Virtual Pirates lose to Braves, still lead by 8 1/2

 


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 regular 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 – A rookie and a veteran combined to derail the Virtual Pirates’ pennant express for at least one evening.

Rookie Ian Anderson pitching two-run ball over seven innings and Freddie Freeman homered to lead the Virtual Atlanta Braves past the Virtual Buccos 4-2 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Virtual PNC Park.

Yet the Pirates (82-60) remain 8 ½ games ahead of the second-place Virtual Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central with 20 games remaining. The Virtual Corsairs’ magic number for clinching the division title is 13.

The Braves scored single runs in each of the first four innings against Mitch Keller (8-8) to take a 4-0 lead. Freeman hit an RBI double in the first and homered in the third.

Keller gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings with three walks and two strikeouts. He threw 81 pitches.

Adam Frazier and Jason Martin each had two hits for the Pirates while Josh Bell drove in both runs.

Martin was starting in center fielder for Travis Swaggerty, who sustained a broken hand on Thursday in a 6-5 win over the Brewers. Swaggerty is expected to miss the remainer of the season.

The Braves’ Ozzie Albies had three hits. Grant Dayton recorded his fourth save.

It was 64 degrees at game time with the wind blowing out to center field at 9 mph. Attendance was 38,296 and time of game was three hours and 13 minutes.

Fans received an Enrique Wilson bobblehead doll, part of the Give ‘Em The Willies homestand dreamed up by bench coach Craig Wilson.

Enrique Wilson’s most memorable moment with the Pirates might have come within the walls of the clubhouse. Upon joining the team following his acquisition from the Cleveland Indians in a 2000 trade, one of Wilson’s new teammates greeted him by saying, “Hi Enrique. Welcome to Hell.”

We are protecting that player’s identity here.

“All I’m saying is it wasn’t me,” Craig Wilson said. “I didn’t get called up for the first time in 2001.”

Chris Archer (9-7) went six innings for the win over the Brewers on Thursday, allowing two runs and five hits. He struck out six, walked three and threw 111 pitches.

Archer left with a 6-2 lead. The Brewers scored three runs in the eighth inning off Tyler Webb but Keone Kela pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save.

Marcus Semien and Frazier both had two hits at the top of the order and Kevin Newman drove in two runs. Guillermo Heredia hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to extend the Pirates’ lead to 6-2 and that cushion proved pivotal when the Brewers drew within a run in the eighth.

Josh Lindblom (1-4) was the losing pitcher. Avisail Garcia homered for the Brewers.

The Virtual Corsairs and Braves played against Saturday night with Trevor Williams (13-4, 4.14) taking the mound against Mike Soroka (10-8, 3.63).

 


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