Both Pirate runs came off solo homers from Ryan Doumit (9) and Andrew McCutchen (11)off Josh Johnson.
The series concludes tonight with Pittsburgh sending Paul Maholm (7-11) against Alex Sanabria (1-1).
Sanabria must be a last minute replacement for Sean West,who was scheduled to start the game....
Pirate Hooks
1) Ever notice what seems to be an insurance run often makes the difference in the result of the game?
Last night,in the eighth,John Russell left Ross Ohlendorf in the game,when it looked to me that he was tiring.
Ronny Paulino doubled to lead off the inning,a sac bunt and sac fly (more on that next) later,Florida had its insurance run.
A run that made Andrew McCutchen's homer in the bottom of the inning,nothing more than stat filler.
2) The Hanley Ramirez sac fly that scored Paulino was a shallow fly in foul territory that Lastings Milledge had to run a long way to catch,but Ronny Paulino isn't exactly Willie Wilson,so anything resembling a good throw nails him dead at the dish.
Problem is that the throw didn't resemble a good one and Paulino slid in safely..
3) I feel bad for Ross Ohlendorf,who will not bring back memories of Jim Bunning has pitched well enough to win some of these losses that he has accumulated.
Ohlendorf has only had one bad start in the last month and only one other in the month before that.
A little bit of run support can go a long way.
4) The homer that Ryan Doumit hit was hammered and had the ball not scraped the top of the trees might have become the second ball to be hit into the river on the fly.
I watched the Marlins feed and they showed the Daryle Ward shot that remains the only air to river shot and I would bet that ball gets knocked down by the trees,since they are considerably higher now than then.
5) Hate to keep harping on Andrew McCutchen's glovework,but again last night it cost a run.
McCutchen covers so much ground and can be such a stellar defender,but lately,it just seems a bit off.
Could it be as simple as taking your eyes off the ball?
6) Stetson Allie reported to PNC Park yesterday for the traditional tour and press conference.
Allie says he would prefer to close,but the Pirates will start his career in the rotation.
Smart move by the team as I believe that it is far easier to test players as starters and then move them to the pen if needed than vice versa.
Jameson Tallion will be in Pittsburgh today.
7) If Allie starts in West Virginia next season along with Taillon,the projected rotation of the Power could be the most prospect filled rotation that the SAL has seen in years.
A Taillon,Allie,Zach Von Rosenberg,Colton Cain and anyone of Tyler Waldron,Zach Dotson or Brooks Pounders ranks right up there with the Greensboro rotation of number one picks a few years back of Chris Volstad,Sean West,Brett Sinkbeil,Aaron Thompson and Ryan Tucker....
Photo Credit-Pittsburgh Pirates.
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