Alex Presley Powers Pittsburgh Pirates to 72nd Win

The Pittsburgh Pirates gumming up the Milwaukee Brewers’ chance for a home field advantage has such a nice ring to it. Snapping a 12-game sounds even better.

Thanks in large part to the just-a-triple-short-of-the-cycle hitting performance by Alex Presley, the Pirates won 9-8 over the Brewers. The win was great, but the Diamondbacks also lost, keeping the Brewers with a one game advantage over the Snakes for home field in the playoffs.

Pedro Alvarez drove in three teammates, but Presley was the big stick.

Presley had the game-winner in the seventh inning when he doubled off the wall to score Michael McKenry. It ensured the Bucs would get their first win at Miller Park in the last 13 tries.

Joel Hanrahan got his 40th save by getting through an adventurous ninth inning. Craig Counsell started it with a leadoff single and then the Hanranator fired two wild pitches that moved pinch-runner Carlos Gomez to third base.

Not to worry, however – Corey Hart struck out, and then pinch-hitter Casey McGheee hit a hard ground ball to Neil Walker, who fired a strike to catcher Michael McKenry who then tagged Gomez out well in front of the plate.

The final out of the game was also a ground ball to Walker, this time off the bat of last-gasp pinch-hitter George Kottaras.

ETA by Cocktailsfor2: Four f%#@ing hours and thirteen f%#@ing minutes. Jiminy Christmas. The longest 9-inning game I have ever attended in person. At least it was worth it in the end!

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Bill Brink of the PG with the video

Andrew McCutchen was scratched about 10 minutes before the start of the game. He said he would play today as Ohlendorf goes to the mound against Randy Wolf. Cutch caught a line drive in the junk off the bat of Derrek Lee during batting practice.