Buc Notes-comeback win, Valdez hurt, Mitch good again

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Down 2-0 to the team up on you in the standings after losing your hottest hitter, the Pirates fought back to score a two-out run in the eighth and then Brandon Lowe singles to end the game, a sixth career walk-off winner, as the Bucs beat Arizona 3-2.

Pirates reliever Mason Montgomery danced around a one-out error in the 10th to strike out Gabriel Moreno in an 11-pitch at bat and then got Max Kepler to fly out to allow no runs.

After losing the first two games of the homestand, the Pirates have now won a pair, improve to 55-52 and tie Arizona for the final Wild Card spot.

Tough luck Mitch

Scoreless in the sixth with only two hits allowed, the Diamondbacks got consecutive singles off Mitch Keller to start the top of the sixth. Next batter, catcher Henry Davis challenged a ball call and it was overturned to a strikeout. Keller battled with switch-hitter Ketel Marte in an eight-pitch at bat, Marte hit one off the end of the bat just 27mph and it rolled past the pitchers’ mound for an infield single to load the bases. Max Kepler would line a pitch between first baseman Jacob Gonzalez and the first base line for a two-run double.

Keller was pulled after another strong outing, 5.1 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, a walk and 4 strikeouts. July 22 Keller threw 5 scoreless allowing only 3 hits in a no-decision at Yankee Stadium. The right-hander has lowered his ERA from 5.14 to 4.83 in his last two starts.

Esmerlyn Valdez injured

Notes

• Yohan Ramirez threw 1.2 innings allowing a hit and no runs. In 8 games in July, 9.1 innings, 9 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 7 walks and 11 strikeouts. This was after Ramirez went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings in June.
• Rookie CF Ryan Waldschmidt robbed Nick Gonzales of extra bases with one out in the fifth, leaping into the centerfield wall to make the catch. The next batter, Jacob Gonzalez, would single.
• Giving up a pair of runs in 1.1 innings in his Pirates debut, Ron Marinaccio had a 1-2-3 8^th inning on Monday
• Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected for arguing a check-swing called a strike by third base umpire Ben May on Bryan Reynolds in the eighth innings. Two pitches later, Reynolds would drive in Brandon Lowe to tie the game. It was his fourth ejection of the season

Draft deals

The Pirates signed their final two draft picks before the 5p deadline on Monday to either sign or lose a player’s rights. Bucs finished adding 12^th round pick, RHP Rohan Lettow from San Diego State (6-1, 3.79 ERA last season) and 14^th rounder, RHP Damacus Rideout-Carter, who was the seventh best prospect in Canada.

Bucs signed 18 of their 21 drafted players—that included inking everyone in their first 15 rounds. The only three who they couldn’t come to an agreement on is 16^th round RHP Grant Govel (USC, has 2 more years with the Trojans), OF Malachi Washington (Georgia HS, LSU commit) and OF Andrew Duncan (Wright State, transferred to Tennessee & will remain in college).

Up Next

Second game of the series and final home night game in July with RHP Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.43 ERA) for Arizona against Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.47 ERA). Chandler threw 6.1 scoreless innings in his last start. Dan Zangrilli has the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 5:45p with first pitch at 6:40p on 93.7 The Fan.