Virtual Pirates post third straight shutout




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 are taking run prevention to a high level.

Chris Archer and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout Saturday as the Virtual Buccos blanked the Virtual Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 at Virtual PNC Park.

It was the Pirates’ third straight shutout. They whitewashed the Blue Jays 3-0 on Friday night in the opener of the three-game series and stymied the Virtual New York Yankees 2-0 on Wednesday.

The Pirates raised their record to 41-34 and are only one game behind the first-place Virtual Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central standings.

Archer (7-1) allowed three hits in seven innings while striking out seven, walking one and throwing 113 pitches. He lowered his season ERA to 2.94 and has 91 strikeouts in 98 innings.

Michael Feliz and Nick Burdi each pitched one scoreless inning. Burdi notched his fifth save in five opportunities.

Burdi ended the game by getting Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to ground into a double play after Travis Shaw hit a one-out single.

Bryan Reynolds doubled home the game’s lone run in the seventh inning off Wilmer Font (5-3). Reynolds had two of the Virutal Corsairs’ eight hits.

It was 70 degrees at game time with the wind blowing right to left at 11 mph. It took three hours, five minutes to play for the second day in a row and attendance was 38,073.

The weekend is nostalgic for bench coach Craig Wilson. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 1995 amateur draft from Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Wilson regaled the Pirates’ players with tales of beginning his professional career at Medicine Hat in the rookie-level Pioneer League. Contrary to popular belief, he did not carry a bottle of Tylenol under his cap.

Friday night, Trevor Williams worked 6 2/3 innings as four pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout in the 3-0 victory. The Blue Jays’ lone hit was a single by Cavan Biggio with one out in the fourth inning.

In a 106-pitch outing, Williams (6-4) had six strikeouts and four walks.

Derek Holland, Feliz and Burdi combined for 2 2/3 hitless innings. The Blue Jays put runners on first and second with one out in the ninth but Burdi induced Randal Grichuk to ground into a game-ending double play and get credit for the save.

Gregory Polanco hit a solo home run, his 13th of the season, off Tyler Thornton (2-3) in the second inning to open the scoring. Ke’Bryan Hayes had an RBI double in the fourth and Josh Bell tripled in a run in the fifth.

Adam Frazier had two hits.

It was a cool 64 degrees at first pitch and the wind was blowing toward center field at 10 mph. Attendance was 37,425 and time of game was three hours, five minutes.

The series concludes Sunday with a matchup of rookie pitchers as Brad Keller (5-3, 2.71) squares off against Nate Pearson (5-3, 4.36).

Wilson, following in the footsteps of Ralph Kiner, plans to wish all the fathers in the crowd a happy birthday during a brief pre-game ceremony.

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