Padres Beak Open No-No, Game In Seventh For 2-0 Win; Buc Bats Again In Denial

Today’s Game: Call-up starter Miguel Diaz cruised through the Bucs in the first. Tyler Anderson walked the first Padre on four pitches, but a 6-4-3 DP and pop carried him easily out of the frame. The first two Bucs smoked the ball in the second but couldn’t find grass before Gregory Polanco walked, stole second and went to third on a bad toss. Another walk and a bouncer, nicely snared by diving 2B Ha-Seong Kim, capped a bad-ball-luck Buc inning. San Diego went down in order. Bryan Reynolds doubled with two gone in the third, just missing a long ball as a review confirmed it hit the top of the railing, not the seats, in right field. A three-pitch strikeout left him there after a pretty uninspired at bat by Colin Moran. It was another clean inning for Tyler. Diaz’s day was done at 50 pitches and Craig Stammen took over in the fourth. He worked a quiet frame, with help from a K that wasn’t, rung up by ump Nic Lentz. There was no noise from the Friars in their half.

Anderson singled with two gone in the fifth for the Bucs second rap and his first as a Pirate. Adam Frazier followed with another knock, but B-Rey’s sharp shot was hit into a perfectly played shift to end it. San Diego got their first baserunner with two away (the first out was on a great Erik Gonzalez grab of a ball ticketed for the corner) when Anderson rushed fielding a short roller for an error. He walked the next guy before working out of it. Austin Adams was called in for the sixth and struck out the side around a walk. Tyler regained his focus and fanned all three Friars. Tim Hill put the bottom of the Pirates order away without a peep in the seventh. A walk and the first hit, a grounder to right by Wil Myers, put Padres at the corners with no one away. A sac fly scored one run and moved the runner at first up 90 feet; Gregory’s arm, well… A two-out double brought that run home to make it 2-0 and brought on Clay Holmes. He gave up a soft infield single but held the fort.

Drew Pomeranz was waved in for the eighth and fanned a pair in a calm outing. David Bednar tossed a clean frame. Mark Melancon, the NL Pitcher of the Month, watched an E-Gon liner to right land in a glove, then gave up a single to Phil Evans before cleaning up.

It’s an old rule in any sport that ya gotta score to win…

Notes:

• Phil Evans was the only Pirate to reach base twice with a walk and a knock. The Bucs only had three runners in scoring position all night, and they all got there with two outs.
• Pittsburgh has now lost five in a row, the last two by shutout.
• The Pirates have released CF Brian Goodwin, making him a free agent.
• After two weeks of rest, Chad Kuhl (shoulder) has begun to throw and catch. During the pre-game, Shelty also said that Jake Stallings has no ill effects from his beaning and was available tonight.

Tomorrow’s Game: Starting time is 10:10 and the match will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Mitch Keller goes for the Bucs against a TBD mound opponent.