Virtual Pirates outlast Red Sox



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 Fourth of July fireworks started a night early at Virtual PNC Park.

Winning pitcher Steven Brault hit a three-run double and six Virtual Pirates had two hits in a 13-9 victory over the Virtual Boston Red Sox on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Virtual PNC Park.

 The Pirates improved to 48-39 with their third straight win. They trail the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers by two games.

Brault (5-3) struck out 11, helping him manage to get the win despite allowing five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He did not issue a walk during his 103-pitch stint.

Brault’s big hit in the fourth inning extended the Virtual Buccos’ lead to 8-1. The Red Sox drew within a run at 8-7 in the top of the seventh, but the Pirates responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning and three more in the eighth to make it 13-7.

Adam Frazier, Josh Bell, Kevin Newman, Jacob Stallings, Jarrod Dyson, and Erik Gonzalez all had two hits each as the Pirates had a total of 14. Frazier also drove in three runs.

Gonzalez is taking over as the starting third baseman after Colin Moran was placed on the injured list before the game with a concussion. Moran is expected to miss three weeks after being injured Tuesday while running the bases in a win over the Virtual Colorado Rockies.

Cole Tucker was recalled from Virtual Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Pirates jumped to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Stallings hit an RBI double and Dyson belted a two-run triple off Ryan Weber (5-6).

Jackie Bradley Jr.’s two-run double in the seventh off Tyler Webb drew the Red Sox within a run before the Pirates pulled away again.

Zack Cozart had four hits for the Red Sox and Matt Kemp homered.

Bench coach Craig Wilson was happy to be back to work after a relaxing off day Thursday in which he took his family to the Pittsburgh Zoo.

It was 66 degrees at game time with the wind blowing out to center field at 9 mph. Attendance was 34,533 and time of game was an interminable four hours, 21 minutes.

Joe Musgrove (9-4, 3.31) will start Saturday against Matt Harvey (6-6, 5.48) in a late-afternoon holiday game. Wilson says he has plenty of fun-filled events lined up for the fans and players.



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