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Pregame News and Notes: Nats @ Pirates 4/23
The Pittsburgh Pirates will face the Washington Nationals at 7:05 PM ET.
Right-hander Jeff Karstens (1-0, 4.50 ERA) will start for the Bucs against Livan Hernandez (2-1, 2.88 ERA).
Karstens spot started for Ross Ohlendorf (right shoulder posterior strain) on Sunday against the Reds. He allowed five runs on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts over 4.1 innings. It will be his second start (five appearance) this season.
Hernandez is coming off a great start against the Brewers. He allowed just one run on six hits over seven innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
News and Notes:
- Infielder Brandon Wood arrived in Pittsburgh in the early am on Saturday. He took a red eye from California to get to PNC Park before the game today. Although he’s not in the starting lineup today, he is excited for his opportunity.
Wood told Colin Dunlap of the Post-Gazette, “The Angels had to make a move, I understand that. Now, for me, this is an unbelievable opportunity. I’m fortunate for my time and my opportunity with the Angels, I am. But now, this is an all new opportunity and, really, a chance to redeem myself.”
“I talked to Neal Huntington and Clint Hurdle and I can tell this is an organization that wants me and is working toward the right direction. They want to succeed and they want to add me to it.”
“When it comes to hitting, Clint is one of the best to work with. He has a great reputation and he’s developed a lot of young guys and made a lot of players better. Just look at what he did with the young players in Colorado. He’s a guy I want to work with and I want to have him involved with helping me improve. Like I said, I just can’t wait to get there and get a uniform and get to work.”
- With Wood arriving to Pittsburgh, Pedro Ciriaco was optioned to Triple-A.
Pirates:
Andrew McCutchen CF, Jose Tabata LF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Garrett Jones RF, Ryan Doumit C, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Jeff Karstens RHP
Nationals:
Danny Espinosa 2B, Rick Ankiel CF, Jayson Werth RF, Adam LaRoche 1B, Wilson Ramos C, Michael Morse LF, Ian Desmond (SS), Jerry Hairston 3B, Livan Hernandez RHP
Ohlendorf out until at least mid may
Right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, who was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder posterior strain, expects to be out until at least mid May.
Ohlendorf told Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune on Monday, “Hopefully, I’ll be back in about a month. But it’s still too early to really know for sure.”
Ohlendorf was pulled after throwing 2.2 innings on April 8th against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park after feeling discomfort.
Sunday, Ohlendorf made 50 tosses from 60 feet on flat ground. He is scheduled to throw from 75 feet today.
Ohlendorf told Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune, I need to get up to 120 feet, and the plan for that is about two weeks from now.
Right-handers Jeff Karstens and Brad Lincoln (Triple-A Indianapolis) and lefty Brian Burres (Triple-A) are being considered to start in the rotation.
Karstens allowed five runs on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts over 4.1 innings against the Reds. It was his first start of the season.
Lincoln allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over five innings against the Louisville bats on April 15th.
Burres is not on the 40-man roster, so if they Pirates went with the lefty, they would have remove someone off the roster. Burres threw a four hit shutout with no walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings against the Louisville Bats on April 17th.
Pre-game news and notes: Pirates @ Reds 4/16
The Pirates (6-7) will face the Cincinnati Reds (8-5) at 1:10 PM ET today for the second of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Right-hander James McDonald (0-0, 5.56 ERA) will start for the Bucs against righty Mike Leake (0-1, 6.75 ERA)
McDonald threw 38 pitches in the first frame against the Colorado Rockies in his previous start, but settled in and pitched 6.2 innings. The four runs McDonald allowed in the first were the only runs the Rockies scored off him until the 7th inning (Two runs scored off Rookie Mike Crotta, one earned by McDonald). He struck out three and walked three during his outing.
Leake allowed six runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He walked two and struck out four.
Leake was scheduled to throw on Sunday but was bumped up a day. Edinson Volquez was pushed to because of a stiff neck.
- With the Pirates 6-1 win last night over the Reds, the Bucs snapped a four-game losing streak. They also improved their road record to 5-2.
- The Pirates pitching staff ranks third in the National League with a 3.23 ERA. The only two staffs with better numbers are the San Diego Padres (2.70 ERA) and the Milwaukee Brewers (2.96 ERA).
- Second baseman Neil Walker batted cleanup for the first time in his career. He went 1-for-4 with a two-run homerun and a walk.
