PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Reds won nine of the 10 meetings with the Pirates in 2021, outscoring the Bucs by 60 runs heading into Tuesday night. As Cincinnati held the slimmest lead for the final playoff spot in the National League, the Pirates got number two. Final 6-5.
Bucs built a 6-0 lead before Cincinnati got four runs off Nick Mears in the sixth and a solo home run by Nick Castellanos with two-outs in the ninth. Chris Stratton able to get the final out for his fifth save.
“He’s pitched in high leverage seventh and eighth and now we’ve moved him into the ninth,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “I think tonight is probably the highest leverage ninth inning he’s got. He got multiple guys with 20-plus homers in a lineup that’s been very good against us. He executed pitches. To get through that was very impressive.”
Lefty Dillon Peters started and went five scoreless innings scattering five hits and a walk while striking out five. It’s his first win as a Pirate. Peters is under team control until 2026.
“That’s for them to decide,” Peters said about his opportunity with the Bucs. “I know that I’m ready to take the ball whenever is asked. I’m going to go out there and compete and go after guys. If that’s for three innings or six innings, you are going to get everything I got.”
It’s his fifth start since being called up on August 15 after he was acquired in July in a trade with the Angels for cash considerations. The 29-year-old former 10th round pick of the Marlins is 1-2 with a 2.66 ERA, seven earned runs allowed in 23.2 innings with eight walks and 20 strikeouts.
1st and 5th
Pirates got three runs in the first inning as six of the first seven, reached base. RBI singles by Yoshi Tsutsugo, Jacob Stallings and Ben Gamel.
Bucs got three more runs in the fifth inning on repeat RBIs by Tsutsugo and Stallings along with help from an error.
Stallings also named the Pirates nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award given to the MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
“I always joke with him,” Gamel said. “I thought he hated me when I played against him. I would always talk to him when I was up to bat. You don’t get much out of Jacob.”
“Knowing him now and playing with him. He’s just a wonderful human being to be around and excited for him.”
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Bligh Streak Continues
Bucs 2017, 9th round pick Bligh Madris hit his 9th HR at AAA and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. A 25-year-old lefty-hitting outfielder, Madris is batting over .400 in September and .274 at AAA this year.
Frazier Trade HR
Jack Suwinski hit his fourth homer in his 40th game with the Pirates affiliate in Altoona. The right-handed outfielder is hitting .252 overall in AA with 21 HR and seven doubles. In his first 66 games with the Padres AA team, the 23-year-old hit 15 home runs.
Another double-digit output
2020 first round pick Nick Gonzales had a couple of hits as Greensboro scored double-digit runs for the eighth time since August 22. Lolo Sanchez hit his 17th home run and Aaron Shackelford drove in three runs, now with 69 on the season. Top five in the High-A Eastern League.
5th round magic
This year’s first round pick, 23-year-old infielder Jackson Glenn had three more hits on Tuesday. The average now at 368 in his first 87 at bats in professional baseball with the Low A Bradenton Marauders.