Final Score: Pirates 5 Astros 3
Why The Pirates Won: The .200 Club won this game. Yasmani Grandal, Michael (I Refuse To Write The A) Taylor and Jared Triolo all had big hits to help win this game. Taylor in particular had the big game going 2 for 3 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Paul Skenes had another solid outing allowing only 1 earned run on 5 hits, walking 3, striking out 6, while throwing 101 pitches. He was not his sharpest, but if Ke’Bryan Hayes makes the play on a ground ball, it might have been a double play, and he would have given up 0 runs. This game was very similar to the previous win except the Pirates tied it in the 8th and took the lead in the 9th. The bullpen had another shaky bottom of the last inning but held on to pick up the win. No matters what happens on the rest of the trip, it cannot be consider a disaster.
Key Moments Of The Game: Oneil Cruz’s double to tie the game and Michael Taylor’s 3 run homer to give the Pirates a 5-2 lead came when 2 were out. David Bednar came in to get the save in the bottom of the 9th. After quickly getting one out, things began to go awry. Victor Caratini singled up the middle. Bednar walks the next batter. Jose Altuve singles to left to load the bases. Alex Bregman hit a 102 MPH liner that Michael Taylor was able to snag for the 2nd out. Up to the plate stepped the ever-dangerous Yordan Alvarez who was already 2 for 4 with an RBI. The Pirates decided on a gutsy move by giving him nothing to hit walking him to make the score 5-3 putting the winning run on base and the tying run in scoring position. It paid off as Bednar got Yainer Diaz to pop out to Cruz to end the game. Whew!
Next Game: Tonight, Astros in Houston. Barry Falter returns tonight and at least he is not facing a top of the rotation guy. A 3-3 road trip has now become more of a possibility. More so than the Pirates doing anything to really improve this team. We have about 11 hours to find out.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 