Runs For Everyone!

      It was turn back the clock night. Well, it was for the Buccos as they put up a fourteen spot on the Cardinals in a dominating win.

     At first it seemed like it would be another disastrous outing for Kevin Correia as he would allow five runs in the first three innings to blow a 2-0 lead. It would remain that way until the fifth when the Buccos would tie the score with two outs by way of a Pedro Alvarez bases clearing double. From there it would be a Lumber Company flashback as they would homer three times in the sixth and one time in the ninth to lead the Buccos to a 14-5 victory. Correia would last five innings before being relieved by Brad Lincoln who would pitch three innings of one hit ball. Chris Resop would pitch a perfect ninth to end it. It's nice to actually be comfortable during a win for once. Let's do this more often, guys.

    The Pirate scoring would go as follows:
     1st Inn - Walker 2 RBI single.
     5th Inn - Pedro 3 RBI double 
     6th Inn - Clint Barmes solo shot, Alex Presley solo shot, GFJ 2 run shot.
     8th Inn - Casey McGehee RBI single, Pedro RBI walk.
     9th Inn - Cutch 3 run shot.

#YouGottaBelieve

Starters Lines

     Correia: (W, 4-6) 5 IN, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's (1 to Wainwright)

     Wainwright: (L, 6-8) 5 IN, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 7 K's (1 to Correia)

Turning Point

     Pedro's 3 RBI double in the fifth. With the Buccos down 5-2 with two out in the fifth Pedro knocked a ball down the right field line to tie the game. It would turn the momentum in favor of the Pirates and they would not look back.

Stud/Dud of the Game

     Stud:  Cutch (MVP MVP MVP) - 4-5 with a walk, 2 singles, a double, a homer, 3 RBI's, and 4 runs scored.

     Dud: The Barge - 0-5 with 2 K's and 4 LOB. 

Final Thoughts

     -- Clint Barmes and Alex Presley went back-to-back in the sixth inning. The second day in a row that the Pirates have done that (McGehee and Pedro) and the fourth time this season. #TheLumberCompany

     -- The win keeps the Pirates a game behind the Reds for first place and puts them into the second wild card spot. Oh, and their half way to 82 wins, jus sayin.

     -- 14 runs is most scored in a game by the Pirates since Aug. 31, 2010, at Wrigley. (Via @BiertempfelTrib)

This Day in '92

L @ STL 3-1 

     Victor Cole went 6 1/3 while only giving up three runs on six hits but it wasn't enough to avoid the loss.

     Orlando Merced went 2-4 with a single, triple, stolen base, and a run scored. 

     Andy Van Slyke went 0-4 with a strikeout and a GIDP. Yikes 

Big First Inning Leads to Split

     A.J. Burnett allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings while a five run first powered the Bucs to a 5-4 victory.

     Burnett allowed a second inning homer to Erik Kratz (yes, that Erik Kratz) before throwing one hit ball from then into the sixth. After getting the first out, A.J. allowed two singles then a slow roller to Pedro that was almost turned for two but instead turned into the third run. He would get the first two outs in the seventh before allowing a walk to end his day. Juan Cruz would come in and allow a walk before getting the final out. Jason Grilli came in for the eighth and ended any chance at the all-star game by giving a lead off homer to Hunter Pence. He would allow two more to reach base before getting out of the inning with the Bucs clinging to a one run game. The Hammer would also make things interesting in the ninth when Jimmy Rollins singled then moved to second by way of sac bunt. He would steal third but that would be the farthest he would reach as the Hammer would get the last two to end it.

     The offense did their work early by scoring all five runs in the first. Drew Sutton led off the game with a single. Neil Walker would walk and Cutch would move Sutton by way of a fly out. Garret Jones would then get an RBI single to make it 1-0 and Casey McGehee would follow by knocking the ball into the left center field seats to make it 4-0. Pedro would come up next and continue the hit parade by sending a lazer to right making it 5-0. All the support the Pirates needed to get them back in the win column.

Starters Lines

     Burnett: (W, 9-2) 6 2/3 IN, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's (1 to Kendrick)

     Kendrick: (L, 2-8) 7 IN, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's (1 to Burnett)

Turning Point

     Jason Grilli striking out Jim Thome in the eighth. For the second day in a row, Jim Thome came up with a chance to give Philly the lead and left with a strikeout. He did crush a ball that curved foul earlier in the at bat that made a lot of us lose a few years in our life expectancy.

