Category: sports

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Pirates Morning Report: Five Runs More Than Enough This Time

Final Score: Pirates 5 Nationals 1

Why The Pirates Won: Bubba Chandler had an excellent bounce-back outing. He went 6 innings, giving up 1 run and 2 hits. He struck out 7 and walked none. He threw 81 pitches to get the job done. The bullpen of Carmen Mlodzinski and Dennis Santana was just as dominant, giving up 1 hit and a walk. Together, they threw 43 pitches. It was an efficient day for the Pirates’ staff. All 3 hits were singles. The Nationals only had 4 at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Pirate offense finally woke up after 7 innings. The AAA boys had a decent game. They went 3 for 11. Jared Triolo hit a home run in the top of the 9th to put a little icing on the cake.

The Key Moments Of The Game: For 7 innings, even this pitching performance looked like it might not be enough. The pathetic Pirate offense only had 3 hits and was being shut out up to this point. The Nationals decided to help the Pirates out in the top of the 8th. They walked two of the first three batters in the inning. Bryan Reynolds hit a sharp ground ball up the middle that deflected off the pitcher toward the 3rd base line. This loaded the bases with one out. Nick Gonzales popped out. It looked like the Pirates were going to blow another opportunity. Andrew McCutchen hit a perfectly placed 89 MPH line drive to right field for a single. This gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead. The Nationals walked Oneil Cruz on 4 pitches, no less, to reload the bases. Jackson Rutledge was brought in to face Nick Yorke. Yorke took a 1-2 high outside sinker and drove it to right field for a base hit. What a novel idea. Two Pirate batters in a row went with the pitch and took it to right field. It resulted in 4 runs. I hope the I pads were working. With the way the Pirates were pitching, that was more than enough to snap the 7-game losing streak.

Next Game: This morning, Nationals in Washington D.C. That’s right, game time is 11:35 AM. Mike Burrows is going for the Pirates today. Can these Pirates win a series on the road? Will Cam Devanney ever put a ball in play again? Will he get the opportunity to do it? Will Oneil Cruz’s batting average finally dip below .200? What will the Sunday lineup look like? Will Burrows be allowed to throw more than 60 pitches? Will Colin Holderman pitch an inning where he does not give up a hit or a walk? There are so many reasons to watch these Pirates. The suspense is killing me.

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Pirates Morning Report: Breaking The Two Run Barrier Not Enough.

Final Score: Pirates 5 Nationals 6

Why The Pirates Lost: Mitch Keller pitched a dominant 5 innings. He had only given up a single and a walk. In the top of the 6th, he gave up a 105 MPH, 402 ft home run to start the inning. He struck out the next batter. He then gave up a 104 MPH single. The next batter crushed a 115 MPH double over Oneil Cruz’s head. This put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Greg Brown must think the only criteria for taking a pitcher out of the game is his pitch count. He was in a state of shock that Keller was taken out after only 62 pitches. Let’s face it, all of a sudden he was getting rocked. Unfortunately, Don Kelly had to go to the Pirate bullpen instead of the Padres bullpen. In comes Evan (I Wish They Would At Least Find Another Left-Hand Reliever) Zisk. He got Josh Bell to hit a ball back to the mound. They were able to get the runner on third in a rundown for the second out. The runner on 2nd did not advance. The blunder was a big break for the Pirates. Zisk took care of that by walking the next batter on 4 pitches to load the bases. Zisk ensured another run for the Nationals. He threw a wild pitch. Frankly, Henry Davis should have caught it. Kyle Nicolas came in to pitch the bottom of the 7th. He was pummeled for a home run, a single, and a double. Dauri Moreta replaced him and quickly gave up a single to Josh Bell. Before you could say this bullpen really stinks, it was 6-3 Nationals. The top of the 9th was the worst yet.

Key Moments Of The Game: Nick Gonzales opened the 9th with a book-rule double to left. Nick York, pinch-hitting for Cruz, singled to right to make the score 6-4. Cam Devanney struck out. Alexander Canario drew an 8-pitch walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd. The runners were wild-pitched to 2nd and 3rd. Joey Bart pinch-hit for Henry Davis. He singled to left. The Pirates were going to tie the game. That is, they were, until Canario made the worst slide into home in the history of baseball. He unnecessarily slid well right of home plate, and he was easily tagged out. Another AAA member, Jared Triolo, popped out to right field to end the game. What a way to go down to your 7th loss in a row. The Pirates certainly are creative.

