MILWAUKEE — Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (79-50) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (55-75), 8:10 p.m., Miller Park
Pitchers: RHP Gerrit Cole (15-7, 2.44) vs. RHP Jimmy Nelson (10-10, 3.81)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
DK’s five pregame notes
• If you missed the news of the six recalls, I moved that into a separate file. Check it out, too, because there’s a neat montage video of the recalls’ reactions.
• There’s no visit to this place without re-visiting all the history of this House of Horrors: The Pirates are 41-82 all-time at Miller Park, 17-58 since 2007 and, even in these past three years when they’ve been a playoff team, just 10-14. And of course they were swept here this summer coming out of the All-Star break.
“I have no idea,” Neil Walker said.
Me, neither. Stopped trying to explain it a long time ago.
• Cole, who looked crazy intense in the clubhouse just now — other than sparing a moment to shake Elias Diaz’s hand to welcome him to the bigs — is entering his signature month: In September, he’s 8-1 with a 2.78 ERA over 11 starts. In the same span of the past three years, only Adam Wainwright has more, with nine.
• The lineup tonight probably looks as close as the Pirates will get to an everyday eight — at least from this view — with Aramis Ramirez and Jung Ho Kang as the left side of the infield. But one player to watch coming off the bench in this series: Michael Morse has a crazy .432 average in 44 at-bats at Miller Park, including six home runs. Yes, pitchers change, but that’s an undeniable comfort level.
• The Brewers switched their rotation for the rest of this series: Zach Davies, a righty called up Tuesday from Class AAA Colorado Springs, will make his big-league debut Wednesday. And the great Taylor Jungmann, author of at least one episode of brilliance against the Pirates, will start Thursday.
• Today marks the 44th anniversary of the Pirates fielding baseball’s first all-minority lineup, an event that should never lose its special place in our national sporting lore. It also should be credited accurately. There are still those who refer to it as the first ‘all-black’ lineup. Not so. Four of those nine, including Roberto Clemente, were of Latino origin.
Follow the game with DK:
8:10: First pitch from Nelson to Gregory Polanco, 87 degrees, cloudy, roof open for some reason. Adding to that ambiance, there are very few people here. Yuck.
8:16: Man, so quiet in here that when Andrew McCutchen doubled just now, and clapping could be heard from the third base side, I looked down there, and it was the Pirates themselves.
8:17: From the few here, a warm round of applause as Ramirez returns.
8:28: Brewers, 1-0, 1st, on Ryan Braun’s bloop RBI single into right-center. This comes after Kang — curiously, I thought, at least from this vantage point — cut off a Starling Marte throw to third that might have gotten Scooter Gennett chugging first to third. Strange.
8:30: Brewers, 3-0, 1st. Adam Lind raps a two-run double to left-center. Milwaukee rolling at Miller Park. Earth remains on axis.
8:36: Brewers, 4-0, 1st. Jean Segura is credited with an RBI single for a chopper over the middle, but if Pedro Alvarez scoops the throw, the inning is over.
8:53: Brewers, 5-0, 2nd. Jonathan Lucroy impressively fists an RBI single through the right side despite Cole rearing back for 97 mph. Cole is seriously frustrated out there. Waving arms. Kicking dirt. Not a good scene.
9:33: Brewers, 5-1, 5th. Kang double, Walker single. Life on Mars.
9:35: Travis Snider on deck for Cole. He’ll be done after just four innings, with five runs and eight hits charged to him. Not a good look for Mr. September.
10:29: Brewers, 5-2, 8th. Alvarez hits his 22nd home run.
10:48: Brewers, 7-2, 8th. Segura is a really good baseball player. The Brewers still have a few. He goes the other way off Joakim Soria for a two-run single, and I do believe that’s plenty enough for Bernie Brewer’s tastes.
10:59: Brewers, 7-3, 9th. Ramirez home run. Another really nice ovation.
11:01: Brewers, 7-4, 9th. Kang goes deep, too.
