Another day, another shutout

Trevor Williams had the studliness oozing out his pores, but unfortunately for him the last time the Pirates scored a run I was watching the Steelers instead.

Williams allowed only three hits and two walks in five innings, while striking out six - but one of those three hits was a fourth inning fly ball that Domingo Santana dropped just inside the seats down the left field line.

Given a 1-0 lead, Chase Anderson breezed through the Pirates’ lineup, throwing six shutout innings before giving way to the Brewers’ pen. For the night, the Brew Crew hurlers struck out 11 Pirates with nary a walk.

The only time the Pirates even threatened to score a run was in the bottom of the sixth. Adam Frazier led off with a line single to center field and went to second on the pitcher Anderson’s errant pickoff throw to first. Starling Marte followed with a bunt single to third that put the tying run on third and the lead run on first with no one out. Marte stole second as Andrew McCutchen struck out swinging for the first out, Frazier held third as center fielder Brett Philiips unleashed a 104 mph throw to home plate after catching Josh Bell’s shallow fly for the second out, and then they both trotted out to play defense after Gregory Polanco popped out to short for the third out.

The bottom of the ninth went much as expected, with Corey Knebel getting a pair of swinging strikeouts sandwiched around a weak grounder, to earn his 37th save.