The Next Game: This afternoon, the Nationals in Washington, D.C. Bubba Chandler will hope for a bounce-back start today. The Pirate offense finally scored more than 2 runs. Maybe this will get them going. Last night’s loss was incompetence at its best. From bullpen failures to baserunning blunders, it was amazing they only lost by one run. This game could have been such a game of redemption. Instead, it was a game of embarrassment. The Pirates just seem incapable of playing fundamental baseball. They have lost 7 in a row. These are not shocking times. A new regime is needed. We all must pray it happens.

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Pirates Morning Report: In The End It Was Quick and Painless

Final Score: Pirates 1 Orioles 2 in 10 innings

Why The Pirates Lost: The Pirates were able to get 27 outs. Unfortunately, they needed 30. For the 2nd consecutive night, they lost in extra innings. They have not scored in 3 extra innings even though they had a runner on second with no outs. This was their 5th straight loss. They have not scored over 2 runs in any of those games. Last night’s game was the worst. They scored 1 run on 2 hits. They walked 3 times. They struck out 10 times. They were more aggressive, swinging at 27 balls outside the zone. They took just 16 strikes. It did them no good. They were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. They left 5 men on base. The AAA boys went 0 for 7 with 4 strikeouts. In his last 4 games, Jared Triolo is 2 for 18 with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. With the exception of Henry Davis, some of this is small sample size. The last 4 batters in the Pirate lineup have batting averages of .176, .115, .067, and .161. Wow! Paul Skenes only pitched 5 innings, throwing just 64 pitches. I can’t get too upset. Why take any chances with him at this point in the season. As usual, he pitched great, giving up no runs on 2 hits while striking out 8. As in the previous game, the extra innings showed why this team is so bad.

Key Moments Of The Game: For the third straight extra inning, the Pirates failed to score. Every time, their leadoff man couldn’t move the runner to 3rd base. Oneil Cruz took 3rd on a wild pitch with one out. Cam Devanney hung in there, having a 9-pitch at-bat. In the end, he took a called third strike. It was well within the strike zone. My suggestion to Devanney would be to spit the gum out. He can’t seem to hit and chew gum at the same time. Ji Hwan Bae had a horrible at-bat to end the inning. He swung at a ball around his eyes on the first pitch. On the 6th pitch, he took one off his shoe tops and hit it weakly back to the pitcher. Talk about expanding the strike zone, from the eyes to the top of the ankles. In the bottom of the 10th, the Orioles quickly put the Pirates and their fans out of their misery. It would have been quicker, but Kyle Nicolas could not get the ball over the plate. Out of 19 pitches, only 7 were strikes. Two of those were chases. He only threw 5 pitches that were in the strike zone. When they got a chance, the Orioles did not mess around. A 4-pitch walk started things off. There was a bunt single after that. Finally, a single down the right field line gave the Orioles their 2nd walk-off extra inning win. Mercifully, there was not an 11th inning.

Next Game: This afternoon, Orioles in Baltimore. The Pirates are finding out it’s tough playing a team that has nothing to play for. At least the game is in the afternoon, so the evening should be enjoyable. During this 5-game losing streak, the Pirates have scored 8 runs. It has been a struggle, especially for the recent call-ups. Johan Oviedo takes the mound for the Pirates. Last night, there was talk about him not feeling well. The rumor has it that he was nauseous. He knows that the only way he will get a W will be for him and the bullpen to shut out the Orioles. The Orioles don’t even have that great of a pitching staff. They are 25th in run prevention. They are ranked the 23rd-best pitching staff in baseball. The Pirates are really awful. I feel 6 in a row is a given.

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Pirates Morning Report: Offense Slumbers Through Another One.

