Bucs Survive Long Balls, Earn 4-3 Split With Reds

Well, this is the shortest road trip the Bucs will ever take (Cincy is the home club as this game is a makeup from GABP). Pittsburgh got a Fraze walk and B-Rey knock with an out off Trevor Bauer, but a Redbeard 4-6-3 DP dampened the effect. A leadoff walk cost Cody Ponce when Eugenio Suarez lifted a two-out, two-strike homer to center. Key tripled with two gone in the second, but the Bucs couldn’t get him in. The Reds stranded a double. Fraze walked again in the third for all the Pittsburgh action. Ponce fanned the side. An error put Redbeard aboard and Ke’Bryan singled him to third with two away in the fourth. It paid off this time. Anthony Alford’s drive to center wasn’t cleanly corralled by Brian Goodwin and went for a triple to knot the score; AA raced home with the lead run a heartbeat later after a short wild pitch. It was a short-lived edge; Mike Moustakas banged one over the fence to tie it up at threes.

K-Man and Fraze opened the fifth with raps to put Bucs on the corners; B-Rey’s DP killed any chance of a big inning but did get Newman home. Sam Howard took the ball from Cody and tossed a quiet frame. Bauer put up a zero in the sixth. Chris Stratton took his turn. After two whiffs (one got a Reds coach tossed by our old bud Jerry Meals) and a walk, Nik Turley was sent in to face Moustakas lefty-to-lefty. Moose won, singling on a 3-2 fastball to put Redlegs on the corners, but Nik followed with a swinging strikeout to maintain the one-run margin. Lucas Sims cruised through the seventh and Ric Rod climbed the slope. He didn’t allow a ball out of the infield, and you can raise the Roger.

Speed is nice thing to have, and Key and Alford have wheels; AA’s speed may have won the game. Odd split, winning the road game and losing at home, both at the same spot, but hey, been an odd kinda year…

Notes: 

• Ke’Bryan Hayes had two hits and Fraze had a knock and two walks to reach base three times. Not much offense goin’ on – the Bucs had six hits and the Reds just four, although a pair of them leaving the yard kept them in the game.
• Cody Ponce has done pretty well as the 29th man, starting two wins and helping the Bucs sweep the Cards and then, more clutch, getting today’s split.
• The Pirates will get a break pretty soon; two more single games against the Reds, then a long-awaited off day before the White Sox come to town for a pair, followed by another day of rest.