Bucs Drop A Fly Ball, Drop the Game in 10 Innings 4-3

For three innings, it was a a duel between Ivan Nova and Julio Urias. The Bucs stranded a couple of guys on via a walk and an error while LA had a couple of runners get to second with two outs. Pittsburgh went quietly in the fourth and the Dodgers drew first blood. In an uncharacteristically (for him) wild outing, Nova issued his second walk of the game and it cost him a run when Yasmani Grandal took him deep. The Pirates slept walk through the next two frames but Ivan kept the Dodgers off the board while leaving three of the Blue Crew on the pond. In the seventh, the Bucs broke up the no-no and shutout. Cutch doubled and scored with two outs on Amore’s two-bagger, a liner that the LF lost. Cervy came around to tie it when Max Moroff’s bloop off Luis Avilan found grass; Max quickly atoned by being picked off first. Ivan was banged for a double in the Dodger half and an out later Felipe Rivero closed out the inning with a bopped batter, a tapper and a K.

Pedro Baez took the mound in the eighth and gave up a bomb to JJ to give the Bucs an unlikely lead. Juan Nicasio came on. He was touched for a two-out double followed by a wild pitch and Tony Watson came on to get the final man and work on a four-out save. Josh Fields shut down the Buccos in the ninth. With an out, the Dodgers banged back-to-back singles. Cody Bellinger hit a soft fly to right; Gregory broke back on a hit that was in front of him, then took a circular route to the ball on recovery. The horsehide bounced out of his mitt and dropped beside him; only a home town ruling scored it a hit rather than an error. A weak seeing eye single tied it up before a comebacker DP ended the frame, beautifully turned by Jordy who had to snag a one-hop throw by Tony to save his bacon. The twin killing was challenged unsuccessfully by LA and it was on to bonus baseball.

Kenley Jansen got a pair of whiffs in a quiet 10th. Huddy took the ball and gave up a lead-off knock to Grandal. Ross Stripling pinch ran, and after two whiffs, pinch-hitter Austin Barnes shot a ball into the right center gap and that was the ball game. It was set up up to be a nicely stolen game; the Pirates were outhit 13-4 with LA stranding a dozen and going 1-for-11 w/RISP. The contest also kept a couple of not-very-good trends alive; the Pirates can’t win on weekdays nor without scoring four runs. It helps to catch balls, too.

Notes:

• A little more good news on the injury front – aside from Fraze rehabbing at Indy, Freeser is now running and taking part in baseball activities. The Bucs sure could use the offensive shot in the arm that pair would provide. No Pirate reached base twice tonight.
• Ex-Bucco and current Giant Mark Melancon went the on 10-day DL with a right forearm strain.