Home Run Ball And Bean Ball Contribute To A Pirate Win

http://donatelifeohio.org/

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the ninth with four hits all solo home runs and four hit batters but it was a bloop hit over a drawn in infield that got the wining run home in a 5-4 game..

Jung Ho Kang ground ball up the middle off Ross Ohlendorf was fielded by Zack Cozart, who threw the ball past firstbaseman Jordy Pacheco. to put Kang on secondbase with no outs. Sean Rodriguez bunted Kang to third.

Ohlendorf plunked David Freese with two outs and was ejected by home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg. Bryan Price was also ejected.

"He warned me when I came into the game, just to make sure I knew," Ohlendorf said.  "I forgot about it until after I hit him. I definitely wasn't trying to. It was the first game I didn't have my slider. If I did the results could have been better.  Mercer did a good job of getting it in the air enough."

"I thought Jeff Kellog did a good job.  Ross wasn't trying to hit him and after the warning we hit two guys with a split finger pitch but at some point he had to throw someone out," Bryan Price said.

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

Billy Hamilton got the Reds off to a fast start (pardon the pun) with a triple down the rightfield line of Pirate's starter, Juan Nicasio, in the first inning.  Hamilton rounded third as Gregory Polanco collected the ball in the rightfield corner and stopped as thirdbase coach Billy Hatcher held Hamilton.

With the Pirates' infield in, Brandon Phillips little handle hit eluded secondbaseman Rodriguez to score Hamilton, who tagged up at third and was willing to test Rodriguez' arm at the plate.

Reds' starter Alfredo Simon walked Andrew McCutchen in the first inning but retired nine straight batters until McCutchen lined his seventh home run into the rightfield stands, leading off the fourth..

The infuriated Simon hit Kang with two outs in the inning.

Brandon Phillips was hit by Nicasio, leading off the Reds' fourth.  This brought a warning from home plate umpire Jeff Kellog.  Jay Bruce made the Bucs pay with his sixth home run of the season, an opposite field poke to left.  It was Bruce's 126th home run at Great American Ball Park.  He is now tied with Adam Dunn in that department.

David Freese homered with two out in the fifh, his second but Tucker Barnhart doubled to leadoff the bottom of the frame.  Simon bunted Barnhart to third.  Zack Cozart's sacrifice fly made it 4-2.

Starling Marte broke the hits batsmen tie by taking one off the hand one out into the sixth.  Marte crowds the plate. This is the seventh time he's been hit this season and the 67th time in the last three seasons and 33 games. Marte is tied with David Espinosa for the NL lead in HBP.

Marte appeared to steal secondbase but the Reds' challenged the play.  Marte was denied his 10th stolen base on reviiew for the third out.  Marte was arguing that he was pushed off the base by Phillips.  Secondbase umpire Adam Poynter ejected Marte.  Pirates' manager Clint Hurdle was also ejected.

Kang hit Pittsburgh's third solo home run of the evening, leading off the seventh, his third.  It ended Simon's night

"It seems like whenever we get a ball up, they hit it for a home run," Price said.  "It's a phenomenon I have never seen.  It seems like we play the same game every day.  We either win by a run or lose by a run."

Reds' catcher Barnhart said the baseball was slick tonight.

"When I threw to second on Marte, I couldn't get a good grip on it," Barnhart said.  "I had to take more time or I would have thrown it into centerfield."

Simon pitched six plus innings with three hits, all homers, two walks and three hit batters.

"Simon was eradict but when he was in the strike zone he was terrific," Price said.

Josh Harrison replaced Marte and tied the game with a two-out eighth inning home run, his second of the season.