Four Homers & Pitching By Committee Propel Pirates To 7-2 Victory

Nick Margevicius picked up a pair of whiffs in a quiet first. Montana DuRapau walked the second Padre he faced but put up a zero in his and the Pirates first experience with the “opening” concept. The Bucs zeroed in a little better in the second; J-Bell and Bryan Reynolds launched back-to-back homers. Eli followed with a rap, but Redbeard banged into a 4-6-3 DP, although the order did turn over. Montana kinda liked his opening gig; he struck out the side. Margevicius had more problems in the third. Fraze singled, Starling doubled and J-Bell went yard once again. Reynolds walked and Eli singled but the party fizzled out. Steven Brault came in and gave up three walks and a knock (in justice, one that looked like Fraze should have gloved) with one gone. An around-the-horn DP saved the day. Pittsburgh went quietly in the fourth, as did the Friars. Gregory led off the fifth with a dinger and Phil Maton was waved in to calm the seas. Steven gave up a double and walk, but escaped with another zero.

The Bucs got a single and bopped batter in the sixth, but Starling couldn’t cash them in. Brault gave up a double that scored on a dink to left with an out, and Michael Feliz came in to shut it down. Matt Wisler got the seventh, and was touched for a rap but no runs. The Padres opened with a bunt single, and a two-out knock brought in Kyle Crick, who fanned Hunter Renfroe on three pitches. The Pirates went pop up, walk, 6-3 DP in the eighth. Frankie Liriano joined the cast, and after an opening single, he picked up three swinging strikeouts. Gerardo Reyes took the hill in the ninth. Starling singled with one gone, stole second and rolled into third when the throw got away. With two gone, J-Bell walked, as did Bryan Reynolds. Adam Warren took the ball, and Eli’s swinging bunt plated a run before the third out. Geoff Hartlieb, 25, took his big league bow, tossing a clean frame. Welcome to the show, kid, and raise the Roger.

Guess the ol’ opener ploy worked out just fine; four homers and a few early runs have a way of relaxing guys. The Bucs are 6-4 so far on this trip and end it looking for the series clincher tomorrow afternoon.

Notes:

• Josh da man again – he went 3-for-4 with a walk, two homers, four RBI and two runs scored. Eli got three raps and Starling added a pair.
• J-Bell has more homers in mid-May (14) than he had in all of 2018 (12). His second inning dinger, followed by Bryan Reynolds, are the first back-to-back Bucco bombs of the season. And today was his third multi-homer day of the month. For the Pirates, it was their first four-homer game of the campaign.
• The Pirates threw six pitchers at San Diego, including two rookies, and five put up zeroes: Montana DuRapau, Michael Feliz, Frankie Liriano, Kyle Crick and Geoff Hartlieb. Add in Steven Brault, and they all had at least a K as the committee whiffed 13 Padres.