Stud/Dud of the Game

     Stud: Casey McGehee - 1-3 with a walk, homer, run, and 3 RBI's

     Dud: Clint Barmes - 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and 3 LOB

Final Thoughts

     --  A.J. Burnett has won his last 8 starts and has a great chance of getting win number ten before the all-star break. Doc Ellis was the last Pirate to win this many decisions in a row.

     -- Times might be getting short for Jose Tabata as he didn't start today. Clint Hurdle mentioned Jose taking the "Alex Presley route" by going down to AAA to regain his stuff.

     -- The Reds lost to the Giants pulling the Buccos to within a game of first place. The Pirates are also tied for the second wild card spot.

We're going to turn the clock back to 1990 for this, the original "You Gotta Believe" video.

The story behind the video is first, the music video starts at 4:49.

#YouGottaBelieve

"You Gotta Believe" written by Frank and Ray Falotico, sung by Ernie Pontieri.

This Day in '92

L @ MON 9-0

     Randy Tomlin allowed five runs on eight hits in the loss. Denny Neagle allowed four runs in two innings of work.

     Lloyd McClendon was 2-4 with a single and a double.

     Andy Van Slyke had the day off.

It's A McRun Fest

     J-Mac wasn't dominant but was good enough and the "Mc"Bucs played long ball in an 11-7 win in Philly. This was a game that @McEffect will have a field day with.

     McDonald went 5 2/3 while giving up four. He gave the Phillies an early lead in the first by way of back-to-back homers by Chase Utley (His first at bat this season) and Pirate killer Carlos Ruiz. After that he calmed down by allowing one more hit until the sixth when he allowed two runs on three hits. Jared Hughes would come in to retire the final batter but get into trouble himself in the seventh. The leadoff hitter reached by way of a Pedro error then Jimmy Rollins would triple to make it 8-5. Tony Watson would then come in and allow three straight hits, 8-7 nobody out. In comes Brad Lincoln and ten pitches later the Pirates are out of the inning, still with the lead. The highlight of the inning being the Lincoln v. Thome matchup with two out. Lincoln would get a three pitch strikeout of the future hall of famer and give him a stare-down as he walked to the dugout. Grilli would come in for a perfect eighth highlighted by an MVP-like catch by Cutch. (See Below) The Hammer would come in for the ninth and close things out.
 

                             Picture courtesy of @dps2002 (A Phillies fan that has mad respect for Cutch) 
                                                                   You really thought you had a chance? - Cutch


     The Bucco bats would have their best offensive performance of the season so far by knocking in eleven runs on fourteen hits. (Mind you it was against the Philly bullpen for 9 innings) The Fort would start the scoring off for the Bucs with a three run shot in the second. He really wants to keep playing in Pittsburgh and has given management a reason to keep him up here. McGehee would lead off the fourth with a solo shot and J-Mac would help his own cause with and RBI single. They would get three more in the fifth by way of RBI singles by Walker, Tabata, and The Fort. After the Phillies cut the lead to one in the seventh, the Pirates threw in the dagger with a three run eighth. Drew Sutton hit his second RBI double in as many days (and this time he knew to throw up the Zoltan), then the MVP candidate followed with a two run shot, his fourteenth of the year, to finish out the scoring. Pirates Win, Pirates Win!

#YouGottaBelieve

Starters Lines 

     McDonald: (W, 7-3) 5 2/3 IN, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's

     Valdes: (L, 2-1)  2 IN, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's 

Turning Point

     Brad Lincoln's dominance in the seventh with the Phillies in full comeback mode. With the tieing and go ahead runs on base and no out Brad Lincoln came in and shut it down going strikeout, fly out, strikeout. The stare-down of Thome wasn't bad though either. 

Stud/Dud of the Game

     Stud(S): Cutch/Lincoln - Cutch went 2-5 with a single, homer, 2 RBI's, 2 runs. 

                                         - Lincoln 1 IN, 2 K's. 2 Runners stranded
     Dud: Pedro - No hits, walks. 3 K's 

Final Thoughts

     -- Since replacing injured Rod Barajas, The Fort has gone 7-11 (.636) with a double, 2 homers, and 6 RBI's.  

  
     -- This win is bigger than what some people think. There were many of us saying, this could be the start of the slide. They played like slop the last two games in a hostile environment and they were about to blow a large lead. They avoided the blow up and showed that they are not the team from last year, they can overcome diversity and that plays a big part in a small market team competing.