- Jose Tabata had his first career four-hit game in Friday’s game. He also swiped his seventh bag (in eight attempts).
News:
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com pointed out that earlier this morning, Andrew McCutchen’s name plate above his locker read: McKKKKutchen (He struck out four times in yesterday’s game). McCutchen took the gag in good spirits. It’s great to see the players and the clubhouse so loose.
- The Pirates named Right-hander Jeff Karstens as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Reds. Although it was assumed, Manager Clint Hurdle made the announcement on Friday. Karstens will be taking the place of Ross Ohlendorf, who went on the disabled list with right shoulder posterior strain.
- Manager Clint Hurdle threw out the same lineup top of the order today. Andrew McCutchen will bat leadoff, followed by Jose Tabata second, Lyle Overbay third, Neil Walker fourth and Pedro Alvarez fifth.
Hurdle told Doug Miller of MLB.com, “I try to be more proactive than reactive. Normally, whenever I make a move with a player or group of players, I have a conversation with them about it. I thought about it overnight. We had a good first week, we had a bad second week. I pay attention to numbers, but I also rely quite a lot on my eyes and my gut. In watching those four guys, I thought if I could rearrange them, it would be best for the group.”
- Right-hander Charlie Morton threw his second career complete game last night. He allowed just one run on five hits over nine innings. He also threw 110 pitches, 73 for strikes.
Morton told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “It was a day that I will remember forever.”
Pirates:
Andrew McCutchen CF, Jose Tabata LF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Ryan Doumit C, Garrett Jones RF, Ronny Cedeno SS, James McDonald RHP
Reds:
Drew Stubbs CF, Miguel Cairo 2B, Joey Votto 1B, Jonny Gomes LF, Jay Bruce RF, Juan Francisco 3B, Ramon Hernandez C, Paul Janish SS, Mike Leake RHP
Bucs walks hurt in 6-5 loss to Rockies
The Pirates opportunity to split the series against the Colorado Rockies came to and end in the 7th inning after Rookie Mike Crotta walked three batters, including the go-ahead run, as the Rockies went on to win the game and take the series, 6-5 at PNC Park on Sunday.
Crotta, for the first time all spring and season, looked like a Rookie on the mound. Crotta made it through four appearances this season without allowing a run.
Crotta look over for starter James McDonald with one on (Dexter Fowler) and two out. He walked Jonathan Herrera, then allowed Jason Giambi to hit a single, scoring the game tying run.
Crotta’s inability to throw strikes continued as he walked Troy Tulowitzki to load the bases. The next batter, Seth Smith was walked as well, putting the Rockies on top, 6-5.
Crotta threw 21 pitches –just seven for strikes.
Crotta told Colin Dunlap of the Post-Gazette, “Just didn’t execute my pitches. My job is to come in and get outs. You can’t get outs when you walk people.”
“There are eight guys out there. If they put it in play, chances are they will hit it at somebody. When you walk somebody, there’s nothing anyone can do to help you.”
It wasn’t just Crotta who had trouble throwing strikes, Right-hander James McDonald made his second appearance of the season, and he had a rough first inning.
McDonald threw 38 pitches in the first. He walked two, and also hit Chris Ianetta in the inning. Nine men came to the plate, and four runs scored, including a three run homer by Jose Lopez.
Lopez told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I asked everybody in the dugout, ‘How’s the fastball? ‘Is it moving? Not moving?’ Everybody said, ‘Straight.’ I saw two men on base, so I wanted to swing at the first-pitch fastball.”
McDonald told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I had a talk with myself [after the inning] that I needed to really pick it up and keep the team in the game. I had to motivate myself to hold that game, keep it close.”
McDonald did just that. He threw just 65 pitches over the next 5.2 innings, allowing just three hits and kept the Rockies scoreless.
So what clicked for McDonald after a rough first inning? Advice from Catcher, Ryan Doumit.
McDonald told Colin Dunlap of the Post-Gazette, “Told him to pound that two-seam fastball, forget the four-seamer,” Doumit said, referring to a sinker over the standard fastball. “He has really good downward action on [the two-seam fastball] and it makes it tough to put it in the air.”
McDonald told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “It’s always a good step when your team is still in the game when you come out. I showed that I’m out there competing. I showed my team that I’m not going to give up. It was big for me to go back out there and hold those guys scoreless.”
