Rizzo's double in ninth leads Cubs over Virtual Pirates

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 – The Virtual Pirates suffered yet another late-inning loss Wednesday night.

Anthony Rizzo’s three-run double in the top of the ninth inning lifted the Virtual Chicago Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the Virtual Buccos at Virtual PNC Park.

The Pirates have lost three straight games, all in the eighth inning or later, to fall four games below .500 at 22-26.

Nick Burdi (2-3) issued consecutive one-out walks to David Bote and Jason Heyward in the ninth and was replaced by Clay Holmes. Miguel Amaya then walked to load the bases and, one out later, Rizzo delivered his game-winning hit with a slicing liner down the left-field line.

The Pirates wasted a fine start by Joe Musgrove, who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The big right-hander struck out eight while giving up five hits and two walks in a 110-pitch outing.

The score was 0-0 until the eighth inning when the Cubs’ Javy Baez hit a solo home run off Blake Weiman, who was recalled from Virtual Triple-A Indianapolis before the game.

Josh Bell countered with a tying homer, his 17^th of the season, in the bottom of the eighth. Bell had three of the Pirates’ eight hits and Adam Frazier had two.

Yu Darvish (5-5) yielded only one run in eight innings for the win. Rowan Wick worked the ninth for his third save.

Following another late-inning meltdown by a bullpen that is without Keone Kela (shoulder) and Michael Feliz (hamstring), bench coach Craig Wilson said he is willing to also take on the duties of pitching coach.

It is to be determined whether ownership would be willing to give Wilson the raise required to hold both jobs.

Weiman and Cole Tucker were recalled from Indianapolis before the game while Feliz and Bryan Reynolds (thigh) were placed on the injured list.

Tucker started in place of slumping Kevin Newman and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his season debut. Guillermo Heredia took Reynolds’ place in left field and was also 0 for 4 while punching out three times.

It was a pleasant evening with a temperature of 61 at first pitch and the wind blowing in from right field at 10 mph. Attendance was 28,892 and time of game was three hours, 23 minutes.

The Virtual Corsairs will try to avoid being swept in the three-game series Thursday when Trevor Williams (4-3, 4.62) pitches against left-hander Jon Lester (0-5, 6.31). Williams threw a four-hit shutout against the Virtual New York Mets in his previous outing.