Tag: Too late to challenge

Final Score: Pirates 8 Rangers 4

Why The Pirates Won: This was a game that started eerily the same as game one of the series. The Pirates scored a run in the 1st, and the Rangers put two on the board in the 2nd. Fortunately for the Pirates, the bats did not fall asleep for the rest of the game. In another pivotal 5th inning, the Pirates scored 3 runs to take a 4-2 lead. Braxton Ashcraft pitched 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5. He left the game with a 4-2 lead. Gregory Soto got knocked around for 2 runs on 3 hits, surrendering the lead. The Pirates came back strong in the top of the 9th, scoring 4 runs highlighted by an Oneil Cruz 3-run homer that hit the top of the foul pole and caromed into the seats. Good old lefty Jalen Beeks grooved an 80 MPH cutter, and Cruz did not miss it. This made the 9th easy for Dennis Santana as the Pirates took game 2 of the series.

Key Moments Of The Game: The 5th inning was big again, but this time it was the Pirates who scored 3 runs. In the inning, the Rangers committed the sin of walking one of the worst hitters in baseball, Henry Davis. Davis tried to help them by swinging at two pitches outside the strike zone. He came around to score one of the 3 runs. The Pirates got two big two-out hits from Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds to score 2 runs. The third run scored when right fielder Brandon Nimmo decided to throw the ball anywhere in the infield. The ball traveled about halfway up the third baseline. When pitcher Jack Leiter tried to retrieve the ball, he stumbled over some items in the Pirates’ on-deck circle. He could not quite stop the ball, allowing the 3rd run to score. To make matters worse he was injured on the play. An unusual ABS challenge moment occurred in the bottom of the 7th. Josh Jung led off the inning with a single. Evan Carter had a successful challenge on the 2nd pitch of the at-bat. The count went to 3-2. On a pitch that was low, the ump called it a strike. Carter had taken a step to first base, anticipating the walk. When it was called a strike, he then turned to the dugout. It was too late to challenge. Instead of having 1st and 2nd with nobody out, the Rangers had a runner on first with one out. Kyle Higashioka hit into an inning-ending double play. The Rangers may have had him bunt or even pinch hit for him if Carter had walked. The Pirates had the big 9th inning to set up the rubber match tonight.

Next Game: Tonight, Rangers in Arlington at 8:05. Big win for the Pirates last night. Bubba Chandler takes the mound for the Pirates. The only issue for him has been finding the strike zone. Jacob deGrom goes for the Rangers. He is not the deGrom of old, but still a very formidable pitcher. I find it interesting that this is not the typical getaway day starting time of around 1 in the afternoon. In fact, this is the latest starting game of the day. The Pirate management staff is probably at their wit’s end deciding who should rest today. To hell with trying to win the game. Will this be weird lineup night? I can hardly wait.