     --   The Reds and Cardinals both lost allowing the Bucs to get back to second with the Cards, 2 behind the Reds. 

     -- A.J. Burnett goes tomorrow in the final game of the series at 1:05. If he can continue his dominance he could be at 10 wins by the All-Star break.

This Day in '92

W @ MTL 12-4

     Jeff Robinson went 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4.

     Orlando Merced went 2-5 with a triple, homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBI's. Steve Buchelle went 2-4 with a walk, single, homer, RBI, and a run. 

     Andy Van Slyke went 4-5 with 3 singles, a triple, 2 runs, and 2 RBI's.  

Bucs Play Sloppy, Lose 8-3

     Jeff Karstens made his first start since coming off of the DL and didn't get the welcome back he expected as the Buccos fell 8-3.

     We knew it would be a long one from the start when the Pirates played their worst defensive inning of the year in the first. Jose Tabata committed two throwing errors while showing some lack of hustle and Pedro added a throwing error himself all aiding in a four run first for the Phillies. Karstens would allow a run scoring single in the third and a two run shot by Jimmy Rollins in the fourth. All together it was a mix of errors, tough luck singles and some major league rust that doomed Karstens. I still see him as being a better pitcher than Lincoln and Correia but time will tell.

     The other Phillies run would come by way of a bases loaded walk given up by Doug Slaten in the seventh. Jared Hughes would pitch a perfect eighth.

     The Pirate bats didn't have it tonight as they scored three runs on eight hits. The Pirates had first and second with no out in the second but Clint Barmes would  GIDP to end that chance.. Jose Tabata led the scoring off in the third with a solo shot in the third. Clint Barmes would get an RBI single in the fourth after Neil Walker led the inning off with a double. The final run would come by way of a Cutch single in the fifth after Tabata reached by way of a throwing error. Other than that the Pirates were 3-16 with runners on base.

     Nobody said the Pirates were going to play undefeated or lose games by a run or two. They will get beat by a large margin at times but what team doesn't. With the team's three best starters coming up there should be no reason to panic.


                                                                       Starters Lines
     Karstens: (L, 0-2) 5 IN, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 K's (1 to Blanton)
     Blanton: (W, 7-6) 7 IN, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K's (2 to Karstens)


                                                                       Turning Point
     Barmes GIDP in the second. Trailing 4-0, the Buccos got back-to-back singles to start off the inning. Barmes would then follow with the GIDP ending the chance of getting back into the game early on.

                                                                  Stud/Dud of the Game
     Stud: The Fort - McKenry went 2-4.

     Dud: Tabata - The two errors and possible lack of hustle lead to an early deficit and got Karstens pitch count up.

                                                                       Final Thoughts
-- Rod Barajas left the game early after twisting his knee in a home plate collision with Jimmy Rollins. X-Rays were negative and he is listed as day-to-day.

-- The Reds won tonight giving them a 2 game advantage in the Central.

-- The Pirates acquired infielder Drew Sutton off of waivers. He was with the Pirates for a day back in May before being traded to the Rays for cash. He will join the team tomorrow.
 

Pirate Bats Break Losing Streak

     A.J. Burnett registered another quality start and the Bucco bats knocked four balls out of the park in a 9-2 win over the Indians.

     Burnett only allowed two runs, both solo homers, over 6 2/3 innings. It wasn't a dominant performance but A.J. did what he needed to do to keep the Bucs in front. He allowed the first two batters to reach in the sixth before getting two outs. He would walk the next batter to load the bases but get out of the inning by getting Shelly Duncan to pop out. He would get into trouble again in the seventh by allowing two on with two out. Jared Hughes would come in to get the final out and end any chance at an Indian comeback. Hughes would pitch the seventh and Doug Slaten would pitch a perfect ninth.

     The offense continues to put up good numbers by putting a nine spot on the board. Six of the runs came by way of the long ball. Pedro Alvarez got the scoring started with a solo shot in the second. He would add a 2-run homer in the ninth for his first 2-homer game since 2010. Casey McGehee hit a 2-run shot in the sixth to continue his hot streak. He ended with 4 RBI's total on the day. Alex Presley would also add a solo shot in the seventh. The Buccos knocked out twelve hits on the day, eight singles and four homers. They also walked eight times, that's right, eight times.

