Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Jay Bruce. Despite a baserunning blunder, the rightfielder went 4-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI. Honorable mentions go to Miguel Cairo and Paul Janish.
Key Plays
- Edinson Volquez has been a huge Volqueztion Mark during the first innings of games this year, and today was no different. It's not wondering what we can expect from the Wagon; we know it will be awful. It's just shaking our heads wondering how he can be that bad in that particular inning. Anyway, Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata hit back to back home runs to lead off the game. Shades of Opening Day. Lyle Overbay walked and Neil Walker hit a double to put both runners in scoring position before Volquez mercifully recorded an out by striking out Pedro Alvarez. Garrett Jones walked, loading the bases, and then Chris Snyder walked, overloading the bases. Ronny Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to score Walker, before Jeff Karstens struck out, completing the inning and the bat-around. Pirates lead, 4-0.
- In the bottom of the second, Jonny Gomes homered to put the good guys on the board. It was Gomes's sixth home run of the season, a third of the way to last year's total. Pirates lead, 4-1.
- With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, the Reds got singles from Jay Bruce, Ramon Hernandez, and Paul Janish. Bruce scored as McCutchen mishandled Janish's hit, but Hernandez was held at third. Edinson Volquez then grounded out. Pirates lead, 4-2.
- The Reds' offense came to life an inning later. Miguel Cairo hit a one out home run, Joey Votto singled, and then Scott Rolen's double tied the game up. Daniel McCutchen came in to relieve Jeff Karstens and got Jonny Gomes to fly out, but Jay Bruce singled and drove in Rolen, giving the Reds the lead. Reds lead, 5-4.
- The joy was short-lived, though. Volquez had pitched well after his first inning ineptitude, but as his pitch count crept over 100, he gave up a game-tying home run to Garrett Jones. Jordan Smith came in in relief, but the results were all too familiar. Pinch hitter John Bowker doubled, driving in Ronny Cedeno, who had walked one batter before. Pirates lead, 6-5.
- The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, but Joey Votto struck out and Scott Rolen grounded out.
- Jay Bruce homered off of Jose Veras in the seventh, tying the game. Game tied, 6-6.
- Logan Ondrusek came in to pitch the eighth inning, and promptly surrendered a single to Garrett Jones. Chris Snyder bunted, but Ondrusek couldn't field the ball cleanly and both runners were safe on the corners. Ronny Cedeno hit the ball back to the mound, and Ondrusek and Ryan Hanigan got Jones out at the plate. Steve Pearce popped up what should have been the third out, but Snyder's successful bunt came back to haunt. Andrew McCutchen used the extra out afforded him to hit a single, and Snyder scored the go-ahead run. Pirates lead, 7-6.
- The Reds threatened in the final two innings. They had two men on in the eighth and Scott Rolen hit a screamer that was snagged by Ronny Cedeno and flipped to Neil Walker for an inning ending double play. In the ninth, Bruce singled, but was tagged out when he stepped back across the first base foul line. That blunder really hurt because pinch hitter Edgar Renteria and Paul Janish both singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and were joined on the bases by Ryan Hanigan who worked a walk. But then Drew Stubbs flew out to end the game. Pirates win, 7-6.
Other Notes
- Brandon Phillips and his .866 OPS were missing from the lineup for the third straight game. His backup, Miguel Cairo, played well, but the team is definitely missing Phillips.
- This is the first time in Pirates history that the first two batters have homered and Pittsburgh has won the game.
- Edinson Volquez's ERA is 29.25 in the first inning, and 1.93 in all other innings.
- The winning pitcher's last name, spelled backwards, is "Poser."