Bucs fall to the Brewers, 3-2 in an emotionally high game.

The Pirates, Brewers rivalry has been going on for quite some time now. Going into this home stand I had a feeling it was going to be an emotional one. It was a mostly quiet game through six innings with the pitching duel between Ross Ohlendorf and Yovani Gallardo.

In the seventh Inning Evan Meek gave up a two-run Homerun to Rickie Weeks, giving the Brewers a three run lead. Then it got ugly pretty fast.

Todd Coffey, who came in for relief, threw three balls to Jose Tabata then quickly threw a fastball behind him. Home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski warned Coffey as well as both dugouts. Tabata was walked.

Was there intent behind the pitch?

“Absolutely,” manager John Russell said.

“In this series, I knew we hit some of their players,” began Evan Meek, who yielded his second homer in 24 outings, a critical, two-run blast in the seventh by Weeks. “But none of those was intentional. I can understand the last game, retaliation [for a 15-3 Pirates romp Wednesday]. I get that. But they had it with Delwyn Young. They threw at him with another pitch. Then they hit him. It should’ve been over then. They made their point. Personally, I think it’s unnecessary. … There’s no reason to throw at Tabata.”

After the warnings were given out Prince Fielder then complained to First Base Umpire Marvin Hudson. (Fielder was hit in the the previous two games)

The fans erupted from the stands and let loose booing and chanting to both Fielder and Coffey.

Rewind to the fifth, Ohlendorf plunked Weeks then the Brewers returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning when Gallardo hit Dewlyn Young.

You would think it would all be over. They both retaliated. Wrong.

Delwyn Young singled, and Neil Walker hit a two-RBI double, taking advantage of the situation. The Pirates cut the lead to just one run.

“You let the bat do the talking,” said Walker, after his sixth straight multi-hit game. “I’m sure they didn’t expect to have two runs scored on them with two outs after putting Tabata on first.”

In the eight inning, Javier Lopez came into the game. After a leadoff walk to Fielder, who then moved to second base on a single, with Escobar at the plate. He hit the ball to left sending Prince home. The throw by Lastings Milledge was there in plenty of time but that didn’t stop him from trying to pummel Erik Kratz. Elbows up, Fielder slammed into Kratz’s mask, but it was Erik who not only stood his ground but knocked Prince down, ball in hand.

“Emotions were running high,” Kratz said. “It was that kind of game. If it was a 6-1 game, maybe he doesn’t do that. But if he knocks the ball out of my glove, it’s a great play because they are up another run. It’s a good hard play.

“If he was catching and I was coming in, I’m not going to hit him in the stomach or hit him in the chest,” he added. “I’m trying to knock the ball out and hit him as hard as I can. That’s just the game. He played it hard.”

The crowd at PNC Park went crazy with emotions running high. There were boo’s and cheers and chanting. I’ve never been at a game where the fans were so into it.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, still down by one run, The Pirates came to bat and attempted to win in walk-off fashion. Cedeno struck out, Church grounded to second and Tabata struck out to end the game.  

The Pirates lost 3-2, and split the series with the Brewers at two a piece

It was pretty intense,” Braun said, who went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts on the night. “It was nice to feel like we played a meaningful game. That was probably the best atmosphere of any game I’ve played here [in Pittsburgh] in my four years.”

Ross Ohlendorf pitched Six innings giving up six hits, giving up just one run, one walk, and struck out six. He got the loss and drops to 1-8 on the season. 

Gallardo got his first win since coming off the DL. (oblique strain)

The Pirates and Brewers meet again one more time this season, Aug. 27-29 in Milwaukee.

Today’s Pitching Matchup:

Kevin Correia (6-6, 5.22 ERA) VS Paul Maholm (6-7, 4.03 ERA)

Correia picked up his sixth win on Sunday against the Diamondbacks, giving up three runs on six hits over six innings and tied his career high with nine strikeouts.

Maholm gave the Bucs their first complete game of the season and the fourth of his career in his last start, allowing just three hits in the 9-0 victory against the Astros.  

• Ryan Doumit was placed on the 15-day DL. Jason Jaramillo was recalled.

Doumit took a foul ball off his mask on Monday night and felt groggy afterward. Manager John Russell started Kratz on Tuesday, and Doumit returned behind the plate Wenesday. In the first inning Rickie Weeks ran over him in a home-plate collision.

