05/19/2011
12:35- We get the team of Tim Neverett and The Rock, John Wehner on the call. It’s a shame we won’t get the unintentional comedy of Greg Brown, but I love the way Neverett really sounds exactly like Bob Uecker from Major League. Very fitting radio guy for this team. Juuussst a bit outside. I Wonder how long till we start getting philosophical musings from the Rock.
James McDonald (2-3, 6.20 ERA 35K, 22BB in 8 starts) gets the start for the Bucs. Johnny Cueto will take the mound for the Reds (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 9K 3BB in 2 starts)
12:42 Top of the 1st- Garret Jones Strikes Out to end the first, 1-2-3. First K for Cueto for the game.
12:50 Bottom of the 1st- Cutch makes a spectacular catch in center field of a slicing line drive by Edgar Renteria. The Reds leadoff hitter is doubled off after rounding 2nd. Great play by the Bucs Centerfielder.
12:52 Bottom of the 1st- That’s the good news. The bad news is the Reds have hit McDonald very hard twice, and have now drawn a walk to get another runner on with 2 outs. Rock says that McDonald’s fastball does not look very good today, which may be trouble.
1:04 Top of the 2nd- Pirates threaten early, Walker draws a walk, and Overbay singles to Center. 1st and 2nd, no outs. Ryan Doumit up.
1:13 Top of the 2nd- Doumit sac fly, Walker to 3rd. Pedro actually draws a walk off the wild Cueto. Ronnie Cedeno comes up in a huge situation, and strikes out looking. Cueto retires his mound opponent McDonald . Pirates needed to come away with a crooked # that inning.
1:17 Bottom of the 2nd- 1-0 Reds: Jay Bruce takes McDonald yard. 9th homer of the year for Bruce. I’m expecting a slob-knocker of a game with two wild pitchers and this bandbox of a ballpark.
1:28 Middle of the 3rd- McDonald gets out with no further damage, Bucs go down 1-2-3 in the top of the 3rd, with Xavier Paul going down on Strikes. The Nutting Empire informs us during the commercial break that they would like us to try golfing at their 7 Springs “shot-gun” course.
1:41 Top of the 4th- Both pitchers seem to have settled down a bit. Doumit rapped a 2 out single for the first runner in for either team, but Pedro pops out to end the inning.
1:46 Bottom of the 4th- McDonald Strikes out Bruce on 3 straight pitches. Good to see him come back aggressive on the guy who dinged him last time up. It’s the first K on the game for J-Mac. Doumit then proceeds to gun down a stolen base attempt to end the inning. Forecast for Hell tonight: a bit chilly.
1:51 Top of the 5th - Cedeno whiffs for the 2nd time this game. McDonald follows and goes down on 3 straight pitches. Cueto was mowing through the bottom of the lineup, but Cutch lines a two out double into the gap, Xavier Paul has a bit at bat here with 2 outs and a guy on 2nd.
1:53 Top of the 5th- Pirates 1-Reds 1: Paul produces some two out lightning and drives Cutch in with a double of his own. Big conversion there with two outs.
1:55 Top of the 5th- Jones draws a walk, 1st and 2nd, two outs for Neil Walker.
1:59 Top of the 5th- Pirates 3-Reds 1: The Pride of Pine-Richland comes through in a huge way for the Bucs, he takes a 3-2 pitch off the wall in Center Field and drives in 2 with a 2 out 2 bagger. Pirates in command now heading to the bottom of the 5th.
2:08 Bottom of the 5th- Cuedo may be done for the day, a pinch hitter is in the on deck circle with a runner on 2nd.
2:11 Bottom of the 5th- Cuedo is in fact done, Johnny Gomes comes in to pinch hit after McDonald sits down Hernandez with his second K of the game.
2:13 Bottom of the 5th- Gomes is caught looking, as McDonald’s 3rd K victim of the game. Pirates rolling through 5.
2:15 Top of the 6th- Jordan Smith comes in relief for the Reds. 16 Apperances, 5.40 ERA on the season. Giving up a .361 average against, walked 6 and struck out 12.
