Loading ...Will the real Pirates fans please wait up?
The Pirates will gladly walk off for you.
Rain delayed the Mother's Day matinee between the Pirates and the Houston Astros. The Astros had taken Friday's matchup before the Pirates and Charlie Morton took the series' second game.
Delay or no delay, the Pirates were not ending their homestand without a win, rallying to tie the game in the ninth before winning it in the 12th. Josh Harrison got the game-winning hit.
After Clint Barmes' two-out double, Harrison dropped the first pitch into left for a walkoff single and the 3-2 victory.
A.J. Burnett was brilliant again for Pittsburgh, pitching eight innings of two-run ball with no walks, but left down 2-1.
The Pirates loaded the bases with none out in the ninth before Pedro Alvarez tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left. The Pirates could not capitalize further, as Nate McLouth struck out pinch-hitting for Casey McGehee and Alex Presley grounded out pinch-hitting for Yamaico Navarro.
Pinch-hitting for McGehee left the Pirates without a natural first baseman, as Garrett Jones had already been used as a pinch-hitter and shortstop Clint Barmes the only player left on the bench. Lifetime catcher Rod Barajas, with 14 career appearances at first base and none since 2008, took over at the position.
Barmes, he of zero career appearances at the bag even in the Minors, pinch-ran for Barajas an inning later and played first for the final two innings. In lieu of a position player, pitcher James McDonald was used as a pinch-hitter in the 12th inning, striking out to lead it off in front of Harrison's game-winner.
Tony Watson got the win for the Pirates, who finished their homestand 4-2 after also taking two of three from Washington. Watson pitching a scoreless inning after Jason Grilli, Joel Hanrahan and Juan Cruz each contributed one of their own in relief of Burnett.
Burnett has now gone eight innings in each of his last two starts. Aside from one historically bad outing two weeks ago, Burnett has a 1.86 ERA in his other four starts, with 29 strikeouts and only six walks 29.0 innings.
Even including the disaster in St. Louis, Burnett only has seven walks on the season, a very different change of pace from the last four years of his career, in which he walked 86, 97, 78 and 83.
The Pirates are in Miami Monday night to start a two-game set with the Marlins at 7:10. Brad Lincoln, replacing the injured Erik Bedard in the rotation, will make his first start of the season.
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Addendum to Pirates Fact of the Day: The ’90-’92 Pirates were led by the popular “Killer B’s”, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. Both subsequently became two of the most reviled players in the last twenty years.