There was a point at which Charlie Morton had pitched relatively well and I was going to make that the focus of my recap (six strikeouts, one walk, four hits, in six shutout innings!), but that seems like it was a whole day ago. He only threw two change-ups. That’s really what you need to know. I also had some thoughts about Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli and the discussion of small-sample-size results vs. pre-season concerns.
Then the game got away from reality and veered towards the weird. Both teams scored in the 12th inning. Clint Barmes hit into a home-to-first double play started by the left fielder. Stolmy Pimentel pitched four scoreless innings of relief, getting into trouble a couple of times, but always having enough good stuff in the tank to get out of a jam. The game finally ended in the 16th, when Tony Sanchez hit the Pirates’ third single in four batters to drive Jose Tabata (who didn’t single, but instead bunted into a force out) home for the winning run off of Carlos Villanueva. That’s how long the game went on: Clint Hurdle decided to use his backup catcher as a pinch-hitter.
I don’t know. I don’t have much to say. There are 160 games left. Presumably at least one of two of them won’t go to extra innings.