Final Score: Pirates 2 Orioles 3 in 11 innings

Why The Pirates Lost: Both offenses were pretty inept. The Pirates were more inept. For the 4th straight game, the Pirates failed to score more than 2 runs. They have lost all 4 games. They were passive, taking 28 pitches for strikes. Despite getting 5 walks to go along with 5 hits, they only scored 2 runs; pathetic. They struck out 10 times. They were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. They left 9 men on base. Putrid. The AAA boys were 0 for 7 with 3 strikeouts and a walk. The Orioles weren’t much better, getting 6 hits and 6 walks. They were 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. The Orioles struck out 12 times. They took 20 pitches for strikes. They were more aggressive than the Pirates. They chased 21 times compared to the Pirates’ 14 times. All is forgiven when you win, and the Orioles squeaked by. This all wasted a nice combined 7-inning outing by Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft. Burrows went 4, and Ashcraft 3. Burrows gave up 1 run on 2 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6. Ashcraft gave up 1 run on 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4. The bullpen had a good game. However, when you play on the Triple P Offense, you had better be great.

Key Moments Of The Game: In extra innings, the Pirate “brain” trust fell asleep at the wheel. The Pirates failed to score in the 10th and 11th. No situational hitting for these boys. If the visiting team does not score during the extra-inning format, they should walk the opening batter in the bottom of the inning. The Pirates failed to do this each time. They even saw the potential benefit of this in the top of the 10th. Jared Triolo was unintentionally walked to start the inning. Spencer Horwitz grounded into a double play. Without the runner on 1st, it simply would have advanced the runner to third with 1 out. The Pirates wound up intentionally loading the bases in each extra inning. Baltimore finally scored in the bottom of the 11th, putting anyone watching this game out of their misery.

Next Game: Tonight, Orioles in Baltimore. Paul Skenes is going for the Pirates tonight. Both teams showed why they are out of playoff contention. I am sure Paul Skenes knows he can only give up 1 run if he expects a W tonight. With this recent stretch, the Pirates solidified their 30th place in runs scored. They are 21 and 29 runs behind the 29th and 28th teams, respectively. This offense is not just bad. It is especially bad. This is 3 years of failure by the Pirates to try and improve the offense. Will anybody be held accountable? I am afraid that will be very unlikely. It is not the Pirates’ way: accountability. Oh well, at least Skenes is pitching tonight.

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Pirates Morning Report: Sometimes It’s Just Not Your Day

Final Score: Pirates 2 Brewers 10

Why The Pirates Lost: Bubba Chandler’s long-awaited first start was pretty much a bust. In 2 and 2/3 innings, he gave up 9 runs on 9 hits. He walked 3 and struck out 3. He gave up some hard-hit balls, but even weak contact seemed to find holes. The Brewers put on a hitting clinic. Most of their hits were to the opposite field. There were 6 balls that were hit between 70 and 85 MPH. Four of those were for base hits. Not only was Chandler not sharp, but his luck was bad also. The Pirate offense put on a clinic too. A clinic on what not to do. They took a whopping 30 pitches for strikes. They swung at 20 pitches outside the zone. This all helped them strike out 12 times. This time the bottom 6 in the order went 2 for 21. The AAA boys went 0 for 6 with 2 walks. Nobody had a worse game than Oneil Cruz. He struck out in all four at-bats. He made contact with the ball just twice out of 16 pitches. Talk about making life easy for opposing pitchers. This series showed how far the Pirates have to go to become a quality club. Are you familiar with the moon? One final note. The Pirates sent down Ryan Kreidler to the minors. He was put on the roster August 31 and saw no action. I thought he might start yesterday. Instead, the Pirates said goodbye. What purpose did that serve? They brought up Ji Hwan Bae. We know what he can do. Nothing good. Oh well, the triple AAA boys got a new member.

Key Moment Of The Game: The Brewers jumped all over Chandler right in the 1st inning. The first 5 batters got 4 hits and a walk to quickly go out in front 3-0. A double play netted a 4th run. In the bottom of the 1st, Jacob Misiorowski walked the first two batters of the game. The Pirates could have gotten right back in the game. Reynolds grounded into a force play, putting runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. Nick Gonzales ended the inning by grounding into a double play. The Brewers scored 5 more runs in the next 2 innings, chasing Chandler in the 3rd. The Brewers clinched the series sweep before the 3rd inning was over.

