Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. Minnesota Twins

Jul 28, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jung Ho Kang (27) hits a home run in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Pirates won 8-7. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: Charlie Morton (6-4, 4.59ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey (5-7, 3.94ERA)

Result: Pirates win 8-7

Winning Pitcher: Mark Melancon (2-1, 1.32ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Glen Perkins (0-3, 2.41ERA)

• What went right:
  • Gregory Polanco had another stellar performance and another tremendous at-bat in a big spot as he hit a benches clearing double in the seventh inning to give the Pirates the lead. He went 1-5 with three RBI and a run scored.
  • Travis Ishikawa had a pretty solid game with the bat. Going 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
  • Charlie Morton didn’t have great stuff, but managed to battle and keep the team in the game. He went 5.2 innings, allowed three runs on six hits and struck out five.
  • Jung-ho Kang got another clutch hit in a big spot, hitting a towering home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the Pirates the lead. He went 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

• What went wrong:
  • Tony Watson had a rare poor outing. Giving up five hits in a row and allowing the Twins to tie the game. He allowed four runs on five hits in 0.1 innings.
  • Andrew McCutchen had a very poor game. Going 0-5 with two strikeouts.
  • Aramis Ramirez is still hitless in his second go around as a Pirate. He went 0-5 on the day.
  • Pirates committed two errors on the day and generally weren’t sharp on defense.

The Pirates were able to survive a rare poor outing from Tony Watson. They then looked to fully gain their revenge against the Twins in game two…

Next: Game two: Francisco Liriano vs. Ervin Santana