Game 64 Recap-
The Pittsburgh Pirates showed patience and composure in 90+ temps, rattling a future Hall of Famer with that approach, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 Monday at PNC Park. The game featured a bench clearing incident and call reversal on a home run, as well as some gutty pitching by the boys in Black and Yellow.
LH SP Randy Johnson did not give up many hits(6) but the Pirates made him work(5 walks&106 pitches) over 5 2/3 innings. Pirate veteran Doug Mientkiewicz(1 for 2,2 walks, 2 runs) clearly annoyed the Big Unit ;they argued after Johnson almost hit him. 2 step outs incensed the Unit further and he came off the mound yelling at Mientkiewicz ,both benches emptied without further incident.
“He’s intense, I’m intense, and it probably didn’t help that it was 1,000 degrees out there,” Mientkiewicz said. Johnson walked the Pirates 1b and an error, sacrifice and walk to 2b Luis Rivas (run,2 hits,2 rbi,walk)made it 1-0. Arizona tied it in the 4th on a solo shot by Pirates killer, 3b Mark Reynolds. In an ironic twist, Reynolds thought he hit a home run in the 2nd. The umpires called it a homer originally but reversed it when a fan caught the ball. Dbacks Manager Bob Melvin was incensed, argued and was ejected.
The Pirates offense made Johnson labor and they started to get some results. In the 4th, 3b Jose Bautista’s sac fly made it 2-1 Pittburgh. RF Xavier Nady singled in SS Jack Wilson for the 3rd run in the 5th. Rivas’ rbi single chased Johnson in the 6th after another walk & error gave the home team a 4-1 in the 6th. Wilson greeted RH Juan Cruz(3.18 era) with an rbi single for the final run.
Pirates LH Zack Duke (4-4,4.10) pitched a gutty game in brutal heat. He went 6 + innings, allowed 5 hits & 2 earned runs with 5 Ks and 2 walks. CF Chris Young doubled in the 2nd run charged to Duke but the team escaped any further damage when LH Damaso Marte(3.94 era,12 holds) got thru the 7th with a 5-2 spread. SS Stephen Drew homered to lead off the 8th and get the Dbacks with in 2 at 5-3. RH Tyler Yates(3.64,7 holds) got the game to closer Matt Capps(2.12 era) , who retired the side in order in the 9th for his 15th save.
Star of the Game-
Pirates team- Battled and competed all series vs one of the better teams in MLB— battled the heat today and played like a team that will fight to be .500 or better all season!
Pirates Notes-
Duke has gone 6 innings or more in 10 of 13 starts… According to Manager John Russell, Bautista is the everyday 3b. He had being rotating with Mientkiewicz and has been hitting well recently, over his last 13 games, he is at .436 with 5 rbi and 7 runs….Rivas led the team with 2 hits
Next Game-
Tuesday-Opener of a 3 game series vs the Washington Nationals
7:05 PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Pirates LH Paul Maholm(4-5,4.48) vs Nationals RH Tim Redding(6-3,4.15)
