Bell leads Virtual Pirates to fifth straight win



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 – Josh Bell broke out of a mild slump to keep the Virtual Pirates rolling along.

Bell hit a two-run home run and Mitch Keller pitched 6 1/3 strong innings to lead the Virtual Buccos to a 7-1 victory over the Virtual Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night at Virtual PNC Park.

The Pirates won their fifth straight game and swept the two-game series. They are a season-high three games over .500 with a 32-29 record.

Bell’s 18th home run of the season came in the third inning off Tyler Mahle (4-4) and gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead. The switch-hitting first baseman had been 2 for 20 in his previous seven games.

Keller (4-3) allowed one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings while throwing 100 pitches. He had eight strikeouts and four walks.

Edgar Santana, Blake Weiman and Clay Holmes finished with a combined 2 2/3 hitless innings.

Bell had two hits and three RBIs as he also doubled. Jarrod Dyson hit a two-run double in a four-run eighth inning.

Every Pirates starter had at least one hit except Keller.

Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in the first run with a second-inning double.

The Reds got their run in the seventh inning when Freddy Galvis’ double pulled them within 3-1. However, Santana relieved Keller and got Nick Senzel to bounce into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

The Pirates were inspired by their new mascot, a Great Dane named Ruby Roundhouse, who was a gift from bench coach Craig Wilson. The players got a kick out of Ruby Roundhouse running around the outfield during batting practice.

In a pre-game roster move, Michael "Big Mike Feliz (hamstring) was activated from the 15-day injured list and Blake Cederlind was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

It was 66 degrees at first pitch with the wind blowing out to left field at 11 mph. Attendance was a surprising 34,408 and time of game was three hours, 14 minutes.

The Virtual St. Louis Cardinals visit PNC Park on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. Steven Brault (2-2, 5.11) will toe the slab for the Virtual Corsairs and oppose Dakota Hudson (5-4, 3.89).

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