     It was a very good way to snap out of a losing streak. Some players also seemed to snap out of their hitting woes as well which will hopefully transfer to a more complete offensive battery that can help us stay in this race.

                                                                    Starters Lines
     Burnett: (W, 7-2) 6 2/3 IN, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB 2 K's
     Jimenez: (L, 6-5) 6 IN, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's


                                                                    Turning Point
     Burnett getting out of the sixth - With the Bucs ahead by two Burnett got into some trouble after allowing first and second with no out. He would get the next two to fly out before allowing Johnny Damon's 1000 walk to load them up. After a mound meeting with Ray Searage Burnett would get Duncan to pop out to end the threat. The Pirates would get insurance the next inning with an Alex Presley homer and the Pirates would not look back.

                                                              Stud/Dud of the Game
     Stud: Pedro Alvarez - 2-4, a walk, 2 Homers, 3 RBI's, and 2 runs scored
    
     Dud: Clint Barmes - 0-4, a walk, 3 strikeouts, 3 LOB

                                                                    Final Thoughts
     -- Burnett's win gives him six in a row. The first time since a pitcher by the name of Doug Drabek did it in 1990. (Via @ESPNStatsInfo) That was the season the Bucs won the first of their three NL East Titles.

     -- The Reds won their fifth in a row which keeps the Pirates out of first by four games.

     -- Since the 12 run blowup in St. Louis, A.J. Burnett has only allowed 13 ER over his last 53 1/3 innings (8 games). The Pirates won each of those games.

                                                                    This Day in '92
                                                                     W vs. PHI 6-5
    
     Mike LaValliere sent a single into right field to walk-off with a victory in the 12th inning over the Phillies.
     Spanky went 2-5 with 2 RBI's and a walk. Jay Bell went 2-5 with a double, homer, RBI, run, and walk.
     Andy Van Slyke went 3-5 with 2 singles, a homer, a walk, RBI, and 2 runs.

Gut Check Time in the Burgh?

                      The Pirates played another poor game in Baltimore as they fell 7-1.
    
     Kevin Correia again looked terrible allowing five runs on ten hits. One run by way of a Wilson Betemit solo shot in the fourth. Tony Watson allowed the other two runs in the seventh by way of a Chris Davis broken bat homer. Yes, broken bat homer. It was that kind of night. The Hammer would get an innings of work in the eighth with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts.

     The offense didn't do much better. They had the bases loaded in the fourth and seventh innings and were only able to get one run. A Neil Walker RBI ground out to first where Jose Tabata was nearly tagged out at home after the out. They had two on with no one out in the ninth. The Fort would strike out, Presley would knock a bloop single to left but Jose Tabata forgot his base running abilities and was forced at third. Walker would ground out to end it.

     After a greatly played fifteen games the Pirates seem to be regressing back to where they "statistically" should be. Brad Lincoln and Kevin Correia have not been good the past few outings so when is enough enough? Hurdle said last night that Lincoln will make another start in Cleveland which is a questionable move but what about Correia? We have arms in Indy that are ready for their shot in the majors. Why not give it to them, they couldn't do any worse than what is going on right now. It's time to stop playing the "I'm rooting for you to get it together, therefore I'm keeping you in the rotation" game and start placing players on the big league roster that will help you stay in the race. The time is now.

                             Oh, The Reds won too. The Bucs are now 2 out of first.

                                    Tomorrow is another day, Let's Go Bucs!

Pirates Fall in Baltimore

     Brad Lincoln didn't have his best stuff and Chris Resop couldn't stop the bleeding as the Buccos fell 8-6.

     Lincoln only lasted 4 1/3 innings while giving up four runs, three by way of homer, on nine hits. Juan Cruz got the final two outs. Chris Resop came in for the fifth and didn't do much better than Lincoln as he gave up four runs on three hits with one of them being a two run shot by Chris Davis.Doug Slaten Would pitch the final two innings without allowing a run. He still hasn't allowed a run in the Majors this year.

     The offense yet again didn't quit after falling behind 8-2 after the sixth. They got their only lead of the game in the first after a Matt Hague single made it 1-0. They would cut the Orioles lead to 4-2 in the sixth when Casey McGehee knocked his second homer of the year over the right field fence. They would get the tieing runner to the on-deck circle in the ninth with one out after Neil Walker sent a two run shot of his own into the left field seats to make it 8-6. Cutch and McGehee would be retired to end it.