The Pirates put one run on the board in the first inning and tied the game at 4 in the third. Jose Tabata was hit by a pitch and Neil Walker singled to start the inning. Andrew McCutchen hit a RBI single to left field, and both advanced to second and third base on the throwing error by Carlos Gonzalez. Lyle Overbay hit a double down the right field line to tie the game at 4.
McDonald helped out his own cause in the 4th, by hitting a single and scoring the go ahead run. J-Mac told Jenifer Langosh of MLB.com in the spring that he wanted to have 10 hits this year. He’s got one down, nine to go.
The game stayed 5-4, until the 7th inning when Crotta allowed the two runs to score. The Pirates were unable to come up with a hit in the final three innings, as the Rockies went on the beat the Bucs, 6-5 and take the series win.
The Pirates have issued 46 walks so far the season –the most in the majors, including seven on Sunday.
Manager Clint Hurdle told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “We’ve got to do better. Being concerned about it isn’t going to get the job done. Guys have got to throw strikes and get hitters out.”
The Bucs fall to 5-5 on the season.
Pre-game News and Notes 4/10: Rockies @ Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates (5-4) will face the Colorado Rockies (5-2) for the final game of a four games series at 1:35 PM/ET.
Right-hander James McDonald will face righty Jhoulys Chacin.
- McDonald missed time during spring training with left side soreness, but pitched well during his first start of the season. He allowed two runs on four hits over 4.2 innings, with four strikeouts and four walks. 51 of his 87 pitches were for strikes.
- Chacin seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers during his first start of the season.
- Ryan Doumit’s home run in the 2nd inning of last night’s game was his 48th of his career. He is tied with Smoky Burgess and Manny Sanguillen for fourth place all-time on the clubs homer list.
- Jose Tabata’s solo home run in the 8th inning last night extended his hitting streak to nine games. He has hit safely in each of the first nine games of the season. The streak is currently the longest in the majors. During that span, Tabata is batting .343 with two-home runs, six walks, four stolen bases and 10 runs scored.
Tabata also hit home runs in back-to-back night’s for the first time in his career (He also homered in the 5th inning of Friday’s game).
- The Pirates pitching staff’s 3.00 ERA through nine games (28 earned runs in 84.0 innings) ranks third in the National League behind the Colorado Rockies (2.71) and San Francisco Giants (2.92).
- The Pirates have their first off day on Monday after 10 straight games to start the year. No other team has had that long of a stretch without an offday to start the season.
News:
- Catcher Chris Snyder was eligible to come off the DL on Saturday and it shouldn’t be much longer before he is back with the big league club. Snyder is scheduled to catch nine innings on Sunday and he is having no issues with his back. To make room for Snyder on the roster, Jason Jaramillo is most likely the one to be sent down to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune reports that Manager Clint Hurdle confirmed the team will not carry three catchers once Snyder is healthy.
If the Bucs need an emergency catcher, the No. 3 catcher would be Matt Diaz or Steve Pearce.
- Evan Meek (right shoulder soreness) is unlikely to see action until Tuesday for precautionary reasons. Meek threw long toss on Saturday and it was reported that he is feeling better.
- The Pirates placed right-hand pitcher Ross Ohlendorf (right shoulder posterior strain) on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday. Righty Daniel McCutchen was re-called from Triple-A Indianapolis.
- Righty Brad Lincoln (right arm contusion) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment today for the Triple-A Indians. He will pitch about four innings (65 pitches).
Rockies:
Dexter Fowler CF, Jonathan Herrera 2B, Jason Giambo 1B, Troy Tulowitzki SS, Seth Smith RF, Jose Lopez 3B, Ty Wigginton LF, Chris Iannetta C, Jhoulys Chacin RHP
Pirates:
Jose Tabata LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Ryan Doumit C, Garrett Jones RF, Ronny Cedeno SS, James McDonald RHP
Three run 8th costly for Bucs, lose 6-4 to Rockies
The Colorado Rockies broke open a tie game in the 8th inning after scoring three runs off of Jose Veras, as they went on to beat the Pirates, 6-4.
After a leadoff walk to Jonathan Herrera and a single to Carlos Gonzalez, Veras struck out the next two Rockies in a row. Jose Lopez was hit by a pitch to load to the bases and former Bucco Ty Wigginton came to the plate.
Wigginton took the first pitch down the left field line for a bases clearing double to give the Rockies a 6-3 lead.
Veras told Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune, “I tried to come in and set up my breaking ball, maybe (get) a broken-bat rollover. That was the pitch that cost me the game.”
