The Pirates put a solid effort on all fronts – hitting, pitching, and fielding. The offense banged out 16 hits and scored ten times. Kevin Correia was sharp again in earning his eleventh win. The defense committed no errors. More, please!
Pittsburgh pounced on Nationals and starter Jason Marquis for eight runs in the first two innings. Alex Presley started the game with a single. Chase D’Arnaud reached on an error by Marquis. McCutchen followed a pop out from Garrett Jones with a run scoring single. D’Arnaud swiped third before Neil Walker singled him in. Lyle Overbay provided the final hit and run of the inning with a single that scored McCutchen.
Correia led off the second with his second hit of the season. Correia was forced at second by a grounder from Presley. D’Arnaud singled to put runners on the corners. Jones and McCutchen hit consecutive doubles to score three runs and chase Marquis from the game. Collin Balester relieved and was rudely greeted by Walker’s RBI single. Overbay again capped the scoring, this time with a double that plated Walker. When the dust settled, Pittsburgh staked Correia to an eight run lead.
The Nationals lone offense came in the bottom of the second on a two run dinger from Wilson Ramos with Rick Ankiel aboard.
Pittsburgh tacked on two more in the sixth. With one out, Jones walked. McCutchen and Walker each singled to load the bases. McCutchen’s single drove Balester from the game and resulted in Henry Rodriguez coming on in relief. Ian Desmond committed an error on a ball from Overbay to score one run and keep the bases loaded. Michael McKenry drew a two out bases loaded walk.
Daniel Moskos relieved Correia after six innings and fired two scoreless innings. Chris Leroux made his Pirates debut by pitching the ninth. He gave up two hits, but no runs.
Correia gave up both National runs in six innings. He yielded six hits and a walk. He struck out six. Marquis was the loser. He allowed seven runs (six earned) and scattered four outs among the eight hits he allowed. Balester did the heavy lifting for the Nationals – he went four and gave up three runs (two earned).
The Good
16 hits and ten runs from the offense.
McCutchen, Walker and Overbay each had three hits. Presley and D’Arnaud each had two hits.
No gripes about Correia.
The Bad
Not much. Leroux wasn’t all that good. Glad it wasn’t in a tight spot or a close game.
The Rest
Marquis falls to 12-7 in his career against the Pirates. Pittsburgh last beat Marquis on 8/1/08 when he was a Cub. He had won five straight decisions against them. Correia is 3-2 against the Nats.
Correia’s six strike outs were a season high. The last time he had more than a half dozen K’s were 8/11/10 against the Pirates for the Padres.
Pittsburgh hadn’t had 16 hits since the third game of the season against the Wriglies.
The ten runs represents a season high, achieved two other times.
Amazing to think that this team is doing what it is doing with essentially an offensive zero from Pedro Alvarez. Hopefully he will tear it up once he is healthy.
Roger Bernadina made a great diving catch in the fourth, preventing a four hit day for McCutchen.
Jayson Werth left the game after being hit by a Correia pitch in the sixth.