                                                                 Starters Lines
     Lincoln: (L, 3-2) 4 1/3 IN, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's
     Chen: (W, 6-2) 6 1/3 IN, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's

                                                                 Turning Point
     2 Errors to start the bottom of the sixth - Clint Barmes started the inning off with a throwing error which allowed Steve Pearce to reach. He would be bunted to second on what seemed to be a sacrifice by Endy Chavez. Resop would field the bunt and throw it away allowing both to advance a base. Three batters later there was a four spot on the scoreboard. BAL 8 - PIT 2.

                                                            Stud/Dud of the Game
     Stud: Neil Walker 2-5, double, homer, 3 RBI's, run scored
    
     Dud: Pedro Alvarez 0-4, 2 strikeouts, 2 LOB

                                                                 Final Thoughts
-- The Reds defeated the Indians tonight to take first place by a game. For those of you saying "Well first place was fun while it lasted, better luck next year" you're crazy. The Buccos fought till the end knocking out ten hits. They had a four game winning streak going into this game, they weren't going to finish the season by going 100-0 they WILL lose games.
    
     If you are a true Pirates fans you will celebrate the great run that the Bucs have been on these last three weeks even if others are questioning you for doing it so early in the season, but remember in the back of your mind that it may not last. So if that happens (I really hope it won't) don't jump off of the Clemente bridge. 

This PSA has been brought to you by The Lumber Company, Thank You. 

--  The first four batters in Orioles lineup (Roberts, Hardy, Davis, Jones) went combined 11 for 19, including 2 homers and 6RBIs. (Via @BiertempfelTrib) 


-- Clint Hurdle said in his post-game statement that Brad Lincoln will start in Cleveland on Saturday. I'd rather give Rudy Owens or Justin Wilson a chance at a spot start. Both are doing extremely well in AAA.


                                                                This Day in '92
                                                                W @ NYM 3-2
     Randy Tomlin picked up his 8th victory by going 7 1/3 innings while only giving up 2 runs on 5 hits.
     Don Slaught went 3-4 with 3 singles. Jeff King went 1-4 with a solo shot.
     Andy Van Slyke went 1-3 with a triple, a walk, and a run scored.

You Gotta Believe

                                                                Friday Night
     The Buccos take the field in the first of a three game set against the Royals. The Bucs, fresh off of their series win in Cinci, were two games out of first going into Friday's game and came home to a packed house.

     Erik Bedard threw seven strong allowing only two runs and striking out five. Jason Grilli and The Hammer came in and threw two perfect innings to clinch the win.
     Garrett Jones, Neil Walker, and Clint Barmes all recorded RBI's in the game.
Final Score: Buccos 4 Royals 2.
     Meanwhile in Cin the Reds walked off in the tenth on the Tigers after Detroit held a one run lead in the eighth. Bucs stay 2 back.

                                                               Saturday Night
     The winning ways would continue into Saturday in front of a "Baseball Night in America" audience. (About 50 people) James McDonald took the hill in what everyone was expecting to be another masterful performance. That was not meant to be as J-Mac was pulled after four innings and three runs for a pinch-hitter. That move proved to be perfect as it led to runs. The Buccos scored five runs in that fourth with only one ball getting out of the infield. It was yet another example of how the Buccos find any way possible to get runs on the board.
Final Score: Buccos 5 Royals 3
     More good news came earlier in the day when the Tigers scored late to overtake the Reds 3-2. Bucs move within a game from first.

                                                              Sunday Afternoon
     The Buccos completed the sweep in front of another large crowd as A.J. Burnett again proved that he is in no way overrated. Burnett took a no-no into the sixth before allowing three hits and a run. He would get into a first and third jam in the eighth before getting pulled for Tony Watson. Watson would allow only one run to score while getting two big outs before Juan Cruz would end the inning with a bases loaded strikeout. Jason Grilli would come in for the ninth and allow the go ahead run to reach with one out. That's when Grilli showed why he is one of the best releavers in the majors. He struck the final two batters out ending with a huge fist pump that expressed the feelings of a whole fan base. The Pirates were a mere 1/2 game out of first.
     Andrew McCutchen kept his MVP attitude going with all 3 RBI's by way of a double and 2 run homer.
Final Score: Buccos 3 Royals 2
     It seemed the Reds would hold the NL Central lead until another late inning meltdown by Aroldis Chapman allowed the Tigers to score four times in the eighth giving them a 7-6 victory and first place for the Buccos.

