Pirates Waste Nova's Outing, Lose To Cubs 1-0

Both clubs had knocks in the first; the Cubs’ went nowhere and the Bucs’ Corey D was erased on a Starling DP, so Ivan Nova and Jon Lester had no opening ulcers. The Chicagos went down quietly in the second; Lester struck out the side. Chi-town put together back-to-back two out raps in the third but couldn’t push one across. Hechy singled, with two more K rung up for a calm Bucco frame. The Windy City dented the scoreboard in the fourth when Ian Happ gave a 2-0 change a ride. That was followed by an infield knock but no more mayhem. Marte grounded out in an absolutely grisly at bat, Polanco K’ed and Freeser bounced out, not very inspiring work by the Buc bats so far. Ivan twirled a smooth fifth. J-Hay singled with two gone and Hechy’s rap moved him to third. Ivan took ball four, but plate ump Scott Barry wouldn’t give it to him, and Nova eventually whiffed. The Cubs got a leg single with an out in the sixth when Ivan bobbled the flip from J-Bell but it didn’t hurt. Corey D lined out on an at ‘em ball to left, then Starling dropped a single into center. He was caught stealing an out later to end the action.

An infield single opened the seventh for the Baby Bruins and a grounder moved him up. With two away and Nova at  97 pitches, Ric Rod was waved in and K’ed Javy Baez. Good start for Ivan; his curve was really working this outing. Lester was gone, too, replaced by a pinch hitter; he didn’t have great fastball command but his off-speed stuff nicked the edges all night. Steve Cishek toed the rubber and J-Bell beat out a two-out bouncer to second, leading nowhere. Ric Rod fanned the side in the eighth, with a bopped batter tossed in. Carl Edwards Jr. climbed the bump and the Bucs sent up three lefties with no success. Kevin Newman took over at short after Hechy was pinch hit out of the lineup while Felipe took the ball in the ninth. He walked a guy but had an otherwise uneventful frame. Pedro Strop was waved in and Starling continued his swing-at-all-costs night, whiffing with only one pitch in the strike zone. Gregory showed a slightly better eye but with the same result; both swung at full-count, ankle-biting splitters that would have been ball four. Freeser got plunked to keep hope alive, but only briefly as Eli tapped out to first.

The team still can’t sync the pitching and the hitting. Lester tossed a nice game, but he left the Pirates some hittable fastballs and the Bucs couldn’t make him pay. They’re 61-61 now and fast closing in on irrelevance after losing 5-of-6 and 8-of-12.

Notes: 

• Hechy was the only Bucco to reach base twice with a pair of singles. The Pirates were free-swinging; none walked. The Pirates left just five runners aboard and only one made it past first (and that was with two outs).
• The solo home run that Ivan Nova served up tonight was only the second long ball he’s surrendered in the last six starts covering 33 IP.
• Lester K’ed eight, tying his season high.
• The attendance was 21,783, again with a good show of Cubbo fans.