Game 41 Recap-
Pittsburgh Pirates 11-St. Louis Cardinals 5
The Pittsburgh Pirates punished a struggling closer, scoring 7 runs in the 8th and 9th to taking the series deciding game Thursday afternoon, 11-5 over the Cardinals in St. Louis. LF Jason Bay capped the rally from a 5-1 deficit with a pinch hit 3 run homer off of Jason Isringhausen in the 8th. The nightmare start to the 2008 campaign continues for the former all star closer of the Red Birds, he carries a 8.00 era and has 6 blown saves in 17 chances. Manager Tony La Russa was straight with the media after them game,”Right now, he’s problem no. 1. He’s beside himself,puzzled, the whole thing.”
The Pirates got off to a good start when CF Nate McLouth homered(#11) in the 1st to continue his tremendous season. The Cardinals scored 2 separate runs in the 1st and 3rd on a sacrifice fly and ground out vs RH Ian Snell. The young veteran struggled all day, going only 4 innings(shortest stint of the since July 2007), allowing 11 hits and 5 runs while walking 1 and striking out 2. St. Louis took control in the 4th with LF Chris Duncan(2 run double) and 3b Troy Glaus(rbi single) leading the way to a 5-1 score.
RH Joel Pineiro pitched a solid game after McLouth’s homer and settled down until the 5th. Super sub Chris Gomez(3 hits) got the start at SS and plated the first run with a single. New Pirate Jason Michaels,starting in LF to give Bay a day off, produced 2 more runs with a single and it was quickly 5-4 St. Louis.
The Pirates relievers did a great job today and kept the score at 5 with 5 shutout innings of work, starting with RH Franquelis Osoria, LHs Sean Burnett, John Grabow, Damaso Marte and finally RH closer Matt Capps, these guys did the job. This group is a big part of the reason Pittsburgh is one game away from being .500 at the 42 games mark.
The big rally in the 8th started with the tying run scoring on a throwing error. Bay then followed with a homer to left with 2 on off of the bewildered Isringhausen and the Pirates led 8-5. Pittsburgh scored 3 more in 9th off of veteran LH Ron Villone. Call up C Raul Chavez pinch hit and drove in the 1st run with a double, 2b Freddy Sanchez single in two more for the final 11-5 margin.
Star of the Game-
The Pirates team… tremendous team win, 5 innings of shutout ball from pen, no errors, 13 hits, bench guys, pinch hits, great job and team victory for the club and 1st year manager John Russell
Pirates Journal-
Doug Mientkiewicz played 3b today, batting 6th and was 3 for 3 with 2 walks and 3 runs…. Michaels batted 3rd and played LF
Next Game-
Friday-2:20 at Wrigley Field, Chicago
Pirates LH Tom Gorzelanny(3-3) vs Cubs RH Sean Gallagher(0-0)