      The amount of Pirate fans on twitter during last nights Reds-Tigers game was amazing. What was even better was the reaction of the fans when the Reds lost. We got #FirstPlaceBucs trending nationwide but something we still are not getting is respect by the media. Before the season started the Pirates were listed as "other" in a NL Central prediction survey along with the Astros. We got no respect and we still aren't. The Pirates are 12-3 in their last 15 games. That's good enough to be the hottest team in baseball. Even after jumping into first place we got a small segment 3/4ths of the way through Sportscenter with this clever headline. "Roger is Jolly Again"

                                                   
     It doesn't matter if we make headlines or not, in the end all the Buccos need are the true fans that know what has and what could happen. Yes, they might start slipping down the standings or they may send this unbelievable season into a playoff birth. No matter what happens it's a great time to be a fan of the Pirates.Some writers and baseball fans are saying "Why are you so excited? It's June 10th. This will not continue" I say, let them say what they want. Pirates fans have been waiting twenty years for signs of life and we got a glimpse of it last season, Well it's happening again and you should not be ashamed at all to be thrilled about it. Now is the time to show your colors. Wear your throwback Van Slyke jersey downtown, fly your Jolly Roger outside of your house, show Pittsburgh that summer isn't only "A couple months till training camp starts" It's the time when the Buccos are contending.

     Quoting a song made in 1990 for the Buccos, "You gotta believe it's your turn, you gotta believe its true, in Pittsburgh we believe, the Pirates will come through".

                         "You Gotta Believe" written by Frank and Ray Falotico, sung by Ernie Pontieri.

Bucs Find A Way

     Clint Hurdle said it best, "This is probably as satisfying a win as we've had since I've been here." and I think he's right.
    
     The game was a back-and-forth battle like Rocky fighting Drago. Jay Bruce got Cinci on the board first with a solo shot. Presley and Walker would respond in the fourth with back-to-back doubles followed by a GFJ sac fly to make it 2-1 Bucs. Ryan Ludwick would tie it again in the fifth with a solo shot on the first pitch. The Bucs would again go back in front by playing small ball in the sixth. Presley would lead off with a single and be moved to third by way of two outs. GFJ would get him in with a single making it 3-2. Again, the Reds would tie it by way of three straight singles while chasing starter Kevin Correia.
    
     Jared Hughes would come in and retire the next three to stop the bleeding and keep it tied. The next half inning would see the Bucs take their third lead at 4-3 when Jose Tabata would lead off with a single. He would be bunted to second but on the play Brandon Phillips would turn away from the play allowing Tabata to reach third. The Fort would score him on a sac fly. The lead would remain that way until the ninth when Ludwick, again, homered on the first pitch off of The Hammer to tie it at 4.
     
     We all were expecting to see a quick top of the tenth when the Reds went to shut-down closer Aroldis Chapman. We would all be surprised though when Clint Barmes took the at-bat to seven pitches before crushing a 91mph slider into the left center field gap for a double. The Fort would be just as surprising knocking a 99mph fastball into the right center field gap to give the Battlin' Buccos the lead for good at 5-4. Chris Resop would get the save after allowing a lead-off double to Joey Votto. The game would end on a Ludwick strike out looking. A pretty fitting ending considering what the former Bucco did to us twice earlier.

     This game had a nerve racking playoff feel to it. I, honestly haven't been able to witness a Pirate game like this before where two teams fighting for the division lead are matching each other blow-for-blow. Yes, last year we had the McKenry homer against the Cubs and the 1-0 victory over the Reds to put us into first but there wasn't that game where the Pirates beat the team they were chasing in the standings and in a game where it seemed they couldn't pull away until the very, very end. It is a great time to be a Pirate fan and I hope you all make your way to PNC this weekend to watch them take on the Royals. After the way they battled to win this series I'll be there.

Few Notes:
     --Dejan Kovacevic from The Trib posted a very good article about Clint Hurdle. It shows the leadership role that has the Buccos in the right mindset for a fight at the division. Here's the link.

     http://triblive.com/sports/columnists/1920576-74/hurdle-clint-pirates-mckenry-barajas-gayo-laughing-park-players-banister

     --Jeff Karstens left his rehab start tonight with tightness in his right groin. Be prepared to see Lincoln make another start or a move from "AAA".

