SB Nation Pittsburgh - Bucs Lose Despite Strong Start From Ross Ohlendorfhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2010-07-22T23:03:00-04:00http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13462162010-07-22T23:03:00-04:002010-07-22T23:03:00-04:00Pirates Cool Off, Lose 3-2 To Brewers
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<p>Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – Yovani Gallardo came off the disabled list and tossed six scoreless innings, and the Brewers used a pair of home runs to down the Pirates, 3-2, in the finale of a four-game set.</p>
<p>Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks went deep behind Gallardo (9-4), who scattered five hits and a walk while fanning five to help Milwaukee earn a split in the series and in its eight-game road trip.</p>
<p>John Axford recorded the final five outs to earn his 13th save of the season.</p>
<p>Ross Ohlendorf (1-8) was the hard-luck loser, allowing one run on five hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts for Pittsburgh, which had won four of five coming in. Neil Walker went 2-for-3 and drove in both Pirates runs in the loss.</p>
<p>Fielder broke a scoreless tie with his 24th home run of the season leading off the fourth, a towering fly over the right-center field wall.</p>
<p>Gallardo, who has been sidelined since suffering a right oblique strain on July 4, only had one clean inning — the fourth — but kept the Pirates off the board.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh’s Evan Meek surrendered a pinch-hit single to Carlos Gomez in the seventh, then served up a no-doubter to Weeks for a 3-0 game, just the third home run the All-Star reliever has allowed in 53 2/3 innings this season.</p>
<p>The Pirates, coming off their first 15-run game in nearly two years, rallied with two outs in the bottom half. Todd Coffey plunked Jose Tabata to get Pittsburgh’s attention, Delwyn Young followed with a base hit and Walker drove in both runners with a double to the right-field wall.</p>
<p>Fielder tried scoring from second on Alcides Escobar’s single to left in the eighth, but Lastings Milledge’s throw beat the plodding runner in plenty of time. Fielder attempted to barrel over Erik Kratz, but the 6-foot-4, 255- pound catcher kept his feet and held on to the ball for the final out.</p>
<p>Chris Capuano, who retired the final batter of the seventh, got Pedro Alvarez to ground out to start the eighth before Axford set down the next five Pirates hitters to finish off the win.</p>
<p>Weeks, who now has 19 home runs, also recorded his third triple of the year…20 of Fielder’s 24 home runs this season are of the solo variety…Pirates rookie Pedro Alvarez went 0-for-4 after notching back-to- back multi-homer games…The Pirates placed catcher Ryan Doumit on the 15-day disabled list due on Thursday due to a concussion and recalled catcher Jason Jaramillo from Triple-A Indianapolis…Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen did not start for a fourth game in a row due to a right shoulder injury…To make room for Gallardo, the Brewers optioned outfielder Lorenzo Cain to Triple-A Nashville… The Brewers lead the season series, 10-4.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/22/1583543/pirates-cool-off-lose-3-2-to-brewersCharlie Wilmoth2010-07-22T10:44:17-04:002010-07-22T10:44:17-04:00Pirates Look To Stay On The Offensive Against Brewers
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<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">(Sports Network) - Led by <span>Pedro Alvarez</span>, Pittsburgh's offense has exploded since the All-Star break. Seems that Milwaukee ace <span>Yovani Gallardo</span> is coming back at just the right time.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Gallardo is set to make his first start in nearly three weeks as the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/MIL" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a> try to earn a split of their four-game series with the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/PIT" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a> at PNC Park.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Pittsburgh has scored nine or more runs in four of six games since the Mid- Summer classic, winning four of those contests. After plating nine runs in the first inning of yesterday's 11-9 triumph, the Pirates pounded out 18 hits in a 15-3 victory last night. It marked the first time the Buccos have plated 15 runs since Sept. 17, 2008 and they have notched at least 17 hits in three of their last five games.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"They've been swinging the bats pretty well," Brewers manager Ken Macha said of the Pirates. "We came in here and held them to one run [Monday] night. In the last two nights, you make mistakes or your pitch selection is bad ... that's what happens."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Alvarez has been a big part of that. The third baseman notched a pair of homers for the second straight game and is batting .389 (14-for-36) over his last nine games with five homers and 11 RBI. He also became the first Pirates rookie to notch back-to-back multi-homer games.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Delwyn Young</span> highlighted a six-run fourth inning with a three-run homer and drove in a career-high five runs in all on three hits, while starter <span>Zach Duke</span> picked up his first victory since May 18 by pitching six-plus innings and allowing three runs, two of those earned.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Pittsburgh didn't come out of last night's game unscathed though as catcher <span>Ryan Doumit</span> left after three innings due to nausea and lightheadedness stemming from a first-inning collision at the plate with Milwaukee's <span>Rickie Weeks</span>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Andrew McCutchen</span> also did not start for a third game in a row due to a right shoulder injury and it is unknown if he will get to take his swings tonight against Gallardo, who will come off the disabled list to make his first start since July 4.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Gallardo has been out with a right oblique strain suffered that day in a loss to the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/STL" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a>. He gave up six runs, only one earned, on five hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings before his exit, falling to 8-4 on the season with a 2.58 earned run average.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"I was lucky enough that it was a minor thing," Gallardo told MLB.com "The way that I felt that Sunday when I came out of the game, I felt like it was going to be a lot worse. But it got better every day."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The right-hander, who was forced to miss the All-Star Game due to the injury, has dominated the Pirates in two starts this year, yielding just two unearned runs over 11 innings while striking out 14 in a pair of victories. Gallardo, 24, is 5-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 10 career outings versus the Pirates, nine of those starts, and 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA in nine road starts this year.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">He'll try to fare better than last night's starter, <span>Randy Wolf</span>, who allowed 12 runs on 13 hits -- both career highs -- over 5 2/3 innings. Milwaukee starters have now allowed at least 10 runs in three of their last four games. The Brewers have lost three of those games and are 3-4 on an eight-game road trip to begin the second half.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The post All-Star schedule hasn't been kind to Pirates starter <span>Ross Ohlendorf</span>, who lasted a career-low 1 1/3 innings on Saturday versus the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/HOU" class="sbn-auto-link">Astros</a> and gave up four runs on five hits and two walks. The 27-year-old did not get a decision after his offense bailed him out in a 12-6 victory.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"He just struggled," Pirates manager John Russell told his club's website. "Bad temp. Bad location. Ball was up. Everything that could go wrong, [went] wrong."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The right-handed Ohlendorf is just 1-7 with a 4.62 ERA on the season and 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts versus the Brewers.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Pirates have still lost nine of 14 versus the Brewers this year, including five of eight at home.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/22/2318223/pirates-look-to-stay-on-the-offensive-against-brewersCharlie Wilmoth