Final Score: Pirates 8 Tigers 5
Why The Pirates Won: The offense came alive. This was only the third game all year that the Pirates won when the other team scored 5 runs or more. The Cardinals, who are two games over .500, have done that 11 times. The Pirate offense did the job yesterday in a big way. They had 14 hits, with 8 of them being doubles. Spencer Horwitz had 3 hits for the 2nd straight game. Bryan Reynolds had 3 hits. They each had 2 RBIs. Hold on to your hats; Oneil Cruz scored a run on a hustle play. Tommy Pham continues to increase his trade value. He had 3 hits with 2 RBIs. Alex Canario struck out 4 straight times just so you knew you were watching the Pirates. It did not hurt that the Tigers played some lackluster defense. The Pirates’ pitching staff got plagued by the long ball. Not a big deal when your team scores 8 runs. Mitch Keller went 6 innings, giving up a 3-run homer. He gave up 6 hits total and walked 3. Caleb Ferguson gave up the other two runs on a 451-foot blast by Jahmai Jones. David Bednar allowed the tying run to come to the plate with one out. He struck out the last two batters to end the game. The Pirates were swept by the team with the worst record in the American League. Today they will have a chance to sweep the team that has the best record in the American League. Don’t you just love sports?
Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates held a precarious 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the 6th. Keller’s last two innings were shaky, and the bullpen was about to take over. Spencer Heywood struck out on a wild pitch and wound up at first base to open the inning. For once, the Pirates took advantage. Gonzales hit a weak ground ball out that moved Spencer to second. Bryan Reynolds singled to center to bring Horwitz home. Tommy Pham doubled down the line in left, scoring Reynolds. Cruz walked. Ke’Bryan (I Can’t Wait Until He Is Traded So I Don’t Have To Type That Apostrophe Anymore) Hayes singled home Pham. The Pirates’ lead jumped right back up to 5 runs. As it turned out, they needed those 3 runs.
Next Game: This afternoon, Tigers in Pittsburgh. Bailey Falter is going for the Pirates today. He is not doing quite as bad as his clone Andrew Heaney. However, he has given up 10 earned runs in his last 3 outings. The other problem with today’s game is that the bullpen has been pretty well spent. Santana should be available. The B squad must come through today. This is necessary if the Pirates are going to pull out the sweep. Maybe the bats can come through 2 days in a row. Maybe I will win the lottery today.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 