6/7 Game Recap vs. Reds

On a Thursday night in Cincinnati Ohio the Pirates squeezed out a tight 5-4 win over the Reds taking the series and moving back up to just two game out of first place and two games over .500. This one took ten innings to settle and came in a very unlikely almost unthinkable situation.

This one started off on a rough note for the Bucs when Jay Bruce came to the plate in the second and crushed a solo homer to center-field off of the starting pitcher Kevin Correia, this was Bruce's 13th home-run this year. The Pirates answered and took the lead in the top of the fourth when Neil Walker drove in lead-off man Alex Presley with a solid double to right field. Walker later came around to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Garret Jones.

When the Reds came to the plate in the fifth inning the becoming infamous Ryan Ludwick did it again and hit a solo shot to left-field. The sixth inning was an exciting one and it all started when Garret Jones came through with his second RBI of the game with a single to left to once again bring home Presley. The Pirates had to work some magic in the bottom of the same inning to just limit the Reds runs to one run. Michael McKenry hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.

The Pirates held the lead until the very first pitch of the bottom of the ninth where Joel Hanrahan gave Ryan Ludwick his second homerun of the game. The Reds brought in their lights out closer Aroldis Chapman and his 0.00 season ERA. The Pirates started the inning off with a truly great at bat by Clint Barmes where he crushed a double to left-center. The very next batter Michael McKenry hit a powerful opposite field double to drive in Barmes and give the Pirates a 5-4 lead. The Pirates held onto this lead in the bottom of the tenth but it was interesting when Resop allowed runners to reach first and second with just one out, but he
successfully worked out of it giving the Pirates a very exciting win.

Correia's final line went as followed: 5 Innings Pitched. 8 Hits. 3 ER. 1 BB. 4 SO.

The Pirates will return home tomorrow to face the Royal's just two games out of first place. Lets get excited about this team's performance and head down to the stadium this weekend and fill up PNC. It could be an exciting weekend at the ballpark if all goes well.