2:17 Top of the 6th- Pirates 4-Reds 1: Ryan Doumit is the first batter to face Smith and takes him deep to the opposite field. Nice insurance run for the Bucs to pick up there.
2:19 Top of the 6th- Looks like Hurdle is sticking with McDonald, as he is batting here in the 6th.
2:22 Top of the 6th- McDonald managed a single up the middle, Cutch draws a walk. Two on, two out again. Xavier Paul can ice the game here.
2:23 Top of the 6th- Dusty Baker gets Smith the heck out of the there. Homerun, hit to the pitcher, and a walk after getting ahead in the count 0-2. Not a good outing for the reliever Smith.
2:25 Top of the 6th- Jose Arredondo comes in to try and finish out this inning for the Reds.
2:27 Top of the 6th- Rock brings up the infamous ‘downward plane’ that Oppie loves to opine about. Paul goes down on strikes to Arredondo’s downward plane pitching.
2:31 Bottom of the 6th- McDonald continues rolling late in this game, fanning his 4th for the game and 3rd in a row faced.
2:34 Bottom of the 6th- McDonald gets the Reds down 1-2-3 for the inning.
2:38 Top of the 7th- Arredondo stays in for the Reds. Jones goes down on strikes, but Walker drives another double off the wall. Pine-Richland is really feeling it.
2:44 Bottom of the 7th- Rock gives us a little ode to sunshine and pressing matters of weather are discussed. He then starts gauging the river levels of the Ohio.
“It looks a bit swollen, My geography isn’t great, I think the Ohio eventually runs into the Mississippi.”
Neverett: “I think so, yah”
The braintrust then tries to determine the city where the Ohio does intersect the Mississippi. This is why I love tuning into games with the Rock on the mic.
2:48 Bottom of the 7th- While such crucial subjects are being discussed, The Reds get guys on 1st and 2nd with two outs. Hurdle gets McDonald out of there, Daniel McCutchen will come in to try to get the Bucs out of this mini-jam.
2:53 Bottom of the 7th- McCutchen induces a groundball up the middle to get the Bucs out of the inning unscathed.
2:58 Top of the 8th- Alvarez draws his second walk of the game. Good to see him drawing out pitches and counts more as the season progresses.
3:02 Top of the 8th- On a botched fielder’s choice, the Pirates get guys on 1st and 2nd with no outs.
3:04 Top of the 8th- Pirates 5 – Reds 1: Cutch drives in another run with yet another double. Cutch and Walker have been double machines. Alvarez scores, 2nd and 3rd, one out. This could be it folks.
3:07 Top of the 8th- And the rally fizzles with a Xavier Paul strike out and a Matt Diaz grounder. Still, good to see the Bucs holding a grand slam lead with only 6 outs to go for the bullpen.
3:10 Bottom of the 8th- Jose Verez starts out the bottom of the 8th for the Bucs.
3:15 Bottom of the 8th- Veras gives up a walk, one on and one out for Edgar Renteria with the heart of the Reds lineup coming up.
3:18 Bottom of the 8th- Verez get Renteria down on strikes, then Hurdle brings in Joe Beimel to try to match up lefty on lefty against Joey Vatto.
3:22 Bottom of the 8th- Pirates 5 – Reds 2: Beimel gives up an RBI single to Vatto after a passed ball moves the runner to 2nd. The Bucs really need Beimel to bail them out of this inning now. He gets Phillips to bounce into a ground ball with the lead still at two runs heading into the last inning of play.
3:33 Bottom of the 9th- Joel Hanrahan looking for save #12, should be a pretty easy one for him to pick up.
3:36 Bottom of the 9th- Pirates 5 – Reds 3: Jay Bruce plays long ball again, 2nd of the day and 10th of the season for Bruce. Hanrahan nneeds to stay composed and just keep throwing strikes here.
3:37 Bottom of the 9th- Cedeno handles a ground ball for out #1 in the 9th.
3:38 Bottom of the 9th- Line drive to Tabata in left in left, 2 away, Ramon Hernadez comes up for the last gasp of the Reds.
3:39 Bottom of the 9th- Cutch makes a diving catch on a line drive to put an exclamation point on a quality win.
PIRATES WIN 5-3!!!
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