Ryan Ludwick Walks Off Pittsburgh Pirates to Win Number 70

And they partied like it was 2004!  The Pittsburgh Pirates got to the seventy win mark thanks to not a young future star, but a seasoned veteran.  It was Ryan Ludwick who

sent the diehard fans at PNC Park into a frenzy in the bottom of the ninth after the 4-3 Pirates win over the Reds.

The bottom of the ninth drama was set up when closer Joel Hanrahan blew the save when with the bases loaded and a full count on Todd Frazier, Hanranator hit him.  He dropped like ten pounds of limestone forcing in the game tying run.  It was Hanranators fourth blown save after being perfect before the All-Star break–but it wasn’t like a ball was hit hard off the Bucs closer last night.

But not to worry, the Bucs saved their closer for once.

So with one out in the bottom of the ninth all the fun began.  Jason Jaramillo, who has become a go-to bat off the bench for Clint Hurdle, started the fun with a one-out cued double into left field.

Chase d’Arnaud was sent out to run for JHammer and Pedro Alvarez was ready to step up and be the hero. Unfortunately the Reds had a lefty on the mound and Hurdle pulled Pedro back to the dugout. Ryan Ludwick was about to send the faithful into a frenzy.

Good for Ryan. But we can’t help wonder if Pedro…ah, nevermind. Wait until next year.  The moment was meant for Ludwick who will likely be gone after the last game against Milwaukee next week.

The Bucs had a 3-0 lead thanks to a 450+ foot BOMB by Garrett Jones.   It was the longest homer we saw a Bucco blast at PNC all season.   In the third inning,  Andrew McCutchen ripped a two-out double, the Chairman Derrek Lee walked and guess who stepped up?  Ted Williams.  No, kidding.  Just another RBI single from Ryan Doumit who looks like Williams this month.

Dewey is on a mission. He had two more hits last night.

In September Doumit is hitting .411 and slugging .625. Sick. Someone is going to pay the man despite his less than stellar, yet still improved defense. I just trust it’s the Pirates.

Jeff Locke worked 4.2 innings on 80 pitches.  He held the Reds to one run on six hits and two walks.  There were a few deep, deep fly ball outs that scared the hell out of us, but it was the one-out walk in the fifth to Reds starter Volquez that really pissed us off because a single followed which set up a rare mental lapse.

A groundball to to Ronny Cedeno was flipped to Neil Walker who didn’t touch the unmoving Volquez before he touched the bag so the Bucs only got a force out.

Of course, freaking Joey Votto followed with a single to chase Locke.  Some nice work by Daniel Moskos got the Bucs off the hook when he stranded both Reds runners by whiffing Jay Bruce.

Chris Leroux who has pitched like crap since we posted how great he was performing allowed the other Reds run.

Tony Watson had two strikeouts to get Leroux off the hook and Jason Grilli looked untouchable in the eighth inning to get the game to Hanrahan with the Bucs clinging to a one-run lead.

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