Reynolds leads Virtual Pirates' home run barrage


I will be serving as general manager/manager of the Pirates in a 2020 season simulation along with 29 others using Out Of The Park Baseball. Feel free to check here for daily updates. I realize baseball is a lot less important than what is going on in the world today but perhaps it can provide a diversion for a few moments.

PITTSBURGH – Perhaps the Virtual Pirates won one for the Skipper.

Bryan Reynolds hit a pair of home runs and the Virtual Buccos routed the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Reynolds hit two-run home runs off rookie Spencer Howard (3-1) in the third and fifth innings as the Pirates took a 9-0 lead. The homer in the third opened the scoring.

Reynolds finished 3 for 4 with a double, four RBIs and a stolen base.

It was the first game back for Virtual Corsairs manager John Perrotto, returning to the dugout 11 days after quadruple bypass heart surgery. The ballclub was 4-5 while top-notch bench coach Craig Wilson ran the team in Perrotto’s absence.

Almost lost in Reynolds’ performance was Ke’Bryan Hayes making his major league debut. He went 0 for 3 with a walk after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Hayes is taking over as the primary third baseman for Colin Moran, who was placed on the injured list with a fractured rib. Moran will miss at least four weeks.

Elias Diaz had three hits, including a solo shot in the fourth inning, and two RBIs. Kevin Newman had a three-run homer in fifth among his two hits.

Adam Frazier went deep with a runner on in the eighth inning as the Pirates hit five home runs in all.

The Pirates are now 17-20 and in fourth place in the National League Central yet just three games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pirates learned before the game that they will be without Keone Kela for at least six weeks because of shoulder tendinitis.

Furthermore, Steven Brault injured a knee running the bases in his season debut. He was forced to leave the game during the six-run fifth inning and underwent an MRI.
The Pirates are expected to know more about Brault’s status Saturday. He began the season on the IL with a sore shoulder.

The return of Brault means that Derek Holland will shift to the bullpen.

Brault (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings. He gave up three hits to go with four strikeouts and two walks.

Howard was rocked for five runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Joe Musgrove (3-2, 4.89) pitches against Jake Arrieta (4-1, 4.58) on Saturday as the series continues.

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