Pirates Day 3

Game 1: Pirates vs. Braves

4-3 - Pirates

W - Francisco Liriano (1-0)

Save – Melancon (1)

HR – Kendrick (2), Brown (1)

Pirates: (1-3)

 

Game 2: Pirates vs. Red Sox

12-1 - Red Sox

L – Moore (0-2)

HR – McCutchen (1)

Pirates: (1-4)

 

Game 3: Pirates vs. Red Sox

4-3 – Pirates

W – Sale (1-0)

Save – Melancon (2)

HR – Byrd (1)

Pirates: (2-4)

 

The Pirates took the field on Wednesday looking for thefront office’s first win of their careers. In the first game against theBraves, a two-run second inning paved the way, while Liriano contributed withsix quality innings. In the sixth inning, with the bullpen active and Lirianosputtering, he induced a crisp 5-4-3 triple play to end the threat and solidifyhis quality start. Howie Kendrick continued his hot stretch with two more hits,including a bomb that traveled over 450 feet. Though Melancon made itinteresting in the ninth inning (as he always does), he retired Lucroy withrunners on base to get his first save of the year.

Game two on the day against the Red Sox was hardly ever agame. Though McCutchen got the scoring started in the second inning with a bombto left-center field, the Red Sox kept the scoring going and going and going.Matt Moore took the brunt of the pounding. Moore showed no command, with sevenwalks on the day. The lone positive sign for the Pirates was the six solidinnings that Gerrit Cole gave coming out of the bullpen. After the two roughfirst starts from Matt Moore, could Cole replace him in the rotation?

The third game, and certainly the most intriguing, showedtremendous resolve from a young Pirates team. Despite being annihilated earlierin the day, Chris Sale and the Pirates bounced back and got a tremendous 4-3victory. Marlon Byrd hit a clutch game-winning home run in the seventh inningand Chris Sale gave the team a much needed seven innings. In the ninth inning,with the Pirates ahead by two runs, the Red Sox began to threaten. Melanconallowed three hits in five batters and allowed runners to reach second andthird base with two outs. As Jacoby Ellsbury stepped up to the plate, the twomanagers kept the defense back in a controversial move. Ellsbury hit a hot shotto Aybar who jumped up and gunned out the speedy Ellsbury at first base.Melancon got the save and the Pirates quietly moved into a tie for third in theNational League.