The Pittsburgh Pirates may want to stay in Colorado, or at least play the Colorado Rockies for the remainder of the season, because they played three very complete games in this series. The game on Wednesday afternoon was very familiar to the opener on Monday. The offense was on fire and the pitching kept the Colorado bats in check. At the end of it all Pittsburgh came away with a 14-3 win.
The Pirates put up a five spot in the first inning, which essentially put this game away. Andrew McCutchen got it started with an RBI double to right center. He would come around to score when Carlos Santana hit a single to left center. Connor Joe kept it going with an RBI double to right center. Jason Delay brought in two runs on a single to left center.
McCutchen was swinging a hot bat in the second when he hit a solo home run to left center. A Rodolfo Castro single to left center would score Santana. Mark Mathias would double to left center to score Joe, which was followed by a Jack Suwinski sac fly to plate Castro. The Rockies finally got on the board in the fourth when Mike Moustakas hit a sac fly to plate Kris Bryant.
Castro would smack a three-run home run in the sixth to put Pittsburgh up eleven. Colorado cut that lead to ten with an RBI single by Harold Castro in the eighth. The Pirates kept rolling in the ninth with two more runs. The first was on a Tucupita Marcano double to left center. The second when Ji Hwan Bae scored on a Canaan Smith-Njigba groundout. The Rockies final run came in the bottom half of the inning when Ryan McMahon doubled.
Pittsburgh pitching has been lights out as of late and that continued today. Johan Oviedo worked six innings allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Yohan Ramierez pitched two innings giving up one run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts and walks. The ninth belonged to Dauri Moreta, while on the bump he walked two batters and gave up one run on one hit.
Austin Gomber only lasted two innings for Colorado. He was tagged for nine runs on nine hits, to go with three walks and one strikeout. Four pitchers would be used for the last seven innings. They would combine to allow five runs on nine hits, with five strikeouts and two walks.
I don’t think anyone could have asked for a better series from the Pirates and overall a very successful road trip with a 5-2 record. They will now head back to PNC Park to begin a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night. Cincinnati took two of three from Pittsburgh to start the season, but I have a feeling the Buccos will get revenge over the next four days.
Record vs. Rockies: 3-0
Record vs. N.L. West: 3-0
Record on the Road: 9-4
Overall Record: 11-7
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
