Brault Brilliant; Bucs Broom Rox 6-2

Adam Frazier kept the mojo working at the leadoff spot; he banged Jeff Hoffman’s first pitch out of the yard. B-Rey singled and Redbeard walked two outs later, but were left on the pond. Steven Brault tossed a quiet opening frame. The Bucs got an Eli knock in the second; nada for the Rox. Reynolds opened the third with a rap. Colin doubled with two away, with B-Rey cut down at the plate on what wasn’t the best thought-out send by Joey Cora. A single, DP and final grounder tucked Colorado away. Joey O flew out to the track to start the fourth. An Eli rap followed by an error put a couple of Bucs aboard, and they became the fifth and sixth Buccos stranded. Steven lost a pair of Rockies to walks on 3-2 counts but escaped, and is still in a very good place with 40 pitches. Reynolds opened the fifth with his third hit and Starling’s knock sent him to third. Marte got picked off, breaking early on a steal attempt, but J-Bell softened the blow by singling Reynoldo home. A Redbeard DP continued the Bucs bleeding of runners. Moran booted a ball to start the Rox half, and Garrett Hampson stole second. A fly with one gone moved him to third; Steven left him there.

Jesus Tinoco got the sixth; a two-out single by Erik Gonzalez was negated when he was thrown out trying to stretch it as Ian Desmond threw a strike to second. Nolan Arenado cut the lead in half with a two-gone solo shot. Steven made up for that by swatting a homer of his own to start the seventh. Fraze singled and Marte walked an out later. J-Bell hit a DP ball, but the relay throw got past the 1B’man, allowing another Buc to cross the dish. James Pazo took the ball and closed it out with the score 4-1. The Rockies opened with a bunt knock and a pop that fell (Fraze was charged with an error). A flare single brought in a run and Ric Rod. He got a tapper that nailed the lead runner at home, after a challenge by Colorado was nixed on the collision/blocking rule. A whiff kept the damage at one. Carlos Estevez worked the eighth without a drop of sweat. Keone Kela left a walk at first. Jairo Diaz claimed the slab in the ninth. Melky reached via a boot and Big Joe ran for him. With an out, an eaten grounder put Bucs on the corners, and Starlings roller chased home Moose. Redbeard and J-Bell hit consecutive singles to add another tally and build a 6-2 edge. No foolin’ around today; Felipe came in and bopped a batter with two outs, then whiffed it to an end. Raise the Roger.

Pirates did good, though today a little shoddy fielding and some baserunning misadventures held them down. But compared to the Rox, the Bucs are a gold glove squad, and Steven was brilliant today. Now to get home and roast some doggies in the back yard to celebrate…

Notes:

• B-Rey had three raps and is hitting .335. Fraze, J-Bell, Redbeard and Eli had a pair of knocks each. Pittsburgh, which had been red hot with RISP, sputtered today at 2-for-12, but still chased home plenty enough for the sweep.
• The Bucs banged out 37 runs and 63 hits in the 36-inning, four-game set. 
• Fraze and K-Man have led off three-of-four Rockie games this series with a homer; two were on the first pitch of the game. Speaking of homers, Steven’s shot in the seventh was his first MLB bomb, and it was no cheapie – it landed in the second deck and was measured at 441′, the longest blast by a pitcher this season. Nevertheless, he was given the classic silent treatment in the dugout, a common yuk for first-time long ball hitters..
• The Astros Justin Verlander just became the sixth pitcher in MLB history to throw three no-hitters with today’s no-no against Toronto. He joins Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax (4), and Nolan Ryan (7) on the leaderboard; that’s a list of keepers.