PIRATES 1, ASTROS 0
June 14, 2011
MMPUS
WP: Karstens (4-4, 2.66)
LP: Norris (4-5, 3.48)
A – 29, 712
T – 2:41
HOUSTON (SnS) – Bud Norris pitched brilliantly here Tuesday night, but was matched by the Pirates Jeff Karstens and/or undone by his anemic offense, and lost to the Pirates anyway, 1-0.
Norris dueled with Karstens frame-for-frame, the only rent in the fabric occurring in the second inning, when Bud gave up a scratch single to Neil Walker, who then advanced to second on a passed ball by C Carlos Corporan that was ruled as a wild pitch. Garrett Jones ripped a single to right, plating Walker and putting the Pirates up, 1-0.
Meanwhile, Karstens was brilliant, giving up 3 hits and 0 runs in 6.2 innings, while striking out 3 with no walks. He had a gimpy knee, though, and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle pulled the former Texas Tech righty in the bottom of the seventh after seeing something in Karstens delivery he didn’t like. Reliever Chris Resop (2-2, 4.30) closed out the frame by retiring Jeff Keppinger on strikes.
The Astros ‘pen shut down the Pirates in the top of the eighth. In the bottom half, Hurdle did his best Tony LaGenius impression, though in Hurdle’s defense it appeared he was fervently trying to save the game for his young starting pitcher as much as just showing off, which is the impression one sometimes gets when watching the Tank Commander pulling his late inning pitching matchup/double-switch ooga-booga bullshit.
Lefty Tony Watson (0-0, 0.00) opened things by getting the pinch-hitting Jason Bourgeois to line out to right. Then Hurdle brought in righty Tim Wood (0-0, 0.00), who gave up a single to Chris Johnson before walking pinch-hitter Matt Downs. One out, men on first and second. Next, Hurdle pulled righty Jose Veras (1-2, 3.38) out of his trick bag, to face Jason Michaels. Michaels flied out to medium-deep CF, and Bourn did the same down the left field line. Three different pitchers to get three outs, inning over. LaRussa would have been proud.
After Fernando Rodriguez retired the Pirates in the top of the ninth, Hurdle brought in closer Joel Hanrahan, who shut down the Astros to pick up his 18th save in as many opportunities.
Ten pitchers used between both teams in a 1-0 game. This kind of modern-day bullpen excessiveness drives some people crazy. Including me, I guess.
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Other big news of the day . . . PENCE!!’s 23-game hitting streak died. It took six Pirates pitchers to kill it. Hats off to Gunther – he has been a monster during this. Here’s to hoping he shrugs it off and resumes pole-axing the ball again tomorrow . . . Also, earlier in the day, the Astros shit-canned well-regarded pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. It is fair to say no one outside the club’s inner circle saw this coming, though tidbits coming out after the fact about Arnsberg and his relationship with Mills and with Ed Wade make it seem less surprising than it did at first blush. The story appeared to have some potential prurient value at first, but I have already lost interest. If you missed the details, you can catch up here.
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