The Pirates defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-3 in 14 innings Friday, but lost starter Ross Ohlendorf in the process. Ohlendorf gave up a three-run homer to Jason Giambi in the first inning, but the Pirates scrapped their way back into the game, scoring on an RBI groundout by Matt Diaz in the fourth, a Jose Tabata solo homer in the fifth, and an RBI single by Jason Jaramillo in the sixth.
In the meantime, Ohlendorf left the game in the third inning with an apparent shoulder injury. Long reliever Jeff Karstens took over and pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, which only got the Pirates through six innings. The result was that they completely exhausted their bullpen, with Chris Resop pitching three innings, Garrett Olson pitching two, and everyone in the bullpen except Evan Meek pitching at least one inning. Tabata had an RBI double in the 14th to finally end the game.
It was a victory for the Bucs, but we’ll see if it was a Pyrrhic one; the bullpen is now spent, and we’ll have to worry about Ohlendorf’s condition.