At least there's one!

Wandy Rodriguez was fabulous for six innings and rode the waves through a rocky seventh to earn his first win of the season and the same for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Rodriguez (1-0) allowed just two hits,but had to survive loading the bases in the seventh before escaping in his final inning of work.
Tony Watson finished the seventh and eighth as the setup man.

Jason Grilli pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.
Pittsburgh scored two runs in the fourth on an Andrew McCutchen double before a Starlin Castro error scored McCutchen and would score an insurance run in the seventh.
The series concludes today at 12:35 before the Pirates trip to Los Angeles.
James McDonald starts for the Pirates with Travis Wood taking the ball for the Cubs.

Pirate Hooks

1) Wandy Rodriguez allowed only two to the Cubs over six and two thirds and was generally brilliant,but one rap on Rodriguez in Houston was that he was truly a six inning pitcher.
From what I've seen that's justified,but if I can have six like last night,I can live with it.

2) Big play for Rodriguez-fighting off Brent Lillibridge in a long at bat and then freezing him with a curveball for strike three on a full count.
A veteran pitch thrown with confidence.

3) Scary moment came when it appeared that Rodriguez had drilled Anthony Rizzo in the head.
Rizzo went down hard,but replays showed that Rizzo had gotten his shoulder up and managed to take the blow there.Very fortunate for Rizzo and the Cubs...

4) Most of you know that I am more traditional in handling pitchers than the current fad of pitch counts,but even I wondered why Clint Hurdle kept a clearly tiring Rodriguez in with the bases loaded and just one out.
Lillibridge just missed a homer when it hooked foul and missed a shot down the line by about a foot.
I might have bought it with two out,but just one? I did have a few questions...

5) Finally,a small note-the Pirates tried to slide minor league pitcher Hunter Strickland through waivers.
Strickland was claimed by the Giants,so look for a post on our sister site on Strickland.

Photo Credit;AP Photo