Right-hander Charlie Morton made his second start of the season on Saturday. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with five walks and one strikeouts over seven innings (92 pitches).
Morton told Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune, “If the plate was moved over a foot toward the right-hander’s batter’s box, I’d be in a lot better shape. I wasn’t spraying balls everywhere. I was missing down and in to righties and away to lefties.”
Morton got off to a shaky start in the first inning. He allowed a lead off walk to Dexter Fowler, who stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Ryan Doumit. Morton walked the next batter, Herrera to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Gonzalez hit into a 6-4-3 double play but Fowler scored to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead. Morton got Troy Tulowitzki to fly out to escape the inning.
Morton threw 17 pitches in the inning, just five for strikes.
Lyle Overbay hit a lead off double off of right-hander Greg Reynolds in the 2nd. Two batters later, Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer to right center to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead. The homer marked Doumit’s 48th as a Bucco. He is now tied with Smoky Burgess and Manny Sanguillen for fourth place on the club’s all-time homer list.
The Rockies tied the game at 2 in the 3rd inning after Morton allowed walking Fowler (for a second time in as many innings) and a RBI single by Gonzalez.
Jose Lopez homered off Morton in the 6th to put the Rockies back on top, 3-2.
The Pirates tied the game back up at 3 after Matt Diaz hit a RBI single to score Ryan Doumit.
The Rockies blew the game open in the 8th after three runs scored off of Jose Veras.
Jose Tabata hit a solo-home run in the bottom of the 8th inning to cut the lead to, 6-4, and extend his hitting streak to nine games. Tabata also hit a home run during last night’s game.
Kevin Correia pitched the 9th inning for the Bucs. He needed just nine pitches to retire the side.
The Pirates threatened in the bottom of the inning after both Matt Diaz and Jason Jaramillo singled, but Steve Pearce hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Ohlendorf DL; McCutchen recalled; Injury updates
- Right-hander Ross Ohlendorf was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday afternoon with right shoulder posterior strain. Ohlendorf exited Friday’s game in the 3rd inning after experiencing some discomfort.
Ohlendorf told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I don’t think it will take as long [to heal] as last time. I feel much better than I did last year when I got hurt.”
“It’s frustrating, but at this point, I can’t really do anything about it except work to get back. Anytime you go on the DL, it’s tough. In the past, I really haven’t been hurt that much. It’s kind of surprising and frustrating.”
- The Pirates re-called righty Daniel McCutchen from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill his roster spot.
- Due to the 14-inning, 5 hour game on Friday night, the Pirates are short arms from the bullpen for Saturday’s game.
Jeff Kartsens, Chris Resop and Garrett Olson are not able to pitch today due to the pitch counts from last night.
Mike Crotta is also unlikely due to pitching on back-to-back nights.
Evan Meek is unavailable to throw because of right shoulder tightness.
That leaves Joel Hanrahan, McCutchen and Jose Veras available from the bullpen.
Starters Paul Maholm and Kevin Correia could pitch an inning of work, if needed, since it’s their day to throw on the side.
- The Pirates have not announced who will fill the 3rd spot in the rotation for Ohlendorf.
Manager Clint Hurdle told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “We don’t need to make a decision yet on that, so we’re just going to go TBA. We’ve got to see how everything plays out. We’ve got to get through the next two days, and then we’ll evaluate from there.”
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com also reports that Meek is feeling better, but will not throw until Tuesday for precautionary reasons.
Meek did throw long toss on Saturday.
He told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I’m still not feeling quite 100 percent. The whole point right now is just [that] there’s no point in throwing me out there and risking something happening where it’s going to take me a week or two weeks to come back. It’s not something that’s serious, but it is something that they want to give me a few extra days.”
- Right-hand pitcher Brad Lincoln will be making the start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, not High-A Bradenton, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.
Lincoln will be filling in for Daniel McCutchen, who the Pirates re-called from AAA earlier today.
Lincoln is rehabbing a right forearm contusion. He was struck in the arm by a line drive by the Phillies Jimmy Rollins late in the spring.
He is scheduled to throw about four innings (65 pitches).
Pre-game News and Notes 4/9: Rockies @ Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates (5-3) will face the Colorado Rockies (4-2) tonight at 7:05 PM/ET at PNC Park.
Right-hander Charlie Morton will face Righty Greg Reynolds.
