PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates skidded into PNC Park early Monday morning after a tough road trip through New York and Chicago. Having lost five straight and 17 of its last 22 games, Pittsburgh was in desperate need of the strong start delivered by left-hander Jeff Locke in the Bucs' 1-0 win over Madison Bumgarner and the Giants.
Locke fired 6 2/3 innings without allowing a walk, an increasingly rare quality start in a struggling Pirates rotation. The erratic lefty had allowed 18 runs over his last two starts, but he narrowly defeated Bumgarner and the streaking Giants on Monday. Locke scattered five hits and struck out three, benefitting from 12 ground-ball outs.
San Francisco had won 27 of its last 35 games and eight in a row entering the series opener at PNC Park, and Bumgarner had not been charged with a loss since April 20 -- a 10-start undefeated streak in which he logged a 1.27 ERA. Bumgarner did not make many mistakes, holding Pittsburgh to five hits over eight innings, but an unlikely candidate capitalized on one miss. Pirates catcher Erik Kratz launched a fifth-inning fastball just over the left-field wall for his first homer of the year and the game's lone run.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Whenever you need me: Given the Pirates rotation's season-long struggles, Clint Hurdle has often been forced to abandon one of his guiding managerial philosophies: Use the bullpen when you want to, not when you have to. That wasn't the case Monday, when Locke's long outing and a one-run lead allowed Hurdle to call upon setup man Neftali Feliz with two outs in the seventh, the tying run on second base and Bumgarner -- who homered off Locke last season -- at the plate. Feliz retired Bumgarner, Tony Watson pitched the eighth and closer Mark Melancon picked up his 20th save.
Wall-scraper: Kratz's drive nearly became a home run that wasn't. Left fielder Angel Pagan leaped and extended his gloved left hand into the stands in an effort to snare the ball. He appeared to catch it but couldn't hold on. After Pagan hurled his glove to the warning track in frustration, television cameras caught a subdued yet smiling teenager holding the home run ball.
Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since 2015. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry.
Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat and listen to his podcast.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire