Final Score: Pirates 9 Rockies 5
Why The Pirates Won: Spencer Horwitz had a huge game enabling the Pirates to pull out the 3rd game. He hit 2 home runs and drove in 6 runs. The game had the eerie feeling of game 2. Mitch Keller had pitched a solid 5 innings. He had given up 1 run on 4 hits. He struck out 4 and had not walked anyone. The Pirates had taken an 8-1 lead on Horwitz’s 2nd homer. In the bottom of the 6th Keller walked his first batter of the game. Then BAM, Keller gave up 3 straight home runs to make it 8-5, and you thought here we go again. Carmen Mlodzinski got out of the inning giving up a two out double. The Pirates held on for the 9-5 win to salvage the final game of the series, but it wasn’t pretty.
Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates were able to score one run in the top of the eighth without getting a hit. Two hit by pitches and a bonehead play by their first basemen netted a run. The last three innings the the Pirates made it interesting. Mlodzinski gave up a single and a walk to start the 7th. He quickly got 2 outs on a fly out and ground out. He got a generous 3rd strike call to end the inning. Isaac Mattson struck out the first batter on a timeout violation. He proceeded to boot a ground ball and then walk a batter. He went 3-1 on the next batter but got him to fly out. He got the third out on an easy pop out. Dennis Santana came in the bottom of the 9th to protect a 4 run lead again. He did it this time but not without the help of some great defense by the Pirates. He hit the first batter. The next batter lined it to right. Jack AAA Swuwinski made a nice leaping catch. Jared AAA Triolo made a nice play on a slow chopper to 3rd. The last batter hit a liner but right at Tommy Pham to end the game. It was not a three peat.
Next Game: Tonight, Giants in Pittsburgh. Johan Oviedo is going to make his 2025 debut tonight. Yesterday the AAA boys went 1 for 7 with 3 walks and 2 hit by pitches. They scored 2 runs. Why on earth anyone would walk them I have no idea. Their highest batting average in the group is now .168. I am sure they are going to get plenty of playing time while better players continue to stay in AAA. We will continue to keep everyone posted.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 