all too familiar pattern raised its ugly head. He could not get anybody out. Walked the first batter. A 100 MPH double was next. Next pitch a 105 MPH home run. Two pitches later a 93 MPH ground ball single to left. In a blink of an eye the score was 7-5, with no outs. Out of the game went Priester with his 9.00 ERA intact. According to the Pirate web site he had made progress. In came Ryan (Who Is Definitely Better Than I Thought He Would Be) Borucki to shakily put out the fire, thanks to a double play ball. Then there was the debut, of Nationals pitcher Jackson Rutledge. He gave up 4 runs in the first inning on 6 hits, but two of the hits were pop flies down the left field line that were fair by no more than 6 to 12 inches. He gave up a 2-run home run to Bryan Reynolds in the bottom of the 4th that hit the right field foul pole. If those 3 balls are just 1 foot left or right, he may have given up only 2 runs instead of 7. To top things off, in the 4th inning, his catcher hit him in the head trying to throw a runner out at 2nd base. The ball went off Rutledge’s head out to shallow right field. It is an understatement to say that this was not his night.
Key Moment Of The Game: David Bednar came into the top of the 9th with the score 7-5. After Alika (You See Why Tampa Bay Let Me Go) Williams dropped a foul pop up, Bednar quickly got into trouble. He walked that batter, who should have out, gave up two singles and the score was 7-6 with runners on 1st and 2nd and nobody out. A chopping ground ball that the Pirates could only get the runner going to second put runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Then the battles began. Pinch hitter IIdemaro Vargas worked a 7-pitch walk to load the bases. This brought up C. J. Abrams. Bednar blew a 97.5 MPH fastball right by him over the heart of the plate on a 3-2 count. Mercifully, Lane Thomas swung at the first pitch, flying out to center field, and the Pirates had a very fortunate 7-6 win.
Next Game: This afternoon, Nationals in Pittsburgh. The Pirates need to do better than this but the worst thing that will happen is they will get a series split. Mitch Keller will start today. Do you think he will be alright pitching in less than a week? Frankly, I think his arm is literally going to fall off in the bottom of the 4th. I think the guy that needs the rest is Bednar. Bednar should not pitch for a least 2 games in a row, no matter what the circumstances, for the rest of the season. Of course, we all know that the Shadow knows best.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 