Even on the Pirates worst defensive day in recent memory, the Pirates found a way. That’s been the story of the season so far for the Pirates. I know that people said it last year and that people are treading with caution this year, but this team looks different. It was never as evident as it was in the Pirates 10-9 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
In true Pedro Alvarez fashion, he kicked off the game with solo shot to right field to put the Pirates on the board. With Alvarez’s hit and Tony Sanchez collecting his first big league hit in stunning fashion (the ball got stuck in the wall), things looked good early on for the Pirates.
In the bottom of the second, however, the luck changed.
It wasn’t that Charlie Morton pitched poorly (he didn’t), it was that the defense behind him that let him down. The Angels scored five runs in the bottom of the second, thanks to two errors by the Pirates infielders. En route to the ninth inning, the Pirates added two more runs and the Angels added one of their own. In the ninth frame, things got interesting.
The Halos brought on struggling closer Ernesto Frieri to close the game, but as usual, it was a wild ride. After a Neil Walker walk and a Gaby Sanchez single put runners at the corners with one out, Andrew McCutchen came to the dish to pinch-hit for Tony Sanchez. McCutchen grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing the run to score. At a two-run deficit, Russell Martin came up to pinch-hit for Michael McKenry and just missed hitting a home run. It instead resulted in a double, allowing McCutchen to score.
Starling Marte continued the two-out rally and drove Martin in with a base hit.
Unreal.
In the 10th with the score even at six each, the bases were loaded with Pirates as Travis Snider stepped to the dish. While it wasn’t as memorable as his grand slam, Snider hit a single to left field and J.B. Shuck committed an error that allowed all three runs to score. Snider would score on an RBI single from Martin.
Grilli came on in the bottom half of the frame and made things interesting. With a four-run lead, Grilli surrendered three runs to the Angels, but was able to salvage the victory with a strikeout of Mike Trout to end the game.
Your Pittsburgh Pirates are 46-30. Yes, 16 games over .500. Yes, the same number they were over last season when they collapsed. Something is different. If you have watched this team, you know it.
