Pirates Tame Tigers for 10-1 Victory

by Zane Heiple



Photo by the Associated Press



The Pittsburgh Pirates are not exactly a quality baseball team when it comes to Interleague play.  Coming into this three game series with the Detroit Tigers, the Buccos were the only team in baseball to have a winning percentage below .400 during the 15 year period of NL vs. AL contests.  This and a 7-11 record at PNC Park made some of us feel a little uneasy going into Friday night’s game.

Both Jeff Karstens and Brad Penny kept the opposing offenses in check thru three innings, Karstens even had a perfect game going thru five.  It would not be until the bottom of the fourth before the Pirates would break the scoreless tie.  With two outs and runners on first and second, Ryan Doumit would bring home Jose Tabata on a single to right field.  Pittsburgh held this 1-0 lead until the sixth when Karstens gave up his only run of the night on a Ramon Santiago solo home run to right field.  Jeff would be pulled from the game after this inning.  He once again provided a solid start for the Pirates allowing one run on three hits, while striking out four and not issuing a walk.

The Bucco bats woke up in the bottom of the sixth, to ensure that Karstens picked up his third win of the season.  Lyle Overbay led off the inning with his fourth home run of the year to make it 2-1.  After a Brandon Wood walk and a Ronny Cedeno single, pinch hitter Matt Diaz would ground into what should have been an inning ending double play.  Fortunately a bad throw from Tigers second baseman Scott Sizemore onto first allowed Wood to score and Diaz to remain on first.  Two more walks would load the bases for Garret Jones and GFJ took advantage of the opportunity by doubling in two more runs for Pittsburgh.  Neil Walker then traded places with Jones, scoring two more runs to give the Pirates a 7-1 lead to end the inning.

The bullpen for the Buccos shut the door on Detroit for three innings tonight.  Daniel McCutchen, Chris Resop, and Jose Ascanio all pitched an inning of scoreless baseball to ensure that the Tigers had no shot at making this a ballgame.

The Pittsburgh kid decided to give the hometown crowd a little bit more to cheer about in the eighth inning.  With two outs and two on, Walker hit a towering three run home run to give Pittsburgh a final lead of 10-1.

This was an impressive way for the Pirates to start off this five game home stand.  Pitching was solid all the way thru tonight allowing only one run on seven hits.  The offense was spectacular and is looking to becoming out of that coma they were in during the last part of the previous home stand and the Milwaukee and Washington road series.  Eight of the Pirates ten runs came with two outs tonight.

The Battlin Buccos will look to take game two of this series tomorrow night with Kevin Correia on the mound facing off against Max Scherzer.

Record vs. Tigers:  1-0
Record vs. A.L. Central:  1-0
Record at PNC Park:  8-11
Overall Record 21-23

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!