Pirates 2 Blue Jays 5
I thought we were in tough against Paul Skenes today.
And then George Springer started the game with a home run
And then got three more run on him in the sixth, after the Pirates tied it in the top of the inning.
In the sixth:
- Vladimir Guerrero started it off with a single.
- Yohendrick Piñango followed with another single.
- And Jesús Sánchez doubled one home.
- Ernie Clement singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one more.
That was it for Skenes, who had been cruising along before that.
- Andrés Giménez bounced into a double play that scored our fifth run. I was surprised the didn’t try to stop the runner from scoring. but Sánchez didn’t start for home until the Pirates took the out at second.
Right in there, the Pirates had some issues with plate umpire Alan Porter. It seemed strange, they had challenges left, but instead wanted to just yell at the umpire. In a matter of moments, pitching
coach Bill Murphy and manager Don Kelly were thrown from the game. I’d be curious to find out why.
Skenes went 5 innings, allowing 9 hits, 4 earned, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.
We got the fifth run on Tyler Heineman’s first homer of the season.
Patrick Corbin was terrific. 6 innings, just 5 hits, no walks with 7 strikeouts. He gave up the run in the sixth, on a single and a double with two outs, but got out of the inning with a Spencer Horwitz strikeout. I was worried he wouldn’t get the well deserved win. But the team got those runs in the bottom of the inning.
Braydon Fisher had a terrific seventh, allowing a walk but getting two strikeouts.
Yariel Rodriguez didn’t have a terrific eighth. Ground out, walk, steal, walk, blown pickoff play at second and a ground out to score the run.
I hate pickoffs attempts at second base. I bet we don’t get three pickoffs at second that work in a season and must see ten errors on the play.
Adam Macko came in, hit a batter and then got a ground out.
Jeff Hoffman got the ninth with a three-run lead. I do admit, I am still hating that Varland pitched that second inning last night. But Hoffman got 3 strikeouts without anyone touching a pitch (wrong Tom, there was one foul off, but still he was amazing).
We had 11 hits on the day. I’m sure that gets us to the over on any gambling site in a Skenes start. Springer, Vlad, Piñango and Sánchez had two each. Daulton Varsho (with our only walk) and Lenyn Sosa had the 0 fors.
Jays of the Day: Corbin (0.20 WPA), Sánchez (0.18) and Springer (0.10).
No one had the number for the Other Award. Sosa had the low mark at -0.06.
Other than that, Andrés Giménez made a very nice play, going to his left, spinning and making a good throw to Vlad (who did make a nice dig on the play).
Fourth win in a row.
Tomorrow is an early start. 12:15 PM. I guess I gotta get out of bed tomorrow morning.
It is Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.86) vs. Dylan Cease (3-2, 2.98). A sweep would be nice.
