Pirates Pedro Alvarez Wants You

The Pittsburgh Pirates put together six runs in the seventh inning for an 8-5 comeback victory against the Phillies at PNC Park. The Pirates were being dominated by Phillies starter Joe Blanton. He had sent 17 straight Pirates back to the dugout not allowing any of them to even pass first base.  Zip.  Nothing.

But in the seventh, Pedro Alvarez walked to the plate.  Strike one.  The next pitch was a curveball.  Pedro made it a souvenir when he sent it into the center field seats.   Everyone that picked one in our Alvarez homerun poll.  You Are Wrong.

Just like hot dogs and beer

at your picnic yesterday, the hits were everywhere.   Ryan Doumit followed with a single.  Ryan Church doubled.  He is so clutch.  And then Delwyn Young came up to pinch hit.

We listen to the radio often and many talking heads have mentioned that Delwyn Young could be the next Pirate to be cut. They are crazy. Young has ten pinch hits. There is one guy better than Young in Major League Baseball. One. The guy is priceless. Young turned Charlie Manuel around when thinking of a pitching change. Manuel settled on nasty Cuban defector Jose Contreras.

Young slapped a 1-2 splitter from Contreras into left field for a double.  It was some serious hitting and tied the game.  But the Pirates were far from done.

Jose Tabata singled, stole second base for his sixth steal in eight attempts.  Neil Walker walked.  Andrew McCutchen moved the runners over for Garrett Jones who ripped a single to center to score both runners.  Jones then hustled into second base in front of a throw from Ryan Howard who had cut the ball off behind the pitchers mound.

122,412 baseball fans rolled through the turnstiles for the weekend series. Evan Meek, Joel Hanrahan and Octavio Dotel made certain that the Phillies fans, some of whom smelled like shit,  in attendance at PNC Park were disappointed on the Fourth of July.  The bullpen was perfect once again.