Next Game: Tomorrow night Orioles in Baltimore. The Pirates go on a 6 game road trip. They play 3 against the Orioles and 3 against the Nationals. The Pirates had a nice run going until the Brewers came to town. Now the Pirates are going up against two teams that are in the same boat they are. Neither team has any chance of making the playoffs. The Nationals are 4 games behind the Pirates. The Orioles are 3 games ahead of the Pirates. Two teams, like the Pirates, that are playing essentially meaningless games. It will be interesting to see if the Pirates can hold their own against teams that are not under pressure. A 3-3 road trip would be a surprise.

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Pirates Morning Report: No Knowledge Of The Strike Zone

Final Score: Pirates 1 Brewers 4

Why The Pirates Lost: The offense has gone missing in action again. Maybe they all need to be fitted for glasses. They struck out 10 times. Six times they were called out on strikes. Three times they swung at pitches out of the zone. Only once did they strike out swinging on a pitch in the strike zone. Overall, they took 18 called strikes and swung at 20 pitches out of the zone. Nick Yorke swung at all 7 pitches he saw in one at-bat; only 4 were in the strike zone. Alexander Canario, with runners on first and second and one out, took the first two pitches for strikes. Neither one was a borderline pitch. This all helped Brandon Woodruff come out of his funk. He only gave up 2 hits while striking out 8 in 6 innings. The Pirates were 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. The last 6 batters in the order went 1 for 20. This ensured that Mitch Keller would go down to his 14th defeat. He pitched well, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, walking none in 6 and 1/3 innings of work. Despite some improvement in August, the Pirates remain the worst scoring team in baseball. They are 14 runs behind the 2nd worst Rockies, who have played one game less.

Key Moments Of The Game: It was not a good day for Don Kelley. Kyle Nicolas was cruising along, retiring the 3 batters he had faced. Kelley replaced Nicolas with lefty Evan Sisk to face lefty Sal Frelick. The one problem is that Frelick hits lefties and righties the same. Not as much power, but the average and on-base percentage are the same. On deck was Jackson Chourio, who hits lefties 100 points higher than righties. The result: single, home run, 4-0 Brewers. It is a shame no one told Kelley about this. In the bottom of the 8th, the Pirates had a little threat going. Runners were on 1st and 2nd with one out. Kelley pinch-hit for Spencer Horwitz with a left-hander on the mound for the Brewers. The only problem was he pinch-hit for him with AAA Canario. They both hit lefties the same, which is lousy. This would have been the time to bring McCutchen in, who has a .281/.366/.421 slash line against lefties. Canario took 2 called strikes to start the at-bat. He hit into a double play to end the inning. If he had never swung, the Pirates may have been better off. I guess no one informed Kelley of these stats. McCutchen was on deck when the game was over. Quite a contribution.

Next Game: This afternoon, Brewers in Pittsburgh. Bubba Chandler will make his first major league start today. I feel sorry for him. The Triple P offense seems to be back. In the last 2 games, the offense has scored 3 runs on 11 hits. Inefficiency at its best. You have to wonder if the Pirates are finally going to let Ryan Kreidler and his .105 batting average make an appearance. I have heard that he just stays in the locker room and is not allowed to sit in the dugout. He was recalled on August 31. This is September 7th. Let’s hope inactivity can create a miracle. It is more likely that the Brewers will get the sweep. I doubt the Pirates will score a run.

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Pirates Morning Report: Yes, It Was A Fluke

Final Score: Pirates 2 Brewers 5

Why The Pirates Lost: The Pirates decided to hold auditions rather than try to win a ball game. In the long run, it was not a bad decision. They went with the B squad two nights in a row. Yohan Ramirez and Colin Holderman came in to pitch the 8th and 9th. They were only trailing 3-2. Maybe they wanted to see if how they pitched the game before was a fluke. It was. Although, to be fair to Holderman, the Pirates went circus act in the field. AAA boy Jared Triolo hurt his chances for a promotion. He went 0 for 4 and had 2 errors in the field. All of this may have been more significant if the Pirate offense had been more of a factor. They ended the game by going 17 up and 17 down. The Brewers had an amazing 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They were only able to get 3 hits and left a whopping 12 men on base. I think it was that constant pressure that made the Pirates finally wilt. The Brewers had 10 hits, 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, and reached base 3 times on errors. It was audition night in Pittsburgh last night. It probably cost them the game, but I was fine with it. After all, I hadn’t bought a ticket.

