Looking at the probable pitchers for the opener of the series, one would have thought that the Mets and Pirates would be a pitching duel in the first game of the series. With Erik Bedard and Johan Santana going, the storyline would have to be based around these two right? Wrong. In one of the more odd games of the season, the Pirates fought back from an early 4-0 deficit to take game one 5-4.
For Bedard, his command was off early. In the second inning, Bedard allowed the Mets to bat through the order to the tune of four runs, four hits and two walks while throwing 51 pitches. With the putrid Pirates offense of late, along with the four consecutive strikeouts in the second inning, it seemed as if the game was as good as over.
“I just didn’t throw any strikes and when I did they hit it,” Bedard said. “You try to have control every game and it was just that one inning that I didn’t have it.”
Instead of quitting, the Pirates showed resiliency and started the bottom of fourth with back-to-back-to-back doubles by Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez off of the former Cy Young winner. After the hot start, what happened next is what will be remembered.
Neil Walker, who has a .306 average against left-handers this year, squared around to bunt with Alvarez at second and no outs. For a No. 5 hitter with the trio of Casey McGehee, Clint Barmes and Michael McKenry behind you, it’s a head-scratcher.
“If you’ve been watching our team play, it’s about the sixth time he’s done it this year,” Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said. “I think three of them have worked out for base hits. It’s a play that he likes and it’s a good baseball play when it works. When it doesn’t work nobody likes it – including him.”
With the Pirates down just two, Clint Barmes had a leadoff single in the seventh inning as Michael McKenry came up to bat. Against Chicago last year, McKenry had a memorable home run to give the Pirates the lead over the Cubbies. While it didn’t have the same impact as that home run, “The Fort” hit a two-run game-tying blast over the bleachers in left field to tie the ballgame up.
“He’s (Santana) tough,” McKenry said. “We’ve faced a lot of good pitching this year and you’re just trying to take whatever you can get from guys like that and I was lucky he left a pitch up for me.”
Pirates turned to their rookie reliever Jared Hughes who worked out of a first and second jam in the eighth after Andres Torres, who is 4-39 in his last 12 games, grounded out to Walker who made a nice play to end the inning. It was Walker once again who was surrounded by a bizarre play in the bottom of the frame.
The Mets substituted both Mike Baxter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis in on defense only to have the move backfire. Walker hit what seemed to be a routine fly ball to left-center, only to have the two miscommunicate allowing for a three-base error. After a McGehee strikeout, Barmes drove Walker in for the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly.
“I thought it was a routine fly ball off the bat,” Hurdle said. “Then you watch the play develop and the center fielder’s arm goes up and the other guy keeps coming. You never know, but you definitely think it’s an out off the bat. When it’s not, you like to see your guy running as he was. Getting to third was a momentum turn for us in that inning. It was a gift and we were able to cash in on it.”
For McKenry, he likes his team’s never say die attitude.
“We hear it all the time that our pitching staff has been keeping us afloat,” McKenry said. “As a collective group of position players, we want to help out and do whatever we can to help this team win. We are going to scratch and claw and do whatever we can to put an extra run on the board.”
For the Pirates, they’ll take a win however they can get one. With the win, they are now two games under .500 (20-22) and remain three back of the first place St. Louis Cardinals. Taking the hill for the Pirates tomorrow will be their ace James McDonald (3-2, 2.68 ERA) against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (5-1, 3.75 ERA) for the Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Photo credits: Getty Images
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