If turnabout is fair play, then the Reds should’ve hung on to win Saturday night. On Friday, the Pirates bullpen surrendered the lead only to watch the offense bail them out in the 9th. The Reds offense never got the chance on Saturday as the Pirates scored twice with two outs in the 9th to win again.
When Ross Ohlendorf went on the disabled list, Daniel McCutchen was brought back up to start. It didn’t go all that well. McCutchen gave up two hits, a walk and a sac fly in the first. But the Pirates countered with two against Johnny Cueto in the home half of the first with Lastings Milledge and Delwyn Young each having an RBI double. The Pirates pushed the lead to 3-1 when Ronny Cedeno hit a solo homer in the second.
The lead was short lived. In the third the Reds got two doubles, two walks and another sac fly to knot the game at three.
McCutchen was allowed to hit for himself in the fourth and reached second on a single and an error. He was stranded and then lifted for a reliever – D.J. Carrasco – to start the fifth. Carrasco gave up the tying run in the form of an RBI double to Brandon Phillips. After Ryan Doumit gunned Phillips down easily trying to steal third, Reds broadcaster Marty Brennamen was criticaly of the Reds second sacker’s decision making.
It stayed that way until the 9th. The Pirates loaded the bases against Francisco Cordero on a single from PH Ryan Church and two walks. Andrew McCutchen’s fly to left was too shallow to score Church (making me wish Chuck Tanner’s favorite pinch runner Matt Alexander was still on the team). But Lastings Milledge coaxed a two out walk to tie the game. Garrett Jones who had struck out in the 8th with a runner on, smoked a 3-2 pitch off the right field fence to knock in the game winning run.
Cordero blew his first save in five chances and got the loss. Jack Taschner had a four pitch 8th inning to get the win.
The Good
Coming back in the 9th for the second straight game.
Being over .500
The Bad
The starting pitching. Paul Maholm goes on Sunday and hopefully he can kick start his season.
The Rest
Andrew McCutchen was thrown out stealing – the first Pirate to be caught in 2010.
Doumit drew three walks in the game. Last time he had three or more was 6/24/2007. He drew 20 walks last year in 304 at bats. He didnt’ draw his fifth walk last year until his 42 appearance.
It’s not all that unusual for him, but Micah Owings – a pitcher – was used as a pinch hitterby Dusty Baker. He has been used as a pinch hitter over 40 times in his career. Don Robinson was used as a pinch hitter 26 times. Rick Rhoden was used 13 times.
