After the Cardinals leaped out to a 4 run lead against the top Pirate pitcher,the Pirates did not roll over and instead set about chipping away at the deficit.
In the fourth,Pittsburgh cut the lead on a single by Ryan Doumit and a sac fly by Xavier Nady and the the game was back to even just an inning later as Jason Bay crashed a Todd Wellemeyer pitch
over the left field wall for a two run homer (4).With the game equalized,the Pirates then set about the task of winning the game and they did just that in the 8th inning on a single by Jose Bautista and an two run single by Doug Mientkiewicz to put the contest in the win column at 7-4.
Damaso Marte was the winner (1-0) and Matt Capps picked up save number 6 for the Bucs.
Marte pitched two scoreless innings and looked like the Marte of old.
Give some extra credit to Snell,who after a rocky first,kept the Pirates in the game by allowing no more runs and scattering just 4 hits in his final 5 innings of work.
The mini series against the Redbirds ends tonight at 7 before the hated Phillies come to town for their only visit of the season over the weekend.
The struggling Tom Gorzelanny takes the ball for the Bucs and hopefully takes a step towards regaining form.
Pitching Matchup
St.Louis:Joel Pineiro (0-2 8.10 ERA) at Pittsburgh:Tom Gorzelanny (1-2 9.35 ERA) 7:10
Bullpen Notes
In a less than shocking move,Frank Thomas is back in Oakland.
Billy Beane watched "the Big Hurt" clear waivers and then swooped in and signed Thomas to the minimum contract (and risk) since Toronto will have to pay the rest of his contract.
Great move by the A's and for Thomas.
Look for a huge finish for Thomas as Ryan says "Frank is angry and when Frank is angry-Look out"!
The A's also claimed former Pirate Rajai Davis off waivers from the neighboring Giants.
Davis could help the notoriously slow Oakland club with some pinch running.
MLB hired some guy from CBS to head their new Baseball Channel.
That did not concern me much,but I was interested to hear that the channel will start in January of 2009.
On the signing front
Just one game to get the Lakewood Blue Claws.
Not totally successful in getting the entire team,but was able to get the top prospects.
Julian Sampson talked for a bit and signed that I had.
Some of you may remember Sampson from last years shadow draft selection.
Also among others received signatures from Michael Taylor and Michael Durant before the game and after seeing the play of Dominic Brown,I waited until after the game and made sure I was able to have him sign his Williamsport card.
Since the Phillies High A team is not in the Carolina League,I was taking no chances of a promotion for Brown and while I waited,I added D'Arby Myers from the Claws as well.
West Virginia comes in next week for 4 games during their only Hagerstown trip of the season.
Photo Credits
Bay:Gene Puskar-AP
Thomas-AP
Sampson-Donruss
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