Pirates/Comeback Kids Beat Cubs/Marmol 5-4, Win Series

Nick Leyva the Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach was wheeling his arm and Neil Walker raced right past him.

As he approached the plate, Walker dropped his left hand in the dirt and slid between the legs of Chicago Cubs catcher Geovanny Soto.  Walker looked back at the ump who had his arms spread wide.

Walker, who kept his career hit streak against the Cubs alive with a 9th inning single off Marmol, had just scored the go ahead run for the Bucs.   He stood up and gave Garrett Jones a high five.

Jones had scored on a slow roller by Pedro Alvarez.  It barely got past Cubs closer Carlos Marmol and Jones raced for the plate tying the game at four.  But how Jones reached base in the thrilling ninth inning to eventually score the tying run was more important.  GFJ had worked a walk against Marmol.  It would prove huge.

Yeh, walks are important and the Pirates are proving it this season.  They had seven walks in the opener.

It was a wild game in Wrigley.  Especially when the Cubs bullpen hadn’t allowed a run dating back 34.2 consectutive innings.

Bunts continued.  The fury also continued with the Bucs aggressive baserunning when Jason Jarmillo was thrown out at home in the eighth inning.

The Pittsburgh Pirates had 16 hits, all singles.

Ross Ohlendorf threw 64 of his 96 pitches for strikes.  The fastball had some movement early and it helped him throughout as he was outdueled by Matt Garza who struckout more Pirates than we could count.  Garza allowed 12 hits and also struckout 12.  He gave up three earned runs.

Michael Crotta pitched one inning and it was a beauty.  In his debut, he got the Cubs 1-2-3.  Jeff Karstens picked up the victory.

Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan did his thing in the ninth thanks to a little help from Ronny ‘second time’ Cedeno, Neil Walker’s beautiful turn, and Lyle Overbay’s stretchto send the L flag up the pole at Wrigley.

Hurdle’s quotes after the game:

“I was wrong all day.”   He argued a call when a Cubs fan, wearing a Packers hat, dropped his beer near Garrett Jones attempting to make a play on a ball.  He argued a close play at first also.

“It was best I had seen him throw.”  Hurdle was talking about Ross Ohlendorf.  He was laughing when he said it because we think someone asked about sending Ohlendorf out for one more inning.

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