Lincoln Has Setback, Bucs Rally Falls Short

     Brad Lincoln encountered his first bad outing in his spot start of the season allowing five runs in four innings in a 5-4 loss to the first place Reds.

     Lincoln gave up a Brandon Phillips lead off homer in the second then really blew up when he loaded the bases in the fourth which was followed by a Ryan Ludwick bases clearing double. Ludwick would then score on a single to make it 5-0. Lincoln would be done after four and Doug Slaten would play savior as he would work the next three innings while only throwing 27 pitches. Tony Watson would then pitch a scoreless eighth.

     The offense was, yet again, dominated by Johnny Cueto. He would only allow five Bucco baserunners through the first seven innings. Two of them would be caught stealing (J-Hay and Cutch), while the other three would not reach second base. I had counted them out completely but the Bucs refused to quit. The Barge would lead off the eighth with a double and would advance to third on a Pedro Alvarez pinch hit single. Two batters later, Neil Walker would single The Barge home bumping Cueto from the game. Cutch would take advantage of that two pitches later sending a fastball over the center field fence making it a 5-4 game. It would be all the Bucs would get, thanks to Aroldis Chapman, but the no quit effort by the Bucs really impressed us. 

     Other teams in the past would have their late night dinner plans made after the sixth inning but this team, having been in the thick of things for 3/5ths of a season last year and so far this year, has that no quit attitude that we saw from those teams we loved in the '70's and early '90's. This is a scrappy ball club to watch.


                                                                      Starters Lines
     Lincoln: (L, 3-1) 4 IN, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's (1 to Cueto)
     Cueto: (W, 6-3) 7 2/3 IN, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K's (1 to Lincoln)


                                                                      Turning Point
     Ryan Ludwick's bases clearing double in the fourth - At the time it looked like it opened the floodgates for the Reds. It turned out to be the deciding hit in a 5-4 victory.


                                                                 Stud/Dud of the Game
     Stud: Cutch - 1-3, 3-run homer, walk, 3 RBI's, and a run.


     Dud: Brad Lincoln - The five runs bump his ERA up to 2.40. Still very good, but not for tonight.


                                                                      Final Thoughts
-- Pedro's pinch hit single in the eighth broke an 0-18 slump. This was his first at-bat in a few days.


-- Doug Slaten's heroic three shutout innings has his scoreless streak to 5 2/3 innings since being called up from "AAA" Indy. 
     
     Worth Noting: In Indy he had not given a run up since his first appearance on April 7th  (via @northsidenotch)


-- Aroldis Chapman is good. He made the Bucco batters look silly in the ninth (2 K's and a groundout).


                                                                      This Day in '92
                                                                      L vs. NYM 15-1
     Denny Neagle allowed six runs on eight hits in four innings of work while the pen allowed nine more runs in the blowout loss. 
     Barry Bonds went 2-2 with 2 singles, a walk, and a RBI. Jay Bell went 1-4 with a single, a run scored, and a strikeout. 
     Andy Van Slyke went 1-3 with a single.

Pirates Start Huge Series Off With A Win

     A.J. Burnett did his usual thing, Sloppy first (2 ER) then pretty dominant the rest of the way to pull the Bucs within two games of first with an 8-4 win over the Reds.

     Burnett allowed two singles and a walk while allowing two runs in the first before allowing six baserunners the rest of the way before being pulled with runners on first and third with no out in the sixth. Chris Resop would come in and mop things up only allowing one of those inherited runners to score via sac fly. He would also pitch a scoreless eighth after allowing two to reach scoring position. Tony Watson would pitch a hitless eighth and Juan Cruz would get into trouble in the ninth allowing Joel Hanrahan to get another easy save. Cruz would allow three straight singles and an earned run before the Hammer struck the next three out to end it.

     The offense looked great again putting up 8 runs and 12 hits. Three of those hits coming by way of long balls by Neil Walker (2 run), and solo shots by Casey McGehee (his first), and Alex Presley. McGehee would total 2 RBI's with the homer in the fifth and a single in the second. Clint Barmes would have 3 RBI's with a double in the second and a 2 RBI single in the third. The Bucs bats knocked out Reds starter, Homer Bailey after three innings. This should help in the long run considering only after one game in the series the Reds bullpen already has seven innings logged.
     Worth noting: Alex Presley went 2-5 with a triple and a solo homer in his first game back from Indy. (via @BrinkPG)

                                                                        Starters Lines
     Burnett: (W, 5-2) 5+ IN, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K's
     Bailey: (L, 4-4) 3 IN, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's (1 to Burnett)

                                                                        Turning Point
     Garrett Jones' stolen base in the second. - Yes, I said Jones stole a base in the second after a leadoff single. It opened the floodgates in the tune of 8 runs.

