Martin leads Virtual Pirates over Nationals



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 first-place Virtual Pirates are getting contributions from seemingly everyone on the roster. It was the third-string center fielder’s turn to chip in on Sunday.

Jason Martin went 3 for 4 with a walk to help the Virtual Buccos topple the Virtual Washington Nationals 9-6 on Sunday at Virtual PNC Park. The Pirates took two of three in the series with the defending World Series champions.

Martin’s walk came with the bases loaded in the eighth inning from Tanner Rainey, putting the Pirates ahead 7-6 and sparking a three-run inning.

The Pirates (57-42) also remained ½ game ahead of the Virtual Milwaukee Brewers atop the National League Central standings.

Martin has taken over in center field with Jarrod Dyson and Guillermo Heredia on the injured list.

Heredia was placed on the injured list Sunday, a day after falling ill in the clubhouse following a loss to the Nationals. No further details are being made public about Heredia’s situation.

Outfielder Socrates Brito was called up from Virtual Triple-A Indianapolis.

Kevin Newman left the game with an undisclosed injury in the fourth inning that he sustained while running the bases. Newman, who was 3 for 3, will undergo further testing on Monday’s off day.

The Pirates, at bench coach Craig Wilson’s urging, hired strength and conditioning coach Frank Velasquez last weekend following a string of injuries. Wilson blamed the general manager/manager for Newman’s injury, though.

“It must be the manager,” Wilson said. “He doesn’t know how to run the bases and the team doesn’t know how to run the bases. We lose more game to baserunning injuries than any team in baseball.”

The Pirates had a lot of runners on base Sunday as they pounded out 16 hits. Adam Duvall had two hits and two RBIs, Adam Frazier and Jose Osuna added two hits each and Josh Bell and Jacob Stallings both drove in two runs.

Michael "Big Mike" Feliz (2-2) pitched one scoreless inning for the win. Keone Kela struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his ninth save.

Joe Musgrove struggled in his first start since representing the Virtual Corsairs at the Virtual All-Star Game in Los Angeles. He was roughed up for five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks during a 103-pitch outing.

Eric Thames’ two-run double broke a 3-3 tie and chased Musgrove. Bell countered with a two-run triple in the sixth that briefly put the Pirates ahead 6-5.

Starlin Castro’s RBI single off Kyle Crick in the seventh knotted the score at 6-all.

Daniel Hudson (2-3) took the loss while Victor Robles and Nolan Arenado homered for the Nationals.

It was 78 degrees and sunny at first pitch with an 8-mph breeze blowing out to center field. The game took three hours and 51 minutes to play and attendance was 38,132.

The Pirates return to action Tuesday night with the opener of a three-game series against the Virtual San Diego Padres at Virtual PNC Park. JT Brubaker (0-1, 11.57 will make his second career start and oppose left-hander Joey Lucchesi (11-4, 2.98).


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