Pirates Pitching Dominant, Holds Rockies To Five Singles
By Tom Smith
According to most experts,
the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff wasn’t supposed to be doing this well. We thought the starters wouldn’t be tough enough to put up numbers like they are. We thought the bullpen would be strong, but they are Hulk like right now.
Last night the Pirates hurlers held the Colorado Rockies to five singles.
Only three of the knocks had enough mustard to leave the infield. One single was a bunt base hit by Carlos Gonzalez which, when combined with a Pirates shutout, is as unheard of as an albino groundhog.
The Pirate offense came from an opposite field solo bomb from Andrew McCutchen and a clutch two-out blast from Garrett Jones. Both were hit off Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin, who gave up runs in Coors Field for the first time in a couple of outings. Chacin did get seven Bucs to whiff and another looking. As has been the case too often this season, it was a season high.
We felt the game would be on the shoulders of Correia, and he didn’t disappoint. He bounced back from his rough outing against Washington by striking out four and giving up just three hits. The Pirates infield got ten outs for the right hander. It wasn’t until the fifth inning that a Rockies’ player could reach outfield grass off Correia.
Shut. It. Down.
The Pirates’ pitchers got big outs when the Rockies put runners in scoring position last night. Correia owns Dexter Fowler and got him to strike out in the third inning with a runner on second.
In the eighth, Chris Resop showed just how dominant he can be in the setup role getting the first out on a strikeout. He allowed former Bucco Alfredo Amezega to single and then move into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Resop shut it down with two strikeouts.
Hanranator got his eighth save when he struck out Ryan Spilborghs with Troy Tulowitzki on second base.
Hurdle on Correia
"He pitched a great game for us tonight. He continues to change speeds and has great command of his fastball. Very, very good outing."