The Pirates had an interesting day. They traded three relievers and signed a mysterious draft pick. Then they topped it off with a one-hit, 7-0 shutout of Philadelphia.
Wil Crowe had his best major league start, going six innings. The only hit he allowed was a leadoff single by Alec Bohm in the second inning. He didn’t exactly pound the strike zone, taking 92 pitches and walking four. Half of that was just pitching around Bryce Harper.
The one jam Crowe got into came in the fourth. He walked Harper to start the inning, then with two out walked two more to load the bases. He escaped with a line out by Odubel Herrera, then got the side in order in the fifth and sixth.
Crowe got plenty of support right from the start. Ben Gamel, who’s patently a better solution for the leadoff spot than Kevin Newman, started the inning with a double. Bryan Reynolds tripled and Gregory Polanco singled for two runs. A third run scored when Rodolfo Castro lifted a high fly to the track in right-center that dropped while Harper stumbled around like he’d had one too many. That went for a double, Castro’s first major league hit that didn’t go for four bases.
The Bucs continued battering Vince Velazquez in the second. Velazquez hit Crowe to start the inning, then two runs came around on a double by Ke’Bryan Hayes and another single by Polanco. That made it 5-0.
The last two runs scored in the fifth. After a pair of walks and a ground out, Newman lined a two-run double to left-center.
Chasen Shreve and Duane Underwood, Jr., finished up. Shreve pitched the seventh and Underwood the last two innings. They each walked one and allowed no hits.
The Pirates had a dozen hits, two each by Gamel, Hayes, Reynolds, Polanco and Newman. Hayes’ hits were both doubles, so maybe he’s getting back in a groove.
