6-3-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter
It was just a couple days ago.
The Pirates had dipped below .500 at 26-27. Many wondered if they’d ever crest that mark again this season, and even if they did, falling below that mark really made sure everyone knew one thing, the collapse was complete.
Most of the great work they did in April had been erased and like it or not they’d fallen into a dogfight in an inferior division.
The team however, didn’t get the notes. See, they were supposed to just go away after getting punched in the nose by the Giants to open their final series of the road trip with a 14-4 loss and dipping below .500. Instead, they came out and took game two with a tight 2-1 victory the next day, and finally paid back their hosts with a 9-4 victory for the series win and the right to head home with a winning record.
Still, the Cardinals have been the cream of the crop in the NL Central, and even while the Brewers hold the top spot, the Cards have way more demons to remind the Pirates of.
To start this game, it looked like a strange, uncalled for pitcher’s duel. Roansy Contreras had been struggling and Jack Flaherty has too. Flaherty has much like his elder statesman buddy Adam Wainwright, absolutely feasted facing the Pirates, and last night would be no different.
Roansy was cruising early, velocity was back up, command looked good, I mean maybe we got lucky here and the Pirates wouldn’t pay a price for having to cut their Bullpen move with Ro short. Looked like he had gotten the message right? Well, maybe not.
In the 3rd inning, the Cardinals had little mercy on the struggling youngster.
Before you knew it, it was 5-0 Cardinals. A promising start, but we haven’t seen this offense look capable of coming back from a deficit like that, they’ve been scuffling as a collective for a month now. Game over right?
Well, Roansy would gather himself and pitch a clean 4th before being lifted for Rob Zastryzny. Lots of trouble on the bases, but he wiggled free in the 5th.
Cody Bolton was called on for the 6th.
Now, let me be very clear, Cody wasn’t “good” in this almost 2 inning outing. 4 walks, and 2 hits were somehow not enough to net the Cards a single run. Certainly happy with the outcome, but the execution, not so much.
Meanwhile, the Bucs bats were playing along to the script. Only netting one run against Flaherty.
And then…..the 7th.
Before it was close, it started like most uprisings do, slowly until guys started believing something was here. Carlos Santana, just returned from some time off letting his lower back heal up gave the Bucs a jump start with the bases loaded.
OK, it’s now 5-3, chipping away.
Still two runners on, and Ji Hwan Bae struck out so now the Bucs rally is coming to an end. 2 guys on, but Hayes has been struggling so badly at the plate, we’ll get ’em next inning or, you know, likely fall short.
Nope…
No doubter to give the Bucs a 6-5 lead. Man did that feel good. Awesome to see that smile again. Awesome to think maybe he’ll remember the swing that helped it return.
Not done yet….
Now, you’ve been here, you know what happens when the Pirates have a lead through 7. Holderman and Bednar shut it down.
Game.
Pirates a half game out of first, 2 games over .500, open a 9 game homestand on the right note.
News & Notes
- Before the game, the Cardinals placed Lars Nootbaar on the IL and recalled Jordan Walker.
- Josh Palacios hit his first MLB homerun.
- The Pirates used 6 pitchers to achieve this outcome, and none of them surrendered a run after Contreras left the game. The bullpen is no joke.
- Robert Stephenson was traded to the Rays for a minor league short stop named Alika Williams. He is a defender, not a hitter. His floor is pretty established, he’s a glove first player, and while he’s been in the Rays top 30 pretty consistently, nobody is going to confuse him with SS of the future. Throughout the system, the Pirates feel they are light on good fielding SS, so there you have it.
- Andrew McCutchen had 2 more hits tonight. He needs 3 hits for 2,000. 1 double for 400. 1 triple for 50 and 5 home runs for 300. I won’t ever tell you how to spend your entertainment dollars, but solid chance all of these happen on this homestand.
Steel City Pirates 
Gallegos pointing up at that Hayes go-ahead homer made it feel different for me. If he just watches it sail, then I’m not as predisposed to boarding the hype train just yet, even though I certainly think this April showed–like 2011–good times should be just around the corner.
Mistaking a wall-scraper or even a solid homer for a flyout can happen to any pitcher at some point, and in all likelihood that’s what happened to Gallegos there. But man, for most of my life, when a Cardinal calls something like that, the devil magic makes it happen. This time? It was a no-doubter that cleared the first level in a deep part of the park.
Given the wait for a playoff appearance–much less 82 wins–hasn’t been as long or ignominious, I don’t think anything this decade could carry the same gravitas as the McKenry 2011 homer Brownie and others are comparing it to. But for this Pirate generation, is it a comparable moment when it so utterly defies that devil magic against arguably the biggest, most consistent thorn in Pirates’ sides since joining the NL Central, particularly when they’re supposed to fold now, as you noted? Yeah, I think it very well can be.
Sometimes teams bust from cellar to ceiling in one year, but usually it occurs in steps. I’m thinking it’s the latter here, but either way it’s great to see!
LikeLiked by 1 person