“Ultimately, Ryan didn’t want to go on the disabled list,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “It was our decision in his best interest, in the team’s best interest, in the organization’s best interest to just go ahead and give Ryan 15 days of rest. He’s been dinged a few times this year.”

Russell continued: “We need to get Ryan healthy. Make sure he gets over this completely.”

Doumit is expected to rest through the weekend and resume light physical exertion early next week.

Huntington said the Pirates expect Doumit to go on a rehabilitation assignment to one of their minor league teams near the end of the two weeks.

-PittsburghPostGazette

• The Pirates expect Andrew McCutchen back in the lineup by Saturday or Sunday. He has been taking Batting pratice and doing some light activity. (AC Joint)

“He’s going to do a little more,” Russell said before McCutchen participated in batting practice. “Swing the bat a little bit, see how it feels. Play a little catch. He’s getting better. See how he progresses through this, and go from there.”

• In a pregame ceremony on Thursday, the 2010 WPIAL Class AAAA baseball champion Pine-Richland Rams retired 2004 graduate and current Pirates rookie Neil Walker‘s No. 24 jersey.

Walker hit .657 with 13 HR and 42 RBIs as a senior while helping the Rams win the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championship.

Other Pirates News:

• Six consecutive multi-hit games for Pirates Neil Walker. He’s 2/3, 2B (15), BB tonight. AVG up to .320.
• Charlie Morton VS Lehigh Valley: 6IP, 7H, 3ER, 4K, 3BB
• Nate Baker VS Duneoin: 5IP, 3H, 1ER, 4K, 4BB
• Adalberto Santos VS Auburn 2 for 4, Triple (3), RBI
• The Pirates officially sold rights to pitchers Hayden Penn (Chiba Lotte) & Vinnie Chulk (Hiroshima Toyo Carps) for cash considerations.

Around the Ballparks:

• Josh Beckett to return to the mound, but expect a little rust -projosoxblog
• The Mets designate Fernando Nieve for assignment.
• Rob Bradford tweeted: Scouts at Pawsox/Mike Lowell rehab game tonight Blue Jays, Orioles, Tigers (2), and Royals. They were playing Detroit’s affiliate.
• Resist temptation to trade Beckham -ChicagoTribune
• John Lackey’s had a not hitter going through 7 2/3 IP. That tied the Red Sox longest no-hit bid of the season (Daisuke Matsuzaka May 22 at the Phillies)
• Red Sox Daniel Nava sent to AAA as Hermida comes of the DL. He responds by going 2-3 HR, 3RBI 2BB.
• Cliff Lee is the 1st pitcher with at least 7 straight starts with 8 IP and fewer than 2 BB since Greg Maddux in 1994.
• Human Growth Hormone Blood tests to begin on Minor League Baseball Players -Bloomberg
• The Phillies fire hitting coach Milt Thompson. Greg Gross takes his place.
• Carl Pavano has won 7 straight decisions, a career-best, surpassing the 6 straight he won in 2004.
• Alex Rodriguez hit his 599th HR vs the Royals on Thursday night. He also hit his 499th HR vs the Royals on July 25, 2007.
• Ronny Paulino’s GW single was the first walkoff hit by a Marlins catcher since Paul Lo Duca on 8/6/2004 against the Brewers.
• The Nationals (last night) scored 1 run in the 1st, 2 runs in the 2nd and 3 runs in the 3rd, the first team this season to do this.
• The Braves beat the Padres 8-0, their biggest shutout win over SD since July 4, 1980 when they won 9-0.
• Derek Jeter hit his 2nd career inside the park HR, other was 8-2-96, at KC off Jeff Mongtomery.
• OF David DeJesus suffered a sprained right thumb by slamming into wall on Derek Jeter’s inside-the-park homer.
• Cardinals are 1st team with 1 hit or less in a game of 11+ innings since 1962 Angels (2-1 loss at Yankee Stadium in 12 innings) 
• The Angels acquire INF Alberto Callaspo from Royals for P Sean O’Sullivan and Minor League P Will Smith. 
• Dodgers- Monasterios replacing McDonald in the rotation. Taschner will take over as lefty specialist.
• Jamie Moyer’s career could be in jeopardy -ThePhilliesZone