Jonathan Lucroy raps an RBI single in the first inning Tuesday night at Miller Park. -- GETTY
September 1, 2015
Final: Brewers 7, Pirates 4
406by Dejan Kovacevic • Game previews • Pirates
MILWAUKEE — Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (79-50) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (55-75), 8:10 p.m., Miller Park
Pitchers: RHP Gerrit Cole (15-7, 2.44) vs. RHP Jimmy Nelson (10-10, 3.81)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
DK’s five pregame notes
• If you missed the news of the six recalls, I moved that into a separate file. Check it out, too, because there’s a neat montage video of the recalls’ reactions.
• There’s no visit to this place without re-visiting all the history of this House of Horrors: The Pirates are 41-82 all-time at Miller Park, 17-58 since 2007 and, even in these past three years when they’ve been a playoff team, just 10-14. And of course they were swept here this summer coming out of the All-Star break.
“I have no idea,” Neil Walker said.
Me, neither. Stopped trying to explain it a long time ago.
• Cole, who looked crazy intense in the clubhouse just now — other than sparing a moment to shake Elias Diaz’s hand to welcome him to the bigs — is entering his signature month: In September, he’s 8-1 with a 2.78 ERA over 11 starts. In the same span of the past three years, only Adam Wainwright has more, with nine.
• The lineup tonight probably looks as close as the Pirates will get to an everyday eight — at least from this view — with Aramis Ramirez and Jung Ho Kang as the left side of the infield. But one player to watch coming off the bench in this series: Michael Morse has a crazy .432 average in 44 at-bats at Miller Park, including six home runs. Yes, pitchers change, but that’s an undeniable comfort level.
• The Brewers switched their rotation for the rest of this series: Zach Davies, a righty called up Tuesday from Class AAA Colorado Springs, will make his big-league debut Wednesday. And the great Taylor Jungmann, author of at least one episode of brilliance against the Pirates, will start Thursday.
• Today marks the 44th anniversary of the Pirates fielding baseball’s first all-minority lineup, an event that should never lose its special place in our national sporting lore. It also should be credited accurately. There are still those who refer to it as the first ‘all-black’ lineup. Not so. Four of those nine, including Roberto Clemente, were of Latino origin.
Follow the game with DK:
8:10: First pitch from Nelson to Gregory Polanco, 87 degrees, cloudy, roof open for some reason. Adding to that ambiance, there are very few people here. Yuck.
8:16: Man, so quiet in here that when Andrew McCutchen doubled just now, and clapping could be heard from the third base side, I looked down there, and it was the Pirates themselves.
8:17: From the few here, a warm round of applause as Ramirez returns.
8:28: Brewers, 1-0, 1st, on Ryan Braun’s bloop RBI single into right-center. This comes after Kang — curiously, I thought, at least from this vantage point — cut off a Starling Marte throw to third that might have gotten Scooter Gennett chugging first to third. Strange.
8:30: Brewers, 3-0, 1st. Adam Lind raps a two-run double to left-center. Milwaukee rolling at Miller Park. Earth remains on axis.
8:36: Brewers, 4-0, 1st. Jean Segura is credited with an RBI single for a chopper over the middle, but if Pedro Alvarez scoops the throw, the inning is over.
8:53: Brewers, 5-0, 2nd. Jonathan Lucroy impressively fists an RBI single through the right side despite Cole rearing back for 97 mph. Cole is seriously frustrated out there. Waving arms. Kicking dirt. Not a good scene.
9:33: Brewers, 5-1, 5th. Kang double, Walker single. Life on Mars.
9:35: Travis Snider on deck for Cole. He’ll be done after just four innings, with five runs and eight hits charged to him. Not a good look for Mr. September.
10:29: Brewers, 5-2, 8th. Alvarez hits his 22nd home run.
10:48: Brewers, 7-2, 8th. Segura is a really good baseball player. The Brewers still have a few. He goes the other way off Joakim Soria for a two-run single, and I do believe that’s plenty enough for Bernie Brewer’s tastes.
10:59: Brewers, 7-3, 9th. Ramirez home run. Another really nice ovation.
11:01: Brewers, 7-4, 9th. Kang goes deep, too.