PIRATES 8 – DIAMONDBACKS 3
Win: Jared Hughes (6-2)
Loss: Brad Ziegler (4-2)
ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR HARRISON
Josh Harrison went 3-4 with home run, double, 3 runs, and a walk in the Pirates 8-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Harrison hit his fifth homer in seven games, taking an inside pitch that wasn’t even a strike, deep to left for a solo home run in the third inning. Harrison doubled to open the game and then sparked a four run eighth inning, leading off the inning with a single than scoring on an RBI single from Andrew McCutchen to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
Harrison continues to show the doubters he can hit, pure and simple, and all you need to know about Harrison is he had a 10 pitch walk in the 9th inning with the game out of reach. He’s not just getting lucky up there.
MCCUTCHEN DRILLED IN THE BACK BY 95 MPH FASTBALL
Andrew McCutchen was drilled in the back with an intentional 95 mph fastball from Randall Delgado in the eighth inning. A pissed off McCutchen slammed his bat in anger and Delgado was immediately ejected from the game.
Delgado gave some “BS” quote after the game that his control was bad tonight. “I was trying to work my corners more, trying to mix more but unfortunately the ball moved,” Delgado said. “I think maybe I don’t have control tonight.”
The plunking was in response to Ernesto Frieri breaking Paul Goldschmidt’s hand Friday night with an inside pitch and one reason McCutchen was so furious is because the Diamondbacks kind of went against the code when it comes to hitting a player. You don’t go up and throw a breaking ball first like Delgado did. McCutchen never knew a fastball to his back was coming.
On the Pirates telecast, Bob Walk could not have said it better regarding the Diamondbacks antics. “They’re gutless because they did it with the game got out of hand [not early],” Walk said. “They waited until they’re down by four runs at the end of the game before they do anything. That’s a gutless move….. “Snakes.. Good name for that team.”
STARTING PITCHER REPORT
Vance Worley (4-1, 2.43 ERA) battled tonight and allowed 7 hits and 1 earned run in six innings pitched. Worley continues to pitch like someone who won’t be coming out of the rotation. Worley has now been credited with seven quality starts out of eight starts with the Pirates. Worley’s 1.10 WHIP leads all Pirate starters.
ALVAREZ’S WOES CONTINUE
Pedro Alvarez had his 24th error of the season on a high throw to first in the fourth inning and earlier in the game Ike Davis saved Alvarez on two throws that bounced to Davis or Pedro would have had a couple more errors on the night. Alvarez was benched in the sixth inning and in the middle of a pennant race, the Pirates are running out of options.
MORE BUZZ
  • Josh Harrison has done something no Pirate has done in almost 30 years. Harrison has an extra base hit in seven straight games, tied for the longest streak by a Pirate since Sid Bream in 1986, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
  • The Pirates have scored 15 combined runs in the eight and ninth innings over their last two games. Pittsburgh scored four runs in the eighth tonight and three runs in the ninth.
  • The Pirates have moved 1.5 games out of first place with a Milwaukee loss to St. Louis tonight. Pittsburgh currently holds the No. 1 wildcard spot due to head to head tiebreaker with Giants.

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