Pittsburgh Pirates Cruise Past Indians For 10th Consecutive Victory

Folks, the Pittsburgh Pirates are really damn good right now

The rain that caused two rain delays for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Cincinnati over the weekend followed the team across the Buckeye State to Cleveland on Monday night. After an hour long rain delay at the start of the game, the Pirates and Indians kicked off their three-game interleague series at Progressive Field on Monday night.

On top of the rain following the Pirates from Cincinnati to Cleveland, so did the team’s winning streak. Following a 7-0 shellacking of the Indians in rain-shortened game on Monday night, the Pirates have now 10 games in a row for the first time since 2004. This incredible run has taken the Pirates’ record from 42-49 to 52-49, and has gotten them back into the National League Wild Card hunt.

Facing one of the best pitchers in baseball – Corey Kluber – the Pirate offense continued their recent hot stretch.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning the Pirates made Kluber pay for poorly located pitches. They also made the Indians pay for poor defense.

Colin Moran singled to start the inning and then Josh Bell hit what looked like a routine 4-6-3 double play ball. Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis booted the ball, which led to the Indians only getting one out.

With two outs in the inning David Freese popped up on the infield and the inning appeared to be over, but Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez overran the ball allowing it to drop beside the pitcher’s mound. Josh Harrison then blasted a three-run home run to left field and the Pirates led 3-0.

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Kluber’s struggles were not over yet. Jordy Mercer doubled, Corey Dickerson walked, and Starling Marte singled. Marte’s singled extended his hitting streak to 16 games and gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead. Gregory Polanco then hit a bullet to right field but was robbed of extra bases and a pair of RBIs when Melky Cabrera made a fine leaping grab to end the inning.

Mother Nature would rear her head once again in the bottom of the 3rd inning. As the skies opened up and the rain poured down, the Bucs and Tribe were forced to sit through another rain delay. This delay, however, was shorter than the first one.

When the Pirates returned to the bat racks after the delay, they would add onto their lead. With runners on the corners and two outs, Marte snuck a ball under the glove of Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor to make the score 5-0 Pirates.

Polanco then drove a Kluber pitch into the left-center field gap that clanked off the wall. The ball caromed away from Cleveland center fielder Tyler Naquin, allowing Polanco to get to third base with a triple. His triple scored, Mercer and Marte, and gave the Pirates a touchdown lead.

The Pirate offense knocked around two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Kluber to the tune of seven runs on nine hits, a walk, and just two strikeouts in 4 innings of work. The nine hits allowed is a new season high for Kluber, the seven runs he allowed are the most he’s allowed in a game since June 2016, and this was just the second start this season in which Kluber last less than 6 innings.

Trevor Williams started for the Pirates on Monday night and cruised through the game’s first 5 innings. The only time all night Williams got into trouble came in the bottom of the 6th inning, but he would pitch out of it.

The Indians loaded the bases with just one out, but Williams got a strikeout and a groundout to wiggle off the hook. In 6 scoreless innings of work on Monday night Williams allowed just four singles, he walked a pair, and his one strikeout was vital.

When the 6th inning ended, the game entered its third rain delay of the night. This rain delay would prove to be the final one as it led to the game being called after just 6 innings of play, leading to the 7-0 Pirate victory and an easy complete game for Williams.

The run the Pirates are currently on is remarkable. Two weeks ago this team looked dead, but after 10 consecutive wins, and 12 in their last 13 games, the Bucs are now 52-49 and just 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Buckle up, folks, this is getting fun again.

Next: Pirate Mailbag: July 23, 2018

Game two of this three-game series is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday. The Pirates will send Joe Musgrove (4.08 ERA, 3.69 FIP) to the mound in search of their 11th consecutive victory, while the Indians will counter with righty Shane Bieber (3.53 ERA, 3.11 FIP).

Folks, the Pittsburgh Pirates are really damn good right now

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