Final Score: Pirates 8 Orioles 2
Why The Pirates Won: This is an easy one today. The Pirate offense took advantage of Chris Bassitt’s lack of command. They scored 2 runs in the 1st and 4 in the 2nd to take a 6-0 lead and never looked back. Ryan O’Hearn was the big gun, hitting a 2-run, 2-out home run on a 3-0 pitch. In the 2nd inning, he smashed a 2-out double to make the score 6-0. O’Hearn knocked in 4 of the first 6 runs. Oneil Cruz added an RBI in the second inning. He hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 6th to account for the final two runs. Braxton Ashcraft pitched a solid 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out 8 while throwing 87 pitches. Mason Montgomery got touched up a little bit, going 1 inning, giving up 3 hits and a run. It could have worse. He got a 2-out strikeout with runners on 1st and 2nd. Jose Urquidy came in and pitched 2 innings, giving up just a hit. Even though this was low leverage, it was nice to see Urquidy have a good outing. The Pirate pitchers did not walk a man while recording 14 strikeouts. The Pirates wound up with an easy win to sweep the series.
Key Moments Of The Game: Chris Bassitt was just a little bit off. It looked like he might get out of the 1st unscathed when Brandon Lowe lined into a double play after Cruz had been hit by a pitch. However, he walked Bryan Reynolds on 4 pitches and threw 3 pitches outside the strike zone to Ryan O’Hearn. He threw a fastball that was just below the letters and out over the plate. O’Hearn did not miss it. He hit it 402 feet into right center field to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. It just seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day. The Pirates started the 2nd inning fast with a walk and 3 straight singles to make it 3-0. Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to drive in run number 4. O’Hearn got his second consecutive 2-out hit, a double to left center field to clear the bases and make the score 6-0. The Pirates were never threatened after that.
Next Game: Tonight, Padres in Pittsburgh 6:40 PM. The Padres are coming from Boston where they took 2 out of 3 from the Red Sox. This should be a good test for the Pirates. Bubba Chandler will make his second start for the Pirates. Let’s hope he can find the strike zone better in this outing. Jared Triolo went on the IL yesterday with Billy Donovan being brought back up. Oneil Cruz continues to lead off for the Pirates but seems to be handling it better than last year. It still does not make sense, but as long as the Pirates keep winning, I am sure they are not going to change. The Pirates are on a 5-game winning streak and will hope to keep the momentum going. The pitching has had its ups and downs a little more than expected, but it still looks like the backbone of this team. We will see how the Pirates do against a very good and experienced Padre team.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 