Cardiac Pirates Do It Again: Jones Walkoff Delivers 5-4 Win Over Reds

How the Pirates won this game still has me scratching my head.  Nonetheless, the Pittsburgh Pirates got their sixth win, third via walkoff, of the year.

Lastings Milledge had an RBI double in the first inning to score Andrew McCutchen giving the Bucs a 1-0 lead.  Ryan Doumit walked and Delwyn Young hit a flare to the left side that dropped in for an RBI hustling, double that plated Milledge.   It was 2-0 Bucs and it looked they were going to pile it on.  Didn’t happen.  Reds starter Johnny Cueto elected to walk Jeff Clement (now batting .103, and a God awful .389OPS) in order to face Pirates starter Daniel McCutchen.  A slow roller to the mound was trouble, but Cueto fired an accurate throw to just get McCutchen at first to end the 30 + pitch inning.

In the second, a homerun by Ronny Cedeno got the Pirates their third run.  It was the fourth straight game that Cueto allowed a Pirate homerun.

But the offense was then silent.  Until the ninth.

Milledge got his second RBI of the game with a bases loaded walk to tie the score setting the stage for the dramatics of Garrett Jones.   It was a phenomenal at bat for Milledge.  Jones just missed making it a walk off grand slam when he barrelled one on an 0-2 count off the wall in left center.   The cardiac kids struck again.  The dogpile ensued.  Pirates win 5-4.   The Zambelli fireworks show just got a little bit better.

 Box score

The Bucs go for the sweep tomorrow.   The Smith family will be bringing their brooms.

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We are doing some work for Call to the Pen.  It’s a weekly look at the ten best baseball videos of the week.  Click on this link if you want to check out Holly Madison in her baseball outfit.