Game 75 Recap-
Cito Gaston won his 1st game since returning after 11 years and his team snapped a 7 game losing streak, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 Sunday to salvage the final game of a 3 game series at PNC Park. The Jays, an offensively challenged club, scored in 3 innings with 2 runs apiece in the 1st & 4th and took control in the 6th with 4 more.
“It was a big win for us,” Gaston said. “I thought overall everybody did a great job today. We scored some runs and [Pittsburgh] caught up with us, but they went back and battled again and scored some runs.”
Toronto took a 2-0 lead after RF Alexis Rios(double) & CF Vernon Wells(Sac fly) drove in runs. Pirates LF Jay Bay plated a run on a ground out to make it 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. Pirates RH Ian Snell(3-7,5.99)was not comfortable from pitch one, but he gutted it out for 4 innings of 8 hit ball, while allowing 4 runs and walking 4 with 2 Ks. He was talking about right elbow pain and irritation post game.
“We are going to run some tests tomorrow,” Pirates Manager John Russell said. “Hopefully it’s not anything major but we’ll get some tests run and go from there. He didn’t feel right today and he has a little irritation.He faltered on a few pitches. Just to be on the side of caution, we want to find out what it is, if there’s anything in there.”
“I’m trying my hardest. I’m trying everything possible,” Snell said. “My head’s there, everything’s there. I just don’t know what’s going wrong.
“To tell you the truth, I thought it was dead arm, but I was wrong. It’s just some irritation that I’m just going to get an MRI tomorrow and get it checked out to see if anything is wrong with it.”
After Snell gave up 2 more runs in the 4th via a homer by Adam Lind and another sacrifice fly, call-up RH T.J. Beam entered the game and pitched clean 5th. This was big because of the Pirates scored 3 runs to tie in the 4th via rbi hits from C Raul Chavez(single) and 3b Jose Bautista(2 run single). However, Beam tired and RH Franquelis Osoria(3-2,5.72) gave up 4 runs, 2 from a double by 1b Lyle Overbay & 3b Scott Rolen plated him with a homer to make it 8-4.
Pirates 2b Luis Rivas scored the final run of the game via a groundout to post the score at 8-5. LH Scott Downs(0-1,1.31) pitched 2 great innings in the 7th & 8th for his 11th hold. Jays closer LH BJ Ryan(1-3,2.52) pitched a 1-2-3 9th striking out CF Nate McLouth to end the game and earn his 16th save.
Star of the Game-
2b Joe Inglett was 3 for 4 and on base all day
Pirates Notes-
Besides the bad news with Snell, the team DL-ed LH SP Phil Dumatrait(3-4,4.66) with right rotator cuff tendinitis. One of the better stories of the season as a waiver claim from the Reds, he is now replaced by ex NY Yankees Beam(2.02 era in 40 Innings with Triple A Indianapolis). He carries a 8.50 era over 18 ML innings….SS Jack Wilson and CF Nate McClouth led the team with 2 hits apiece
Next Game-
Team is off Monday- The host the NY Yankees in a 3 game interleague series at PNC Park starting Tuesday, games all start at 7:05 pm