Key Moments Of Game: The Pirates had Quinn Priester on the ropes in the first 4 innings. However, they did not put him away. He gave up 5 hits and a walk. The Pirates scored 2 runs but should have scored more. In the first, they had 1st and 2nd with one out but failed to score. In the 2nd, they scored a run and had a runner on 2nd base with no outs. They did not add on. In the 3rd, Tommy Pham doubled home the 2nd run with one out. He was stranded. The 4th inning started with an Oneil Cruz single. Joey Bart was hit by a pitch. Nick Yorke grounded into a double play. This started a streak of 17 up and 17 down. The B squad got back to normal, and the Pirates lost.

Next Game: Tonight, Brewers in Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller goes for the Pirates tonight. He is going up against Brandon Woodruff. Coming off shoulder surgery, he got off to a great start. His last three outings have been bad. He has pitched 14 and 1/3 innings, giving up 16 runs on 20 hits. Three of the runs have been unearned. Maybe the Pirates can take advantage. There are 20 games left in the season. As bad as this season has been, if the Pirates go 12-8, they will have the same record as last year and the year before. What a wacky season.

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Pirates Morning Report: The B Squad Barely Hangs On

Final Score: Pirates 5 Dodgers 3

Why The Pirates Won: Paul Skenes shut the Dodgers down in grand style. He gave up 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 6 innings. He had only a few balls hit hard off of him. Dalton Rushing just missed hitting a home run. He raised his record to 10-9 while lowering his ERA to 1.98. Cy Young award here we come. The B squad had to get through the last 3 innings. Yohan Ramirez had one of his better outings. He went 1 and 2/3 innings, giving up 1 hit and striking out 2. Evan Zisk managed to get Ohtani to end the 8th. The ninth was shaky. Dauri (Counterfeit Money) Moreta started the inning. Mookie Betts greeted him with a home run. He struck out Freddie Freeman. He gave up 3 straight singles to make the score 5-2. Don Kelly brought in Colin (I Can’t Believe He Is Putting Me In) Holderman. On the 2nd pitch, he got Hyeseong Kim to hit a soft liner to Tommy Pham. Miguel Rojas singled to left to make the score 5-3. The Dodgers had removed catcher Dalton Rushing from the lineup for light-hitting Ben Rortvedt. Even Holderman made him look silly. He took 2 called strikes. He swung at a ball in the dirt to end the game. Right after the game, Ben Cherrington called the Dodgers about a trade. Rortvedt for Henry Davis. The B squad had barely survived. The Pirates had their sweep. The 3 AAA musketeers had an okay day. They went 3 for 11 with an RBI.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates made the most of their opportunities. They were 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The Pirates made it 1-0 in the 3rd with a single, 2 wild pitches, and a single. It was still 1-0 going into the bottom of the 5th. The Pirates started the inning with 3 straight singles to make the score 2-0. Nick Gonzales, making an aggressive move, went to 3rd on a single to left. Bryan Reynolds alertly went to 2nd on the throw. Tommy Pham struck out. Then the Dodgers made a tactical error by intentionally walking Andrew McCutchen. The intentional walk is much more controversial than it used to be. The Dodgers paid dearly for this one. Nick Yorke took the first pitch, lining it down the left field line for a double. The score was now 4-0. Canario hit a weak ground ball to 1st to drive in the 5th run. It was enough to get the sweep.

Next Game: Tonight, Brewers in Pittsburgh. Quinn Priester goes for the Brewers—another pitcher the Pirates failed to develop. I am sure he will have extra incentive tonight. Jared Triolo continues to hit; he is getting close to a promotion. If I give it to him, there will be only 2 AAA boys left. No question the Pirates are playing better. The real question is why? I hope it is not because these games are basically meaningless. If this continues, I do not think we will see any changes in the organization. Oh Lord.