                                                                  Stud/Dud of the Game
     Stud: Clint Barmes - #AlwaysSmooth went 3-4 with his 2 singles, a double, and 3 RBI's
     Dud: Cutch - 1-5 with a single and 2 strikeouts. He would be thrown out trying to advance to second on a passed ball after his only hit.

                                                                        Final Thoughts
-- The Buccos have won their last four series against NL Central teams (9-3) and go for their fifth in a row tomorrow against the Reds.

--  In his six starts since his meltdown in St. Louis, Burnett is 4-0 while pitching 39 1/3 innings and allowing 9 earned runs. Not too bad of a trade now is it Pirate fans?

--  Brad Lincoln will make a spot start for the Bucs tomorrow in place of injured Charlie Morton, who is on the 15 day DL. Lincoln's only other start went 6 innings, only allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs in a win in Miami. Those are the only 2 earned runs he has allowed all season. 1 ER in 20 innings of relief.

                                                                        This Day in '91
                                                                        W 5-4 vs. NYM
     Stan Belinda got the win pitching a scoreless ninth as the Buccos walked-off with the win.
     Starter Zane Smith went 1-3 with a 2 RBI triple while Lloyd McClendon had the pinch-hit game winning single in the ninth scoring Jay Bell.
     Andy Van Slyke went 2-3 with a single, solo shot, RBI, 2 walks, a stolen base, and a run.

Pirates Exercise Demons At Miller Park

     Kevin Correia went 5 2/3 only allowing two solo shots while getting plenty of offense in an 8-2 win in Milwaukee.

     It seemed like it would be another letdown by Correia as he allowed Nyjer Morgan to homer in the first but he settled down after and pitched well. He wouldn't allow another run until the sixth when Corey Hart would lead off the inning with another homer. He would be replaced by Doug Slaten with two on and two out and Slaten would only need one pitch to get out of it. Slaten, Hughes, Lincoln, Watson, and Cruz would all get work in the final 3 1/3 to preserve the victory.

     The offense continues to heat up as they knocked in eight runs on thirteen hits. The big inning came in the third when they put a six-spot on the board. J-Hay and Cutch led off the inning with back-to-back Trip...Trip...Triples followed by three singles by Walker, Hague, and The Barge. Jordy Mercer would walk to load the bases and Jose Tabata would send what would have seemed like a routine fly ball out to center, but Nyjer Morgan misplayed it horribly allowing the bases to clear. After the dust settled it was 6-1 Bucs. They would get the final two runs by way of a Cutch double in the eighth.

                                                                      Starters Lines
     Correia: (W, 2-5) 5 2/3 IN, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's
     Wolf: (L, 2-5) 6 IN, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K's (1 to Correia)

                                                                      Turning Point
     Nyjer Morgan's botched fly ball with two out in the third. Tabata sent a liner out to Morgan who misplayed the fly ball and allowed it to go over his head. Three runs would score on the play making it 6-1.

                                                                 Stud/Dud of the Game
     Stud: Jose Tabata, 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 RBI's, 1 run. This is the offense output Jose needed after the slump/lack of effort that he's shown lately.

                                                                      Final Thoughts
  -- The Reds defeated the Astros tonight 4-1 while Johan Santana threw a no-no against the Cards. The Pirates are 3 behind the first place Reds while they are only a 1/2 game behind the Cards for second.

  -- Ryan Braun left tonight's game with a right hip strain, he will be day-to-day. Wouldn't sadden me one bit if he took a few days off just to make sure he's ok. 

  -- In the last two games A.J. Burnett and Kevin Correia are a combined 2-5 hitting with a walk and a run.

                                                                      This Day in '92
                                                                       L vs. LAD 8-6
     Denny Neagle gave up 3 runs in four innings of relief to pick up the loss. (2-3)
     Jose Lind went 2-3 with a single, 2 doubles, 2 RBI's, and a run. Jay Bell went 1-5 with a 2-RBI double and a run scored.
     Andy Van Slyke went 2-5 with a double and a RBI.