Virtual Pirates' Williams shuts out Mets


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.


NEW YORK -- Trevor Williams was magnificent.

The right-hander pitched a four-hit shutout as the Virtual Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the Virtual New York Mets 4-0 on Saturday night at Virtual Citi Field.

Williams (4-3) struck out five, walked two and threw 62 of his 105 pitches for strikes. He helped the Pirates improve to 21-23 and even the four-game series at a game apiece.

The Virtual Buccos gave Williams an early cushion with a three-run first inning against Rick Porcello (1-8). Gregory Polanco and Kevin Newman sandwiched RBI singles around Elias Diaz’s sacrifice fly.

Diaz added a run-scoring single in the third.

Adam Frazier had two of the Pirates’ seven hits.

Meanwhile, Ke’Bryan Hayes went 0 for 4. He is now hitless in the first 25 at-bats of his virtual major league career.

Time of the game was two hours, 54 minutes and attendance was 23,822 on a 57-degree night. Williams was undoubtedly helped by the wind blowing in from left field at 12 mph.

The Pirates lost 6-3 in the series opener Friday night as Joe Musgrove (4-3) was knocked out in the third inning, ending his four-game winning streak.

Musgrove was charged with five runs (four earned) in 2 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and one walk while not recording a strikeout.

Bryan Reynolds had two of the Pirates’ eight hits.

The Mets’ Jed Lowrie went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a home run.

Lowrie’s two-run homer keyed a four-run second inning when New York took a 4-0 lead. Jeff McNeil also connected for a two-run shot off Musgrove.

Musgrove served up yet another home run in the third inning, a solo blast by Brandon Nimmo that made it 5-1.

Sam Tuivailala (1-0) got the win in relief of injured starter Steven Matz. Edwin Diaz pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save.

Attendance was 25,134 and time of game was three hours, 10 minutes on a blustery evening. The temperature was 57 at game time with a stiff 21-mph wind blowing in from center field.

On Thursday’s off day in the Big Apple, the manager and bench coach Craig Wilson were able to mend fences over a steak dinner. The skipper had accused Wilson of pointing the finger at him Wednesday following a 7-1 loss to the Virtual St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.

Wilson, though, said he was not criticizing the manager for not having his team prepared but rather that the one finger represented the number of runs the Pirates scored that day.

The series continues Sunday with the Virtual Corsairs’ Chris Archer (3-1, 2.86) facing two-time defending National League Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom (4-3, 3.45).


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