Morton is coming off a fantastic spring and first start of the season. He limited the St. Louis Cardinals to just one run on three hits over six innings with five walks and two strikeouts.
The 27-year-old is making his first start at home this season after struggling at PNC last year. Morton posted a 7.57 ERA last year and frequently heard boo’s when he was on the mound.
Morton told Colin Dunlap of the Post-Gazette, “Heard them, oh yeah. But look at what my ERA was. At the beginning of the year, I had a 14.00 ERA. I deserved it, right?
“You can’t replace love and support that you get when you are down, when you are going through a tough time, when you are struggling. I’m so grateful to the people who stuck with me. I am extremely grateful to people who stopped me on the street and said kind things.
“I’m excited about getting out there and pitching for them again. Really, I mean that. There were a lot of people in this city who stuck with me.”
Morton has made a few adjustments and is much more mentally confident on the mound –and his numbers have proven that.
Reynolds will be making his first big league start since September of 2008. The 25-year-old is a former first round pick (2nd overall) in the 2006 draft.
The right-hander struggled in 2008 (2-8 record, with an 8.13 ERA) and faced arm injuries in 2009.
Reynolds was called up from Triple-A Colorado Spring after Ubaldo Jimenez was placed on the 15-day dl.
Notes:
- Jose Tabata extended his hitting streak to eight games. He’s had at least one hit in each of his eight games this season.
- Mike Crotta surrendered his first hit of the season (four appearances) in the 7th inning of last night’s game. He still has yet to allow a run this year.
News:
- Manager Clint Hurdle has a hard policy of not allowing a reliever to pitch in three straight games.
According to Jenifer Lanogsch of MLB.com, Hurdle developed this firm stance after numerous studies as a hitting coach. He found consistent increases in injuries and ineffectiveness when relievers pitched three consecutive games.
Hurdle told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “It just doesn’t make any sense. [There is] too much to lose. The risk versus the reward isn’t good enough for me. You want to be tied to their arms as much as you can, not just to the results.”
Rockies:
Dexter Fowler CF, Jonathan Herrera 2B, Carlos Gonzalez LF, Troy Tulowitzki SS, Seth Smith RF, Jose Lopez 3B, Ty Wigginton 1B, Jose Morales, Greg Reynolds RHPPirates:
Jose Tabata LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Ryan Doumit C, Garrett Jones RF, Josh Rodriguez SS, Charlie Morton RHP
Post game News and Notes 4/8
- The Texas Rangers claimed right-hander Ramon Aguero off waivers from the Pirates on Friday. Aguero was designated for assignment last week in order to place right-hander Jose Veras on the 40-man roster.
Aguero did not appear in any regular season games for the Pirates. He allowed two runs on two hits over 1.2 innings with three walks and two strikeouts during spring training.
Lefty Joe Beimel (left elbow) made a rehab appearance in the High-A Bradenton Marauders game on Friday. He pitched a scoreless inning of work, allowing all groundouts.
Catcher Chris Snyder (lower back) caught the High-A Bradenton Marauders game on Friday. He went 3-for-3 with a double, home run and six RBI.
Snyder is eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday.
- Jason Jaramillo is currently serving as the Bucs backup catcher. His fate with the ball club could be effected once Snyder is reactivated from the DL.
Jaramillo told Colin Dunlap of the Post-Gazette, “You don’t wish any ill will on anyone. I hope he gets healthy, he is a big part of the club. But, at the same time, I feel like I can be a big part of the club as well.”
Jaramillo is 4-for-13 in three starts this season (.308 avg) with a RBI, walk and a stolen base. He also hit the game tying run in the 6th inning of Friday’s game.
- Rockies Manager Jim Tracy managed the Pirates from 2005-07. He was aware of Andrew McCutchen, who was in Triple-A by the time Tracy’s tenure came to an end.
Tracy told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I’ve never seen the guy go to first base where I didn’t see a full, 100 percent effort every time he hit the ball. That’s a great place to start. When he plays the game, you don’t really know whether the Pirates are winning, losing or whatever. You just know that Andrew McCutchen is out there, this is how he plays, and this is how he’s going to continue to play for nine innings. You’ve got to love that type of player.”
“I was with him when he was 18 years old, walking around in our clubhouse when he wasn’t allowed to have a razor. He wasn’t old enough to have a razor. To see this guy grow into becoming the player he has become, he’s a special kid and he’s been that way since the first day I ever met him. When you sart talking about championship-caliber players, in my opinion that’s the criteria that has to be fulfilled in order to become that type of guy. That’s exactly who he is.”
