Final Score: Pirates 3 Angels 0
Why The Pirates Won: Andrew Heaney continues to shine this year. Another great start going 6 innings, allowing no runs on just one hit. He struck out 9 and did not walk a batter. The bullpen took the game the rest of the way, allowing only one additional hit. Over the last 14 innings, the Pirates pitching staff has shut out the Angels on just 2 hits. While the offense was not quite as potent as the game before, it scored 3 runs on 11 hits. They were only 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position. They left 8 men on base. They kept their strikeouts in single digits again with 8. Oneil Cruz hit a long 463 ft. home run for one of the runs. Bryan Reynolds drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the 3rd. Of all people, Tommy Pham added an insurance run in the top of the 9th. He did it with a broken bat blooper up the middle. The Pirates are off to a surprising start on this road trip. If they can get the sweep, which is unlikely considering who is pitching, they will have a guaranteed .500 road trip.
Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates did indeed start the same lineup two nights in a row. This lineup played another solid game. Even though the Angels only had 2 hits, both were one-out doubles. After the double in the 5th, IKF dropped a soft liner for an error. This put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Luis Rengifo hit the ball hard but right at Oneil Cruz for the 2nd out. Heaney struck out the next batter to end the threat. In the top of the 9th, the Pirates had a 3-0 lead. Dennis Santana gave up a one-out double. IKF this time made a nice play on a ground ball by Zach Neto for the 2nd out. Santana got Mike Trout to hit a big pop out to short left field to end the game. A nice start to the west coast trip.
Next Game: Tonight, Angels in Anaheim. Carmen Mlodzinski goes tonight for the Pirates. Why, I do not know. The Pirates will be facing Tyler Anderson. Since he left the Pirates, he has been one of the better left-handers in baseball. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2024. Other than Paul Skenes, he has had a higher ERA+ than any Pirate starter. If the Pirates win this game, it may give them momentum. This is true even though they play the next 3 games against the Dodgers. The lineup will probably have Henry Davis behind the plate (bad). Jared Triolo at first base (good). The rest of the lineup should be the same. The Pirates may decide that Tommy Pham needs a rest. After all he is older than McCutchen who the Pirates treat like he’s 50 years old. Even though a left-hander is pitching, Cruz should start in center field. Our biggest hope is that this Angels batting slump continues. I just have this bad feeling that tonight’s starting lineup will be a doozy. Could they start Jack Suwinski against a left handed pitcher? No way. Don’t bet against it.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 