Polanco's two homers lead Virtual Pirates over Nats



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 – Gregory Polanco is healthy in virtual baseball and that is good news for the Virtual Pirates.

Polanco belted two home runs to lead the Virtual Buccos to a 6-4 victory over the Virtual Washington Nationals on Friday night at Virtual PNC Park in the opener of a three-game series that started the second half of the season.

The Pirates improved to 10-2 in July and 56-41 overall while maintaining a ½-game lead in the National League Central over the Virtual Milwaukee Brewers.

Diagnosed with COVID-19 in real life, Polanco raised his home run total to a team-high 21. Both of his blasts came off Adam Wainwright (2-1), a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run clout in the third as the Pirates built a 6-0 lead for Trevor Williams.

Adam Frazier hit a two-run triple during the Pirates’ four-run second. Along with Polanco, Elias Diaz and Erik Gonzalez also had two hits.

Williams (9-4) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings with four strikeout and four walks. He threw 105 pitches.

Keone Kela gave up a solo home run to Wilmer Difo in the ninth inning to draw the Nationals within two runs but also struck out the side for his eighth save.

Josh Bell returned from the injured list and went 0 for 3 with a walk. Bryan Reynolds was placed on the IL after suffering an allergic reaction over the All-Star break.

The Pirates also sent rookie JT Brubaker to Virtual Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled left-handed reliever Blake Weiman from the same club. Brubaker lost his major league debut last Saturday, getting touched for six runs in 4 2/3 innings to the Virtual Reds at Cincinnati.

Speaking of rough outings, Joe Musgrove was hammered for eight runs in 2/3 of an inning in Tuesday night’s Virtual All-Star Game at Virtual Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Only one of the runs was earned, though the Virtual Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez hit two home runs off Musgrove in the same inning, including a grand slam, to spark the American League’s 17-4 rout. The big right-hander was the Pirates lone representative on the NL squad.

It was a balmy 77 degrees at game time Friday with the wind blowing at 8 mph out to center field. Attendance was 38,117 and time of game was three hours and 11 minutes.

The Pirates dedicated to the win to strength and conditioning coach Frank Velasquez, in his first game back with his old team. The team righted a wrong by the previous administration by re-hiring Velasquez following a week in which five players landed on the IL in a six-day period.

To celebrate Velasquez’s return and a win over the defending World Series champions, bench coach Craig Wilson sprung for the post-game spread, which consisted of steak and seafood from Morton’s.

The series continues Saturday night with Steven Brault (6-3, 5.34) pitching against Max Scherzer (13-2, 3.74). It figures to be a tough task for the Virtual Corsairs as they face a three-time winner of the Cy Young Award and we shall see if the division-leading lads are up to yet another challenge.

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