Pittsburgh Pirates series review vs. Brewers

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: A.J. Burnett (8-5, 3.06ERA) vs. Wily Peralta (5-8. 4.21ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 6-4 (13 innings)

Winning Pitcher: Francisco Rodriguez (1-3, 2.54ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Radhames Liz (1-4, 4.24ERA)

Save: Kyle Lohse (2, 6.11ERA)

• What went right:
  • The Dark Knight Returns! A.J. Burnett made his return to the pitching rubber at PNC Park and while he wasn’t great, he was solid enough and kept the Pirates in the game. He went five innings, allowed three runs on three hits and struck out three.
  • Joe Blanton was ridiculous again. He went two innings, allowed zero runs on two hits and struck out three.
  • Francisco Cervelli reached base five times in the game. He went 3-4 with two walks.
  • Gregory Polanco hit a game-tying home run in the 12^th inning after the Brewers took the lead in the top of the inning.

• What went wrong:
  • The Pirates left 10 men on base and went 0-6 with runners in scoring position.
  • Radhames Liz was not very good out of the bullpen. He went two innings, allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four. He allowed the go-ahead run twice in extra innings.
  • Ryan Braun was a Pirate-killer as he usually is. He went 2-5 with a walk and two RBI.
  • Adam Lind continued to be frustrating. He greeted A.J. Burnett with a first inning home run and went 2-6 on the day.

This game could have gone better, but despite the extra inning loss, the Pirates did look a bit better than they did in any of the games at Miller Park. They looked to respond by sending a little Electric Stuff to the mound.

Next: Game Two: Morton vs. Nelson