Pirates Break Streak In a Big Way; Fry Fish 11-0

Bryan Reynolds singled with one gone against Trevor Richards, and a force out/steal by Starling got a Bucco to second, but no further. Steven Brault gave up knock that was moved up on a grounder. Runners ended up on the corners when Steven deflected a two-out chopper that was headed Fraze’s way, but a fly ended things quietly. Corey D tapped an infield rap with an out in the second; Eli banged into a 1-4-3 DP. The Fish opened with a rap; it was erased on a 1-6-3 twin killing. Good thing; that was followed by another knock which just served to turn the order over. Fraze started the third with a single, was bunted up, and died at second. With two outs, Steven bopped a batter, followed by a single and then an errant throw by Redbeard to jam the sacks. No prob; Brault picked up his fourth K to escape. Starling kicked off the fourth with an infield single & error, then a bouncer moved him to third. Colin’s single sent him home. Corey reached on another infield rap, with Redbeard going to third on a misthrow. No help; Eli grounded into his second DP of the night to end the inning. Steven just can’t get that third out on time; the pitcher beat out an infield hit on a two-strike pitch, with another knock ensuing before he closed the door with a whiff.

The Bucs opened it up in the fifth. Steven and K-Man doubled back-to-back, Bryan singled, and a Starling sac fly made it 3-0. J-Bell tripled in another marker and Redbeard’s knock plated him before Corey lined out to end the fun at 5-0. Steven tossed a shutdown frame. Adam Conley took the ball in the sixth; the only hit he gave up was a rap to sudden slugger Brault.  The Marlins managed another infield knock with an out, but an around-the-horn DP cleaned that up. In the seventh, Reynolds doubled and went to third on Starling’s line out to right. J-Bell was walked intentionally and shortly thereafter walked home after Redbeard lifted one out of the yard. Michael Feliz got the call and worked a clean frame with a couple of K. Jarlin Garcia had a rough start in the eighth; Fraze greeted him with a three-bagger and Joey O drilled a pinch-hit, 400′ dinger to make it 10-0. After an out, Bryan and Starling singled; a wild pitch and J-Bell sac fly plated another Bucco. Clay Holmes gave up an opening walkup with an 11-0 lead, then regained his mind and cruised out. Garcia tossed a clean ninth. Ric Rod gave up a two-out hit but maintained the goose egg. Raise, at long last, the Roger.

Well, Steven has taken advantage of the pitching carousel. He’s gone six innings in his last two outings, and his eight hits tonight were inflated by three infield raps. His no-walk/six whiff performance was especially promising; maybe he has finally decided to get into attack mode. The Buc bats kept booming; now to get some pitching behind them.

Notes:

• Bryan Reynolds had four hits, Colin Moran had three, and Starling Marte,Adam Frazier,Corey Dickerson and Steven Brault had a pair each. The Pirates as a team banged out 18 hits tonight,
• The Pirates made it official – RHP Dario Agrazal, 24, will make his MLB debut tomorrow night against the Fish. They’ll announce the corresponding 40/25-man roster moves then. He was on the “taxi squad” today, a sort of limbo to stash a guy for 24 hours.
• BTW, Miami is worse at home than the Pirates; they’re 12-24 in the Fish Bowl.
• Per Jim Callis of MLB.com, supplemental first-rounder Sammy Siani, a prep OF, signed for $2.15M (slot value was $1,999,300). Follow this link for the list of Pirates draftees and who signed for what.