Pirates Beat Reds With Barrage Of Sacrifice Flies

by Charlie Wilmoth on Sep 24, 2011 10:35 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: Derrek Lee #25 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Ludwick #36 (not pictured) against the Cincinnati Reds during the game on September 24, 2011 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

The Pirates scored one in the second and three in the third en route to a 4-3 win, their 71st of the season. The second-inning run came on a Ryan Ludwick walk, a Jason Jaramillo double, and a Ronny Cedeno sacrifice fly. Then Josh Harrison, who had four hits on the night, led off the third with a triple to the left-field wall and came home on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen. The Pirates weren't done, though, as Derrek Lee and Neil Walker reached base and came in on yet another sac fly (this time by Ludwick) and a single by Jaramillo.

Brad Lincoln got through five innings and allowed two runs despite walking four. Jared Hughes relieved him and was toxic, striking out the side in the sixth. Jose Veras gave up a run in the eighth, but Jason Grilli nailed down the save in the ninth. (Joel Hanrahan was unavailable after pitching a bunch on Friday.)

I'll be on the Pirates' postgame show with David Todd to talk about what the Pirates should do this offseason.

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The Drive for 75 is still on

Keep hope alive!

by maguro on Sep 24, 2011 10:52 PM EDT reply actions

It would be great to end

the season on a six game winning streak, that may be a season high, if the Bucs could pull it off. Good to see we have a 14 game improvement and counting, even if 75 isn’t reached.

Another impressive crowd tonight, the Bucs outdrew Tampa by 10,000. Pittsburgh also outdrew the Mets, Nationals, and Indians, among others.

Hopefully, the Pirates can finish the sweep tomorrow.

by SteelStealth on Sep 24, 2011 11:04 PM EDT reply actions

It would be great to end the season on a six game winning streak,

Especially when we finish the season against the brewers. Quite the feat.

by BlindSquirrel on Sep 25, 2011 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Jazzed.

Bucs in the afternoon.

FOX J at night.

Beer both places.

Doesn’t get better.

by bucdaddy on Sep 25, 2011 2:18 AM EDT reply actions

girlfriend/wife

- just thinking out loud :)

Yinzers uber alles

by BostonBuc on Sep 25, 2011 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions

He has both.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Sep 25, 2011 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

4th place

Given the preseason expectations, a 4th place finish ahead of the Cubs and Astros is a respectable improvement FOR THIS YEAR. Hopefully, the injury bug will find another victim and the team will have much fewer players on the DL.

by Gaguzia on Sep 25, 2011 3:04 AM EDT reply actions

Veras again?

Hughes struck out the side in the sixth? If he was doing that good, why put in that bum Veras? He CAN’T pitch. He gave up a run. In a tight game, we need guys who can deliver K’s. Period. I cannot understand why Hurdle keeps using Veras. He sucks. He gives up runs when we can afford it least. GET VERAS OUTTA HERE! Please!

by dougalmac on Sep 25, 2011 8:03 AM EDT reply actions

he cant pitch?

dadgumit, yer right… get that dood outta da burgh… yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa

by white angus on Sep 25, 2011 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

OK, OK! I don't get my wish!

I thought if the Buccos play .500 ball, they’d turn the magical corner. I was ecstatic at the All-Star break when we had a winning record. I thought, GO BUCCOS, exceed all our expectations. Then the meltdown came. I thought, OK, it’s just a slump, they’ll pull out of it. I especially thought that things would get better when we got Lee and Tabata came back. But it never happened. Still, if we could get to 75 wins, that would be a 21 game win improvement over last year’s abysmal John Russell squad. That is improvement. Not what I’d hoped for, but it is improvement. I’m so sick of saying, “But maybe next year….”

by dougalmac on Sep 25, 2011 8:11 AM EDT reply actions