It was nice to be on the happy side of a laugher. It was so bad that Lastings Milledge thought his double off the wall was a homer and was tagged out jogging around second in his home run trot. It was so bad that Andrew McCutchen was pulled from the game to rest his injured wheel. But I loved it. And the Buccos swept the Cubs.
It started early for Randy Wells. The first five Pirate hitters reached base and it was 3-0 before the vendors hadn’t even made a loop around the stadium. Milledge capped the scoring in the first with a two run double, putting the Bucs up 5-0. An Aramis Ramirez error contributed to another pair of runs in the second. Both runs were driven in by a Garrett Jones double. Wells didn’t surface for the third inning.
Jeff Gray came on for the Cubbies. But the hammering continued. Two Cub errors were sandwiched around Milledge’s almost homer – turned double – turned out. All told, the Pirates got four runs (two earned) in the fourth and the game was all but over.
Brian Burres was sharp. He didn’t allow a run for the second straight time in picking up the win. He went seven strong innings, allowed just three hits and three walks.
The Good
Milledge had two doubles and knocked in four runs.
Jones had two hits and knocked in three.
Andy LaRoche walked three times and score three times.
Burres!
The Bad
I got next to nada. Javier Lopez allowed a run in the 8th. That’s all.
The Rest
LaRoche’s career best in runs scored is four last September 28th. This was the fourth time he had walked three times in a game.
Burres last won consecutive starts on June 13 and June 19 in 2008. The first of those two wins was against the Pirates.
This was Jones first three RBI game since the second game of the year.
Milledge accomplished his second career 4 RBI game. His first was 8-7-08 as a member of the Nats.
In two previous starts, Wells had only allowed three runs in 13 innings against Pittsburgh. He was the winner in both outings.
Bucs are 13-15 after 28 games. They sat at 12-16 this time last year.
