Musgrove pitches second straight shutout for 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 – Joe Musgrove did it again.

Musgrove pitched his second consecutive shutout, a three-hitter, as the Virtual Pirates beat the Virtual New York Yankees 2-0 on Wednesday night at Virtual PNC Park.

While throwing 116 pitches, Musgrove (9-3) struck out 10 and walked none while lowering his season ERA to 2.91. He blanked the Virtual San Francisco Giants on two hits in his previous start.

Musgrove has 96 strikeouts in 99 innings to go with high win total and low ERA.

The Virtual Buccos split the two-game series and raised their record to 39-34. They are in second place in the National League Central, three games behind the Virtual Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pirates scored both runs on home runs. Gregory Polanco connected for his 12th in the fourth inning off Jonathan Loaisiga (5-4) and Bryan Reynolds hit his fifth off Chad Green in the eighth inning.

Polanco and Kevin Newman had two hits each.

Game-time temperature was 77 degrees with the wind blowing in from left field at 10 mph. Attendance was 35,436 and time of game was two hours, 44 minutes.

It was an especially satisfying win for bench coach Craig Wilson, who played in 40 games for the Yankees in 2006. The legendary slugger still harbors some ill feelings toward the Bronx Bombers nearly 14 years later for making him get his hair cut.

The Pirates are off Thursday then host the Virtual Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Trevor Williams (5-4, 5.28) will start against left-hander Anthony Kay (0-3, 9.70).

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