Pittsburgh Pirates Plunder Chicago White Sox in Series Opener

The Pittsburgh Pirates are now 13-6 at PNC Park this season

Throughout the course of a 162 game Major League Baseball season there are games where a team cruises to victory in a game that was never in doubt. Tuesday night was one of those games for the Pittsburgh Pirates who defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-0 to improve to 24-17 on the season.

The Pirates would jump out to a big 1st inning lead and never look back on Tuesday night. With the win, the Pirates are now 9-2 in interleague play this season. This includes being 3-0 against the White Sox.

Tuesday night’s game was a rematch of last Wednesday’s pitching matchup between Reynaldo Lopez and Trevor Williams. Last Wednesday, the Pirates recorded just a trio of hits off of Lopez in his 7 1/3 inning pitched. Tuesday night, however, would go much differently.

On the second pitch of the game, Adam Frazier launched a home run off of Lopez. After this, Lopez’s defense would then begin to contribute to his woes.

Gregory Polanco would single on a ball that was kicked by right fielder Daniel Palka. Palka’s misplay was followed by doubles from Starling Marte and Josh Bell. The back-to-back doubles made the score 3-0 Pirates.

With 2-outs in the inning, Colin Moran hit a line drive to left field that should have been caught. Instead, Nicky Delmonico got completely turned around by the ball and it dropped a few feet behind him. Moran’s double plated Bell and made it 4-0 Pirates after an inning of play.

More poor defense would bite Lopez and the White Sox in the bottom of the 2nd inning.

With 2-outs and Polanco on first base, Sean Rodriguez crushed a ball to left-center field. Chicago center fielder Leury Garcia would badly misplay the plat leading a run-scoring triple for Rodriguez. Bell would then hit his second double of game, making the score 6-0 Pirates after the 2nd inning.

Lopez would face the first two batters of the top of the 3rd inning before being pulled. When things were all said and done, he allowed 6 runs on 7 hits, a home run, a pair of walks, he hit a batter, and he failed to record a strikeout.

When it comes to Lopez’s counterpart – Trevor Williams – his start was a complete 180 from that of the White Sox righty.

Earlier today I wrote that Williams has been playing with fire this season due to control issues and a lack of swings and misses. Well, these were non-issues for Williams on Tuesday night as he turned in his best outing of the season thus far.

Williams threw a first pitch strike to 21 of the 27 batters he faced, he did not walk a batter, and he struck out 6 in 7 scoreless innings pitched. Tuesday night’s outing was the first this season in which Williams did not walk a batter.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Polanco would tattoo a ringing double off the wall in center field. This double – which was hit off of left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer – would score Frazier to run the score to 7-0 Pirates.

A scoreless 8th inning from Kyle Crick and 9th inning from Richard Rodriguez would close out the game for the Pirates. With the 7-0 victory, the Bucs now own a Major League leading seven shutouts this season.

Next: Newman & Martin Each Earn MiLB Player of the Week Honors

Unfortunately, it may not have been all good for the Pirates on Tuesday night. Marte exited the game after the 1st inning with right side discomfort. Francisco Cervelli would join him after being hit in the wrist with a pitch in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Hopefully, both moves were precautionary and each player will be just fine.

The finale of this shortened two-game series is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. on Wednesday. Jameson Taillon is scheduled to start for the Pirates, while the White Sox plan to send Hector Santiago to the mound. The Bucs will be looking for their fourth series sweep of the young season.