Final Score: Pirates 3 Orioles 2
Why The Pirates Won: I have no idea. All I know is that even though tomorrow is Easter Sunday, all Orioles pitchers are to report to PNC Park at 8:00 AM sharp for fielding practice. The Pirates had 8 hits, with 2 of them not leaving the infield. They took 28 pitches for strikes. They were 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. The Pirates were able to pull this one out because the Oriole pitchers muffed two weak ground balls off to their left. One was charged with an error, and the second one should have also been an error. Jake Mangum was gifted a hit. That one may be overturned by the league. Either way, it was pitcher incompetent fielding that led to the 2 Pirate runs that tied the game. The Pirate pitching staff had control issues for most of the game. Carmen Mlodzinski walked 3 in 4 and 2/3 innings. Hunter Barco walked 3 in 2 and 1/3 innings. Isaac Mattson walked one in 1 inning. Only Dennis Santana did not walk anyone in his inning of pitching. The only reason the walks did not hurt more was that the Orioles were just about as incompetent as the Pirates. They were 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position while stranding 9 runners. In the first two games of this series, the Orioles could have won game one, and they should have won game two. The Pirates will take them any way they can get them.
Key Moments Of The Game: This was the first Pirate game that the ABS challenge system really helped decide the game. In the top of the 9th with 2 outs and nobody on, Gunnar Henderson challenged a called third strike, and it was upheld. That was the Orioles’ last challenge. In the bottom of the 9th, the Pirates had runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Nick Yorke worked the count to 2-2. On the 7th pitch of the at-bat, Yorke took a pitch that was at the knees and well within the diameter of the plate. The home plate umpire called it a ball. The Orioles were out of challenges. Yorke had new life. He launched the next pitch 106 MPH, just out of the reach of the left fielder, and the Pirates had their walk-off win.
Next Game: Today Orioles in Pittsburgh, at 1:35 PM. The Pirates are going with Braxton Ashcraft to try and get the sweep. Like most of the Pirate starters, he pitched well in his 6-inning outing. Like most of the Pirate pitchers, he walked a lot of batters. I do not know if this is the new pitching coach’s philosophy, but the Pirates are 3rd in the league right now in giving up the most walks. Only the Angels and the Astros have given up more walks than the Pirates. Our new pitching coach came from the Astros, so that might shed some light on the subject. That old adage of a walk being as good as a hit may be true. However, a walk is not as good as a home run. I will admit, seeing the Pirate pitchers give up this many walks makes me a little uneasy. Not as uneasy as seeing Cruz lead off. I just don’t understand why this guy is leading off. He had his two best games hitting further down in the lineup. Why don’t the Pirates see this? Maybe the Orioles will hand them another game today despite these goofy batting orders the Pirates come up with. Going for the sweep on Easter.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 