Pittsburgh Pirates 5 Cincinnati Reds 7 (April 7, 2007)
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0 commentsAfter dropping the first game to the Reds and spoiling their 3-0 start, the Pirates appeared overmatched heading into this game, with Tony Armas(0-0) starting against the Reds' ace Aaron Harang(1-0). Harang was coming off of the longest outing by a Reds pitcher in 14 years.
It was the Pirates who struck first, as they also did in Game One. Leadoff hitter Chris Duffy singled to right and stole second to start off the game. After Harang struck out SS Jack Wilson and LF Jason Bay, 1B Adam LaRoche drove in his first run of the year with a double to center. Xavier Nady followed with a double off of a Harang fastball by diving 3B Edwin Encarnacion into the leftfield corner. Jose Bautista flew out to end the inning.
The Reds wasted no time responding. Ryan Freel led off with a single and Adam Dunn lofted a flyball to right center. Dunn, frustrated, appeared to have missed hitting a HR by inches; however, the ball bounced off of Nady's glove and over the wall for a 2-run homer. Armas regrouped and sat down the next two hitters. Then the Reds heated up again. Encarnacion singled and Scott Hatteberg drew a walk. SS Alex Gonzalez pulled a single by Jack Wilson for an RBI hit, putting Cincinnati up 3-2.
After Harang sat the Pirates down in order in the top of the second, the Reds manufactured another run. Freel singled, stole second and third, and then scored on a sac fly by Brandon Phillips. The lead was stretched to 4-2.
Harang had retired seven batters in a row until Adam LaRoche took him deep to right center. With two outs, Humberto Cota hit an RBI double to score rookie 2B Don Kelly. Armas followed with an RBI bloop single to rightfield to put the Pirates up 5-4.
Armas relinquished the lead in the bottom of the fourth. After getting Freel to fly out, Dunn drew a walk, Phillips singled, and Griffey walked on a slider in the dirt to load the bases. With the bases loaded and one out, Encarnacion lined a ball that dropped in front of Duffy for a two run single. The Reds went up 6-5.
Scott Hatteberg singled off of Shawn Chacon in the sixth for the final run of the game.
Pirates batters achieved only one hit off of Reds relievers.
Notes:
LaRoche went 2-4 with his first HR of the year, raising his average to .158.
Jason Bay is hitting .190.
Shawn Chacon threw 42 pitches in relief.
Aaron Harang struck out six with one walk while allowing 5 runs.
Adam Dunn is hitting .353.
Date
April 7, 2007
