Pirates Early Push Enough To Win Opener Against Rox, 11-8

K-Man got the game off to a rollicking start with a second-pitch homer off Chi Chi Gonzalez. B-Rey and Starling followed with back-to-back knocks and J-Bell walked. Redbeard banged a two-run two-bagger, and an out later, Fraze singled home another run. So did Jake. Willy bunted, Newman’s rap plated another pair, and that was it for Chi Chi; Yency Almonte took the ball and got the third out with the count 7-0. Willy gave up three straight raps with one away to make it 7-2; might be a hold-on-to-your-seatbelts night. With two gone in the second, a Moran rap and Joey O double put up another score, then Fraze knocked Osuna home. The Rox went down in order. K-Man doubled with one away for his third hit in three innings and moved to third on a fly, but the first Buc zero was posted. Colorado banged a couple of doubles to make it 9-3. With two down in the fourth, Joey O got the run back with a first-pitch dinger, then Fraze collected his third knock of the night before it ended. The Rox stranded a single.

Jesus Tinoco was waved on in the fifth. K-Man likes the Rocky Mountain High; he swatted another homer. Starling was plunked and J-Bell walked before the third out. The Rockies got a single, DP and bit of robbery at the wall by Starling, taking away a long fly bid by Nolan Arenado. Fraze got his fourth one-bagger in the sixth to turn the order over. Colorado was quiet. Jake McGee answered the seventh inning bell. He bopped Newman to open, but a DP and whiff quickly calmed the waters. Willy fired a clean frame. No noise from the Pirates in the eighth. Montana DuRapau gave up a two-out triple and walk. Consecutive doubles allowed a trio of Rockies to cross the dish, and in came Michael Feliz. He gave up a homer to pinch hitter Sam Hilliard on a 3-2 fastball; it’s 11-8. That was followed by another free pass and a single. Frankie Liriano was called in and got a whiff *whew*. Wade Davis put the Bucs away in the ninth and Felipe Vazquez came in and earned another save nine pitches later. Raise the Roger.

It’s a win, but it shows why the Pirates can’t have nice things when you turn an eight-run lead in the eighth into a save situation. Maybe it’s the thin air or the thin bullpen, but it’s already lookin’ like it might be one of those series…

Notes:

• Kevin Newman had four hits and HBP to reach all five PA’s, with two homers and four RBI. Fraze also had four knocks. Joey O and Redbeard had a pair of raps; between the three, they scored five times and chased home six runs. Pittsburgh was 5-for-10 w/RISP and plated five two-out runs. The Rox did even better, going 5-for-8 w/RISP and pushing six runs across with two gone.
• Just before gametime, it was announced that Chris Stratton went on the 10-day IL with right side inflammation, joined by Yefry Ramirez with a right calf strain. Parker Markel and Montana DuRapau have been recalled from Indy.
• The Pirates have called up 14 pitchers from Indy at one time or another. Only three have an ERA under six – Ric Rod (3.91), Michael Feliz (4.05) and Dario Agrazal (4.41).