A day after the Los Angeles Dodgers ended the Pittsburgh Pirates seven game winning streak the Buccos were back at it. Today’s lineup looked a bit different with star outfielder Bryan Reynolds being activated from the bereavement list and in his usual role batting second.
Reynolds was greeted with a warm welcome from the crowd as soon as his walkup music started.
Youngster Roansy Contreras was on the bump for this middle game opposing Dodgers righty Tony Gonsolin who made his 2023 debut.
The first two innings went by quickly with both team going hitless and only drawing one walk each, and stranding that runner at first. Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas kept the Buccos hitless after Connor Joe hit a rocket towards second that had two bases written all over it. In the top of the third Joe returned the favor with a sliding catch to rob Dodgers designated hitter David Peralta of a hit.
Pirates catcher Jason Delay broke up Gonsolin’s no hit bid and recorded the first hit for either team in the third with a single to center and setting the table for the top of the Buccos’ lineup. Leadoff man Ke’Bryan Hayes followed up with a walk only to be erased on a ball hit by Reynolds which ended up being a 4-6-3 double play.
With Contreras dealing for Pittsburgh the offense was looking to get some run support and that started during the fourth doing just that. Carlos Santana singled to center and advanced to second on a walk from Jack Suwinski which ended up chasing Gonsolin with Joe coming to bat.
Phil Bickford came in and worked quickly striking out Joe for the second out. Santana and Suwinski stole third and second respectively before the inning ended with a weak pop-up by the Pirates shortstop Rodolfo Castro.
Roansy got himself into a bit of jam in the top of the fifth walking Vargas who later stole second yet worked out of it by keeping the Dodgers at bay. Buccos speedy outfield Ji Hwan Bae then led the bottom of the fifth off with a single to center and stole second base to temporarily give the Pirates the most steals in all of baseball. Delay then executed a sacrifice bunt perfectly and got Bae to third. Hayes followed up by walking which brought up the Buc’s big money man, Reynolds who laced a ball into leftfield to drive in the Pirates first run of the evening and advancing Hayes to third. Former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen then came up to the plate with runners on the corners a blooped a single into right field driving home another run for Pittsburgh, which forced Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to pull Bickford. Justin Bruhl came in and quickly escaped trouble by getting Carlos Santana to ground in to a fielders choice and then getting Suwinksi to fly out to left field to end the inning.
Dodgers backstop Austin Wynns ended Contreras’ no hit bid in the top of the sixth with a bloop single to right center which was followed by a Mookie Betts strike out and single from first baseman Freddie Freeman. This set the stage for the biggest at bat of the night for the Dodgers with runners on first and second and center fielder Jason Heyward up to bat. Roansy quickly fell behind 3-0. Yet was bound and determined to work himself out of the jam he got himself in and fought his way back to a full count.
A deep fly foul ball gave the Dodgers fans a little hope before Heyward ultimately hit a sacrifice fly to right field advancing Wynns to third. With runners on the corners and two outs rookie slugger James Outman stepped to the plate and put a charge in one right to center fielder Suwinski to end the inning and get the Bucs out of trouble.
The Pirates got the sticks back to work in the bottom of the sixth, after a Joe strikeout, Castro doubled, and Bae singled to put runners on the corners with Delay coming to bat.
Delay hit a comebacker to the pitcher that bounced off of Bruhl’s glove and scooted away for an infield single. The inning ended with a double play induced by new Dodgers pitcher Yency Almonte.
The Pirates had the Dodgers in the same spot for the second night in-a-row going into the seventh. Contreras turned the game over to his bullpen after six scoreless innings and Robert Stephenson came in and didn’t blink an eye.
Vargas hit a weak comebacker to Stephenson to start the inning, followed by a strike out by Michael Busch and last night’s hero Chris Taylor up to bat, who lined a single to left field setting the table for Peralta who popped out to Reynolds to end the inning.
The Pirates continued to add on in the bottom of the seventh inning after Reynolds reached base on a hit by pitch, a Santana walk, and single by Suwinski loaded the bases for fan favorite who grounded into a fielder’s choice as Reynolds got thrown at out home for the second out. Castro lined a ball into left plating two for Pittsburgh and blowing this game wide open. Bae drove in the Pirates sixth run with a ground ball to third and a hustle play by Tucupita Marcano to score from second on an infield hit after Dodgers catcher Austin Wynns was called for blocking the plate.
After two more stolen bases by Castro and Bae, Buccos backstop JDelay laced a double down the left field line emptying the bases.
After the Pirates put a crooked number up in the bottom of the seventh scoring five, the Buccos were able to give setup man Colin Holderman the night off. Dauri Moreta came in for the eighth and put away leadoff batter Wynns on a ground ball to the shortstop Castro. Mookie Betts then came to the plate and rolled a ball over to Hayes who made it look easy ranging to his left fielding and throwing out the former MVP. Freeman got the goose egg off the board with a solo home run to deep right center and putting the Dodgers on the board.
Moreta got back into his groove and struck out Heyward easily sending the Buccos to the bottom of the eighth with a big lead.
The eighth inning ended up being a special inning not for Reynolds who led the inning off with a high pop to right field. No history was witnessed with Drew Maggi making his MLB debut after 13 seasons in the minors and 1,155 minor league games. When the career minor leaguer got announced he came out to a standing ovation, and a roar from the crowd who chanted “Maggi, Maggi, Maggi” for his entire at bat.
Maggi came out hacking looking for that first big league hit yet hitting a ball foul, then instantly being called for a delay for not being ready in the box. Unfortunately for him he is still searching for that illusive first career hit after striking out on a pitch in the dirt.
Moreta came back out of the dugout in the ninth in hopes to shut down the Dodgers and send the Buccos faithful home happy. With a quick strike out of Outman he was in firm control. An extended at bat from Vargas ended in yet another punch out, and with the rookie Busch up to bat as the Dodgers last hope and like his teammates before him he struck out, this time to end the game.
Like that the Buccos are back in the win column and remain a game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. In the rubber match of this series Buc’s ace Mitch Keller toes the rubber against southpaw Julio Urias who looks to cool down the Pirates hot bats.