Final Score: Pirates 5 Astros 1
Why The Pirates Won: Jared Jones and Carmen Mlodzinski combined to limit the Astros to 1 run on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7. It wasn’t easy. The Astros put a man on base in every inning but the 8th. They were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 8 men on base. Their only run scored on a home run by Isaac Paredes off Mlodzinski to start the 6th inning. The Pirates’ offense had a big 4-run 6th inning highlighted by a 2-run home run by Ryan O’Hearn, who drove in a run in the first inning. This wasn’t the reason they won, but doesn’t Oneil Cruz look more comfortable at the plate now that he is no longer leading off? In his last 7 games, his slash line is .364/.548/.773, with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs. You have to wonder who was the guy that thought he should be a leadoff hitter and why he still has a job. The Pirates won a series that should have been a sweep as they now head into the eye of the storm.
Key Moments Of The Game: After having his shaky opening start, Jared Jones got off to an unlucky rocky start in this game. Jeremy Peña got a swinging bunt single where Jones almost made a spectacular play. It looked like he may have hurt himself somehow. Then he walked Yordan Alvarez on four pitches. He threw two more balls to Christian Walker but came back to not only strike him out but the next two batters as well. He worked out of various situations in the next four innings without giving up a run. He overcame a weird balk where he wound up instead of pitching from the stretch with a runner on first. He gave up two-out doubles in the fourth and the fifth, but the Astros could not score. Mlodzinski, not wanting to be outdone, worked out of a real jam in the seventh. He gave up two singles to put runners on first and second with one out. This brought up the dangerous Yordan Alvarez to the plate. Up to this point in the series, he was seven for eleven with a home run and five RBIs with two walks. Mlodzinski fell behind 2-0. He threw a rising fastball letter-high right down the middle that Alvarez could only lift to a fly ball out to left field. A big sigh of relief was seen by the entire Pirates team. Christian Walker hit a ground ball to the left of second base that Brandon Lowe made a nice play to end the inning. Mlodzinski got the first three up, three down inning in the eighth. A double play ball ended the game to give the Pirates the series win.
Next Game: Tonight, Braves, in Atlanta. The Pirates begin their stretch of six games against the two best teams in the National League: three games in Atlanta and three games at home against the Dodgers. Can the Pirates win three out of six against the big boys? Tonight, they are going up against former Pirate Martin Pérez, who is pitching quite well for the Braves. His splits against right- and left-handed batters are about the same. We will see what kind of lineup the Pirates will send up against him. Let’s hope it’s not the same guy who thought Oneil Cruz should lead off.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 