Final Score: Pirates 5 Mariners 1
Why The Pirates Won: The Pirate pitching staff ran through the raindrops holding the Mariners to 1 run despite loading the bases 3 times during the game. The Mariners had 6 hits, 6 walks, and 1 hit batter. They were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. Bubba Chandler went 5 and 1/3 innings giving up the only run of the game on 5 hits and 3 walks. The bullpen finished the game by only giving up 1 hit but walked 3, and hit a batter, getting out of 2 bases loaded situations. The offense was sparked by the dynamic duo of Henry Davis and Jared Triolo. Brandon Lowe hit a home run in the 1st to make it 1-0. In the bottom of the 3rd, Triolo singled to right and Davis hit a blast to right center field to extend the lead to 3-0. Davis started off the bottom of the 8th with a line drive double that led to 2 more insurance runs. Just a side note, Jake Mangum finally led off the game. It was a one-game failure as he went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. Maybe he was in a state of shock. With Horwitz on the IL, he may get to do this some more. Hopefully, he can handle it.
Key Moments Of The Game: The Mariners’ frustration started in the top of the 4th inning. They loaded the bases with 2 singles and a walk. There were 2 outs when Tuesday night’s hero, Cole Young, came to the plate. He hit a 98 MPH line drive to left-center field. Jake Mangum made a spectacular sliding catch to keep the Mariners from scoring. In the 5th inning, they scored their only run of the game with two walks and a single, putting runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Chandler struck out Cal Raleigh, and then Julio Rodriguez hit a 103 MPH ground ball right at Nick Gonzales for an inning-ending double play. The Mariners loaded the bases in the 6th with 2 singles and a hit by pitch with 2 outs. Colt Emerson hit a 104 MPH ground ball this time right at the perfectly positioned Triolo, who stepped on 2nd to end the inning. In the top of the 7th, Evan Sisk and Yohan Ramirez walked the bases loaded. Fortunately, they each got one out. Mason Montgomery came in and got a lazy can of corn to left field to end that inning. Montgomery and Gregory Soto shut them down after that, 6 up and 6 down. I will give Don Kelly his just due in this one. He made the right moves in the critical 6th and 7th innings, forcing the Mariners’ hand a couple of times.
Next Game: Tonight, Reds in Pittsburgh. Paul Skenes takes the mound for the Pirates tonight. It is hard to believe that the Pirates have lost the last 7 games that Paul Skenes has started. Let’s hope that ends tonight. The Reds are hurting. They are 5 games under .500. Elly De La Cruz is on the IL. One of their main starters, T.J. Friedl, is putting up Henry Davis-like numbers. He has a lifetime slash line of .251/.336/.400. This year it is .179/.259/.256. This is the kind of drop-off I thought only Pirates had. There is no better time for the Pirates to keep the Reds down and get a 5-game winning streak. We will see if they can do it.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 