Honestly, it feels like someone just flipped a light switch on Federal Street after the Twins series. Last Wednesday, the Pirates were a bland, under-achieving, boring baseball team that couldn’t find a way to win a game against the Twins at home. They’ve made a full turn of the rotation since then, going 5-0 and out-scoring the Mets and Marlins 30-7.
This game turned in the Pirates’ favor quickly; Neil Walker hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Bucs a 4-0 lead, and that was enough for Jeff Locke and the bullpen. Locke was not great; he threw 104 pitches in 5 2/3 and walked four hitters in that span, but he kept the Marlins off the scoreboard, which was plenty. Besides Walker’s homer, Josh Harrison had two hits, drove in a run, and scored twice. Jung-ho Kang also had two hits, and he drove in the Bucs’ first run.
This five-game winning streak matches the Pirates’ longest streak of any kind from last year. They’ll have a chance to extend it soon; Wednesday’s game is a getaway afternoon game at 12:35.
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
