Virtual Pirates' Musgrove tosses four-hitter


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 – Joe Musgrove had a memorable Memorial Day.

The big right-hander pitched a four-hitter as the Virtual Pirates rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Virtual San Francisco Giants on Monday at Virtual PNC Park.

The Pirates took three of four in the series and got within a game of .500 at 26-27.

Musgrove (5-3) struck out eight and walked one while throwing 112 pitches. The Giants’ lone run came on Rougned Odor’s homer in the fourth inning, which cut the Virtual Buccos’ lead to 2-1.

The Pirates backed Musgrove with a 13-hit attack and the offense had plenty of contributors.

Kevin Newman led the way with three hits and two RBIs. Elias Diaz, Adam Duvall and Jose Osuna had two hits each and Ke’Bryan Hayes and Guillermo Heredia both drove in a pair of runs.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the second. Erik Gonzalez highlighted the inning with an RBI single.

After Odor halved the lead, the Pirates broke things open with a four-run sixth inning that pushed their advantage to 6-1. Heredia and Newman both hit two-run singles off Tyler Anderson (0-1).

Bench coach Craig Wilson was delighted to see the Virtual Corsairs get to the doorstep of .500.

“I like the way we’re playing,” Wilson told the club following the game. "Now let's get to .500."

It was 65 degrees and partly cloudy at first pitch with an eight-mph wind blowing out to center field. Time of game was two hours, 58 minutes and attendance was 26,483.

The Pirates begin a three-game series against the virtual Reds on Tuesday night at Virtual Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Trevor Williams (4-3, 4.80) will face Trevor Bauer (3-4, 5.75) in a battle of Trevors.

It will be interesting to see if there is any carryover from an incident last month during the home opener at PNC Park in which Bauer charged the mound after being hit by a pitch from Musgrove.


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