Game 103 Recap-
On a night when the team traded 2 of their better players(see previous post), The Pittsburgh Pirates showed heart-as they have all season- but came up just short, losing to the San Diego Padres,6-5 Friday at PNC Park. The team without RF Xavier Nady(pulled and replaced with Jason Michaels) and closer Damaso Marte, competed on a tough night. “You could sense it in the eighth,” Pirates Manager John Russell said. “These guys they knew they had to come together. We were two players short tonight. You could feel the intensity and the focus, and unfortunately we lost. But (this team) is a special bunch.”
Veteran LH Zach Duke(4-8,5.04) battled for 6 innings, allowing 7 hits and 5 runs with 5 Ks and 2 walks. He gave up a single run in the 1st( C Josh Bard rbi) and 1b Adrian Gonzalez hit a 2 run shot in the 4th. The Padres scratched out 2 more runs in the 6th to close Duke’s line with rookie phenom Chase Headley singling in a run and Bard plating the other with a ground out.
Padres RH Cha Seung Baek(3-4,4,86) got the win and was solid, 5 1/3 innings pitched with 7 hits allowed & 4 runs against. He also struck out 3 and walked 1. 1b Adam Laroche got him for 2 home runs(solo shots in the 2nd & 4th. The Pirates got some more runs in the 6th but ran themselves into 2 outs. 3b Doug Mientkiewicz singled in a run, then PH Chris Gomez hit a single to right scoring a 2nd run. However, on the play Mientkiewicz was thrown out going to third and Gomez was also thrown out going to 2nd. HUGE PLAY in a 5-4 game.
The Padres got a big insurance run in the 7th when 3b Kevin Kouzmanoff singled home ex Pirate Brian Giles vs RH Tyler Yates(4-2,4.13). Padres RH Heath Bell(15 holds, 3.31) ran into some trouble in the 8th, allowing the first 3 base runners to reach.(2 singles and a hit by pitch) However, a K, lineout and pop up mixed around a bases loaded walk produced only 1 run. Future Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman had no such trouble in the clean 1-2-3 ninth, like clockwork a ground out, fly out and ground out for his 19th save.
Star of the Game-
Pirates players- In a night when management failed them, they played like pros. Not bad for the New York Yankees farm team!
Pirates Notes-
Pirates passed 1 million in attendance with the 25,727 at PNC Park… Laroche, Sanchez,Doumit, Laroche and Mientkiewicz all had 2 hits….
Next Game-
Saturday, 7:05, PNC Park
Pirates RH John Van Benschoten(1-2,8.27) vs Padres RH Josh Banks(2-4,3.51)
