Going into tonight’s game, Neil Walker had a .276 average, very respectable for a big league second baseman. What wasn’t as good however, was that he only had two extra-base hits on the season – not a stat you want your cleanup hitter to have. After shuffling the lineup once again, Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle move Walker to the second spot in the lineup and inserted Pedro Alvarez in the four-hole. A move that paid dividends for Walker, at least for tonight.
Walker collected two hits in the contest, including his first home run of the season, as he hit a two-run shot to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
“Home runs come and go for me as a switch-hitter, that’s not my approach, so I’m not worried about it,” Walker said.
As for hitting second, Walker seems to like it so far.
“I think it’s a special spot,” Walker said. “I’ve hit everywhere between two and five, but after the first inning it really doesn’t make a difference to me.”
Alex Presley, who came on in the seventh as part of a double-switch, hit what would turn out to be a much needed insurance run with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame, his second of the year. The home run ended up being just enough support as they would go on to win the game 3-2 over the Cincinnati Reds.
“This might be one of the better games we played, and we needed to play to win the game on the defensive side,” Hurdle said.
While Hurdle realizes a win is a win, he couldn’t help but laugh that the team played another one-run game.
“That’s the funny part, I’m looking around and you think about games as you’re driving to the park,” Hurdle said. “Stuff happens and you’re like again? We are going to go through this again?”
Taking the mound for the Pirates was James McDonald. McDonald, who only worked out of the seventh twice last year, was looking to beat that mark tonight, but fell short. McDonald gave up just one earned run over 6.1 innings and struck out seven Reds. For McDonald, he now has 25 strikeouts over his last three games (21 IP).
“I mean if I need a strikeout, I feel I can go for one, but I’d rather rely on the off speed pitches,” McDonald said when asked if he is now a strikeout pitcher.
Despite giving up a run in the eighth, Jason Grilli was able to work out of a jam with a strikeout of Brandon Phillips to set Joel Hanrahan up with his fifth save of the season.
For Hurdle, moving Alvarez to cleanup was more of a when decision, not if.
“When I first took this job, I envisioned a day when we’d have him at cleanup,” Hurdle said. “You try to look for the right spot, the right time. He’s put down some traction the past two weeks, moving up from seventh to sixth to fifth. I’m optimistic about it. I talked to him and here we go. He’s done it before.”
For fans, don’t look at it as a one night thing, it’s a move that Hurdle anticipates will stick for awhile.
“This isn’t going to be a day-to-day thing,” Hurdle said. “This is going to be something where we put a foot down and make a commitment to it. We’ll see where it takes us and where it takes him.”
The Pirates will square off against the Reds tomorrow in the rubber-match of the series. Taking the hill for the Pirates (12-15) will be Charlie Morton (1-2, 4.22 ERA) against Matt Latos (1-2, 5.97 ERA) for the Reds (13-13). First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.
Photo credits: Getty Images
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