Anyone who has even casually followed the Pittsburgh Pirates this season is probably familiar with one particular number: 21. That's how many years it had been since the Pirates have made the postseason, let alone had a winning season.
That streak ended as the Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 6-2, in a one-game, win-or-go-home playoff. Continue reading for highlights and analysis.
Final — 11:22 P.M. Pirates Close it Out, Win 6-2
The Pittsburgh Pirates got a taste of October baseball and they want more.
Led by starting pitcher Francisco Liriano, who pitched seven strong innings, and powered by two home runs by Russell Martin, the Pirates cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and will move on to St. Louis to start a five game series on Thursday.
The Pirates rattled Reds starter Johnny Cueto early and chased him from the game in the fourth inning after building a 3-1 lead. Marlon Byrd got things going in the second inning with solo home run and Martin soon followed with his first of the game.
Pittsburgh's fans showed up in full force for their first playoff game in 21 seasons. They were loud and boisterous throughout, and will get to see at least one more October game this season.
Choo lifted a fly ball to right that was ruled a home run after an umpire review. A fan reached over the fence and made contact with the ball. Ryan Ludwick followed that up with a double down the right-field line that was also interfered with by a fan. These Pirates fans are just super excited to be watching October baseball, so we should cut them some slack.
Watson worked his way out of further trouble, though, and the Reds are now down to their final three outs.
Votto/Phillips: 0 for 8, haven't hit the ball out of the infield.
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) 2 Oct 13
Top 8th — 10:55 P.M. Liriano's Night Is Over
He could have pitched longer, but the Pirates are going to need him rested for the next series, should they hold on to their 6-1 lead.
The Pirates' bullpen, which is one of the best in the game, should be plenty rested for Thursday's potential matchup with St. Louis as Tony Watson takes the mound for Pittsburgh. Liriano went seven innings, allowed four hits, one walk, one run and struck out five.
Bot 7th — 10:45 P.M. Martin Homers Again, Pirates Up 6-1
Martin entered this game with two career postseason home runs in 115 at-bats. He matched that in four at-bats tonight after launching his second homer of the game, a solo shot with one out in the seventh. Yankees fans are wondering where this power was last October!
Top 7th — 10:31 P.M. Pirates Holding On to 5-1 Lead
Liriano is experiencing postseason success for the first time in his career. He had made two previous October starts, both of them against the Yankees, in 2009 and 2010. He lasted just two innings in the first one and allowed four runs in five-plus innings in the second.
But Liriano is a different pitcher now than he was toward the end of his tenure with the Twins. He's found his way back to the All-Star he was in 2006, just in time to lead a long-suffering franchise back to prominence. It's hard to believe that Liriano is still only 29 years old, but when he made his debut in 2005, he was just 21.
Liriano is in complete control in this one here in the seventh. The Pirates are 69-5 when leading after 6 innings, due to their excellent bullpen. Liriano is pitching well enough to go the distance, but the Pirates may want to spell him soon with an eye on the next series, which starts Thursday in St. Louis.
Bot 6th — 10:23 P.M. Byrd Looking to Do More Damage
Up comes Byrd, who has helped to fuel the Pirates offense tonight. His solo home run in the second gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead and he drove in another run in the fourth. He now has runners on first and second with one out.
Acquiring Byrd was one of the shrewd moves the Pirates made during the season to bolster its offense.
Byrd, 35, started the season without any job security, but turned a spring training invite from the Mets into a starting gig. He even got his own T-shirt night at Citifield on August 27th. The T-shirt depicted a pair of wings and the text "Let It Fly."
Byrd flew all right, right out of the organization, that very same day. He was traded to the Pirates before the game and went on to hit .318 the rest of the regular season. The Byrd T-shirt can now be found at a thrift store near you.
As we head to the sixth inning, things are looking bleak for the Reds. They have mounted only one rally against Liriano over the first five innings and have managed just one run. Liriano has thrown just 60 pitches entering the inning, 43 of them for strikes.
Bot 4th — 9:42 P.M. Pirates Add Another, Up 5-1
Another Reds pitcher joined the party, J.J. Hoover, but he could not stop the Pirates from padding their lead. Byrd grounded into a force out, but Walker came around to score.
Marshall's line is atrocious. He failed to retire a single batter, giving up a run, a hit and two walks. I guess he's never been "MAR-SHALL"'d before.
As 3-batter postseason relief appearances go, that's not as bad as Ryan Speier in the 2007 WS. But it's close. http://t.co/cdivSFa7Ol
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) 2 Oct 13
Bot 4th — 9:29 P.M. Pirates Fans Are Pumped, Up 4-1
The new Reds pitcher, Sean Marshall, got the same name chanting treatment Cueto received when he entered the game. "MAR-SHALL" does not have the same ring to it, but it seems to be working nonetheless as the Pirates have added another run, thanks to a double by Walker.
There is still just one out runners on first and second for Morneau.
During Pittsburgh's many down years, i said the fans that did show up to watch them were the best in baseball. This is their reward.
— David Waldstein (@DavidWaldstein) 2 Oct 13
Bot 4th — 9:23 P.M. Cueto's Night Is Over
You won't have Johnny Cueto to push around anymore. He's been pulled with one out in the fourth inning.
Only one pitcher lived up to expectations in this presumed pitcher's duel. Cueto never looked comfortable tonight, which is surprising given his cool reputation under pressure. He gave up seven hits, two of them homers, and three runs in three-plus innings.
Top 4th — 9:15 P.M. Bruce Gets Reds on the Board
Bruce finally finds success against Liriano, driving in a run with a single to left.
In the following at-bat, Frazier hit a shot that was just a few feet away from landing fair in the left field stands. That would have given the Reds a 4-3 lead. Instead, on the next pitch, Liriano got Frazier swinging.
Top 4th — 9:08 P.M. Let's Play Bean Ball
When the Reds play the Pirates, there are bruises a plenty. There were 28 hit batters in games between the two teams this year, the most of any two teams in all of baseball.
Choo was hit seven times by Pirates pitching in the regular season and was plunked again to lead off the fourth. The Reds now have runners on first and second with one out, their first threat of the game.
Bot 3rd — 9:02 P.M. Alvarez Gives Pirates a 3-0 Lead
It was not a knock-out punch, but Alvarez drove in the third run with a sac fly to center. Cueto has thrown 52 pitches with two outs in the third inning.
Reds Manager Dusty Baker just visited the mound, trying to talk his pitcher out of a jam. The Pirates have runners on first and third with one out, Pedro Alvarez, an All-Star who hit 36 homers during the regular season, is at the plate.
Dusty Baker pre-game: "If you know Johnny Cueto like I know Johnny Cueto, he thrives in this type of environment."
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) 2 Oct 13
While the bottom of the second inning resembled somewhat of a fireworks display for the Pirates offense, the Reds hitters have yet to get a ball out of the infield. Through three innings, there have been seven ground balls and two strikeouts.
Mid 2nd — 8:43 P.M. Nightmare Inning Ends for Cueto
It took a spectacular dive into the crowd in foul territory by third baseman Todd Frazier to save Cueto from the second. Even Liriano had a hard-hit single in the inning.
Now Liriano is back on the mound, in the all-important "shut-down" inning that could set the tone for the rest of the game.
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