The Pittsburgh Pirates are unstoppable at the beginning of the season.
In the home game against the Cincinnati Reds held at PNC Park on the 22nd (Korean time), Pittsburgh won 4-2 thanks to starter Mitch Keller’s good pitching and opponent’s errors.
Pittsburgh, which had five consecutive victories, marked 14 wins and 7 losses and finished second in the NL Central Division. It is a close match with the district-leading Milwaukee Brewers within one game. Pittsburgh is a team that recorded 101 losses in 2021 and 100 losses in 2022. It is the first time in four years since April 2019 that Pittsburgh has recorded five consecutive wins.
On the other hand, Cincinnati fell into a swamp of 4 consecutive losses and was unable to get out of the bottom of the NL Central Division with a mark of 5 wins and 12 losses.
Keller earned his second win of the season by throwing 4 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and 2 runs in 6 innings. Undefeated, ERA is 3.21. The Pittsburgh starters continued their 11-game quality start streak until Keller that day.
The Pittsburgh bullpen, led by Robert Steffenson, Colin Holderman, and David Bednar, kept the victory by blocking the remaining three innings with five hits and no runs. Bednar dominated the ninth inning with no hits and no runs and marked his 7th save of the season.
Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft pitched well with 3 hits and 2 runs in 5 innings, but it had nothing to do with winning or losing.
Connor Joe, who was recruited through a trade with the Colorado Rockies last winter, led the offense with 3 hits, 1 walk and 2 runs in 3 at-bats. Joe raised his season batting average to 0.377.
Pittsburgh scored two runs first in the bottom of the second inning. After one death, Joe’s left-handed hit, Jack Swinsky’s walk, and Ashcraft’s balk allowed two runners to advance to the second and third bases. Then, when Mark Mathias hit a heavy hit, both were called home.
Cincinnati, who was suppressed by Keller’s pitch, tied the game in the fifth. Tyler Stephenson’s right-handed hit from the lead, Jason Vosler’s walk after one out, made up two points with Nick Senzel’s right-handed hit and Jose Barrero’s sacrifice fly at the 1st and 2nd bases.카지노
However, Pittsburgh scored the winning run on an opponent’s error in the sixth inning. After one death, Joe advanced to second base with a right-handed hit and a wild throw from opposing pitcher Derek Law. Swinski retreated with a ground ball to the second baseman, and 2nd to 3rd base. Shortstop Barrero threw a grounder from Mathias to first base, and third base runner Joe stepped home.
Pittsburgh added a run to Carlos Santana’s mid-month double from second out and first base in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting a wedge in the game.
On the other hand, Bae Ji-hwan played as the runner of the group who walked out in the bottom of the 7th inning. He never had a chance to bat.