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Pirates Morning Report: Dodgers Becoming Pirate Like

Final Score: Pirates 3 Dodgers 0

Why The Pirates Won: The Dodgers became pirate-like by not cashing in on many scoring opportunities. They were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. They left 10 men on base. They had 5 hits and 6 walks but did not push a run across. The Pirate offense was not much better, but at least they did score. Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen hit solo home runs. Joey Bart, who went 3 for 3, drove in the 3rd run with a clutch 2-out double in the 6th. Jared Triolo was the only AAA player to play and went 0 for 4. It took Braxton Ashcraft 71 pitches to get through 3 innings. Somehow, he kept the Dodgers from scoring. Mike Burrows pitched the next 3 innings, giving up only 2 hits and a walk. Evan Sisk gave up a hit and a walk. Mattson and Santana pitched two perfect innings to complete the shutout.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Dodgers went down in order in the 1st, 4th, 8th, and 9th. They had plenty of traffic on the bases in the other 5 innings. By far the most bizarre was the bottom of the 2nd. Freddie Freeman singled to right on a 3-2 pitch. Ashcraft got ahead of the next hitter, Teoscar Hernandez, 1-2. He worked the count to 3-2. He walked. Ashcraft got ahead of the next hitter, Alex Call, 1-2. He walked him on a 3-2 count. The next batter was AndyPages, who brutalizes the Pirates at an 11 for 16 clip. He worked the count to 3-2. He struck out on a slider that was a foot outside. This was a huge break for the Pirates. Alex Freeland worked the count to 3-2. He took a called 3rd strike. Enrique Hernández flew out to right field to end the inning. This inning would just start the frustration for the Dodgers. Third inning, bases loaded, two outs, no runs. Fifth inning, 1st and 3rd with one out, no runs. Sixth inning, runner on 1st, one out, no runs. Seventh inning, 1st and 2nd, 2 outs, no runs. Are you sure these teams did not switch uniforms?

Next Game: Tonight Dodgers in Pittsburgh. Paul Skenes goes for the Pirates tonight. This gives some hope for a sweep of the Dodgers. The B squad in the bullpen will have to come through for that to happen. Skenes could go the 9 innings, but that’s very unlikely. Blake Snell is going for the Dodgers. That means the 3 AAA Musketeers will probably be playing. Even with Skenes, that is a lot of negatives to overcome. It will be a big surprise if the Pirates pull off the sweep.

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Pirates Morning Report: Finally Taking Advantage

Final Score: Pirates 9 Dodgers 7

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates finally took advantage of what a team gave them. The Pirates were out-hit by the Dodgers 12 to 8. The Pirates received 8 walks. Four of those walks scored directly. Two more led to runs being scored. The Pirates were 5 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The AAA boys contributed mightily to the win. They went 3 for 9 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. The Pirate pitching got beat up pretty good, but I would call it a gritty performance overall. Bubba Chandler pitched innings 3 through 6. He gave up 3 runs on 6 hits, including 2 home runs. One was Shohei Ohtani’s 46th of the year. The Pirate team has hit 100 home runs. Chandler never backed down, striking out 3 and not walking a batter. The Pirates absorbed two comebacks by the Dodgers. They came back from 4-0 to tie the game. The Pirates took a 7-4 lead in the 6th. The Dodgers cut it to 7-6 in the top of the 7th. The Pirates took advantage of some more walks and added a run in the 7th and the 8th. The 9th was shaky, but Dennis Santana held on to give the Pirates a 9-7 win.

Key Moment Of The Game: The Pirates had taken the lead 7-4 in the bottom of the 6th. Isaac Mattson came in to start the 7th. Just like everybody else, he got lit up early. A single and a double put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Mookie Betts was the next batter. He grounded out to short, and a run scored, moving Ohtani to third. Freddie Freeman hit a sharp ground ball back to the mound. The Pirates were able to get Ohtani in a rundown with Freeman moving to 2nd. Will Smith was the batter. With the count 1-2, an up-and-in fastball glanced off his bat right into the glove of Henry Davis. The umpire missed it entirely. Apparently, this is not reviewable. He should have been out. With new life, Smith singled up the middle to make the score 7-6. Mattson retired the next batter on a ground out to end the inning. The Pirates added on and held on for a nice 9-7 win over the vaunted Dodgers.

Next Game: Tonight, Dodgers in Pittsburgh. Shohei Ohtani goes for the Dodgers tonight. It was nice to see that the Pirates finally brought up Nick Yorke. He got a hit and did not look bad at first base. The Pirates are surprisingly 5-2 on this brutal stretch of games. They actually looked like a baseball team last night, showing grit and guts. I hate to be Mr. Negative here, but if the Pirates go on a bit of a tear in September, let’s say 16 and 8, it could save BC’s job. I do not think that this is a good thing.