Tabata, Bullpen, victorious in 14 inning walk-off
After 14 innings and five hours and 11 minutes, the Pittsburgh Pirates delivered a walk-off win in the bottom of the 14th inning to win, 4-3, at PNC Park during the early hours of Saturday.
Josh Rodriguez drew a walk off of Franklin Morales and Jose Tabata hit a double off the Roberto Clemente wall to score the winning run.
Since the run came after midnight, the win came on the 10th birthday of PNC Park.
Jose Tabata told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I’m looking for one pitch. I’m thinking if he throws a fastball, I’ll [take] a good swing. When he threw the pitch, I swung the bat. I stayed with my approach, middle-away, and [you] see what happened.”
The Colorado Rockies took advantage of right-hander Ross Ohlendorf’s early struggles. After allowing a leadoff walk to Dexter Fowler and a single by Jonathan Herrera, Jason Giambi launched a three-home run into the right field seats. The Rockies quickly took a 3-0 lead.
That was the only run the Rockies would score through the 14 inning game.
Ohlendorf was pulled after 2.2 innings with right shoulder discomfort.
The Pirates bullpen, which consisted of Jeff Karstens, Mike Crotta, Jose Veras, Joel Hanrahan, Chris Resop and Garrett Olson, pitched 11.1 innings allowing six hits, no runs, seven walks and 12 strikeouts.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11.1 scoreless innings by the Bucs bullpen was the longest by the club in a game since 1900.
Manager Clint Hurdle told Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “My goodness, Scoreless? That’s a good hitting team over there. Our guys stepped it up. Every single one of them. There will be a couple who won’t be able to go [Saturday].”
The Pirates tacked on a run each of the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings.
After back-to-back walks to Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen by Jorge De La Rosa, Matt Diaz grounded to short in a 10 pitch at-bat, to score Walker and cut the lead, 3-1.
Jose Tabata hit his first home run of the season, as well as the first home run hit by a Bucco at PNC Park this year in the 5th inning.
Matt Belise walked both Lyle Overbay and Pedro Alvarez in the 6th, and Jason Jaramillo hit a RBI single to right field to tie the game at 3.
The Pirates showed their patience at the plate on Friday, after walking for a total of eight times.
The Rockies had plenty of chances during the late innings to score the go-ahead run. After Chris Resop allowed a lead-off double to Herrera, Carlos Gonzalez lined to shortstop. Troy Tulowitzki was intentionally walked and Jose Morales struck out for the second out. Seth Smith drew a walk to load the bases. Ty Wigginton hit a liner to third base but Pedro Alvarez made a spectacular play, diving for the ball and then threw from one knee to first baseman Lyle Overbay to end the inning.
The Pirates were out of bench players and only right-hander Evan Meek was left in the Pirates bullpen. It was reported that he was not available to pitch and even tried to convince the staff to let him warm up, if needed.
During the bottom of the 14th, and Josh Rodriguez on first base with two outs, Jose Tabata stepped up to the plate. Rockies Manager Jim Tracy received a lot of critism for not walking Tabata to get to Garrett Olson, who was on deck.
Although, it didn’t appear that way. Manager Clint Hurdle sent Andrew McCutchen to the on deck circle in hopes Tracy didn’t realize the batting order (There was a double switch in the 10th inning, so the pitcher was batting in the two hole).
It proved out to be the game winning play, as Jose Tabata hit a double off of the Roberto Clemente wall to score Josh Rodriguez and win in the 14th inning.
Colin Dunlap of the Post-Gazette asked Hurdle if it was a decoy to make Tracy think McCutchen was up next, “No, come on, why would we do that,” Hurdle said with a sly chuckle.
What was Manager Jim Tracy’s reasoning? “To walk him into scoring position … I know they have somebody over there that maybe takes a swing and not have to hit the ball very far at all to end up winning the game that way also,” he said.
An incredible ending for the Pirates on their first win at home this season.
Jeff Karstens, who pitched 3.1 innings after taking over after Ohlendorf was injured, told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com, “I don’t even think words can describe what we did tonight. Just guy after guy came out; the situation didn’t matter, they just kept pitching. We were able to get out of it.”
Hurdle added, “My goodness. That’s a good hitting team over there. Our guys stepped it up tonight, every single one.”
Kristy Robinson
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