Pirates Punch Ticket In Five Against Rockies

The Pirates and Rockies begin what both managers expected to be a seven-game, gut-wrenching matchup. Let’s see what happened!

Game 1: Rodón vs. Glasnow

The Pirates strike first in the bottom of the third. A leadoff single by Bellinger is followed by a sacrifice bunt by Torrens. Yes, bunting! Sanoja pops up to short, but Betts, with one of the best clutch cards in the set, comes through with a clutch hit on 3–11. Pirates lead 1–0.

Going back a bit in the game, a one-out double by Wagaman for the Rockies in the second couldn’t be converted into a run, as Ortiz and Baty couldn’t get the hit. In the third, with Durbin on second and one out, Gurriel and Tatis couldn’t find a hit. Very lucky for me!

In the fifth, a leadoff single by Tucker is followed by a Bellinger single. Torrens strikes out, but Sanoja draws a walk. Bases loaded, one out, and Betts steps to the plate and hits a fly ball to right. Tucker heads for home, but the Rockies cut the throw and get Bellinger at third. Pirates lead 2–0.

Rodón cruises through 8⅓ innings, and the Pirates win Game 1, 3–0.

Game 2: Schwellenbach vs. Pivetta

The Pirates score first with a leadoff home run by Betts in the bottom of the first. After that, the Rockies’ hit machine wakes up. Eleven hits in the next four innings, scoring a total of eight runs, led by—well, the entire lineup!

Smith doubles and walks, Horowitz delivers an RBI double and an RBI single, and Baty adds an RBI single. Olson launches a three-run bomb. Add a two-run bomb by Lee, and after five innings, the Rockies are rolling, 8–1.

The Pirates try to make a game of it, led by Alonso’s three-run double and a solo shot in the eighth. But the Rockies’ bullpen, with Pagán getting the win and the save, shuts things down.

The Rockies are clearly a dominant force against right-handed pitching.

Rockies win, 8–6.

Game 3: Peralta vs. Ray

We move to Colorado!

The Pirates score seven runs in the game, led by Sean Murphy and Torrens, with three doubles coming from the bottom of the lineup.

The Rockies have runners on in the second but just can’t get the big hit.

Pirates win, 7–0.

Game 4: Rodón vs. Martínez

The Rockies finally get to Rodón with two runs in the fourth. Smith draws a walk, Wagaman delivers an RBI double, and Vargas follows with an RBI single.

That’s all the Rockies can get across the plate this game.

The Pirates score seven runs, with once again the bottom of the lineup coming through. Torrens doubles, Sanoja hits a home run, and Edwards also launches a three-run homer earlier in the game.

Pirates win, 7–2.

Game 5: Greene vs. Glasnow

This was a nail-biter all the way!

The Rockies jump out in front with an Adames bomb for two runs in the second. The Pirates answer with two in the third on a big two-run single by Scott. Another lucky roll by me, given that Scott really isn’t an offensive force.

The Pirates get a run in the fourth with a double by McGuire, scoring Tucker. Tucker was lucky to get on with a single on the X-chart and an error by Horowitz at second.

The Rockies bounce right back with a triple by Lee and an RBI single by Durbin.

The game stays tied until the top of the ninth. A one-out single by Betts and a super-lucky roll by Scott, who hits a triple on Mejia’s card, give the Pirates a 4–3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Santana is on the mound to close this one out and send the series home. He does his job, and the Pirates are heading to the World Series!

Some Unbelievable Plays!

Now, this series had some unbelievable plays that neither manager had ever experienced before.

The one that really got me was a SUPER-lucky play: a catcher X with the bases loaded for the Rockies and one out. Tatis hits the catcher X. Torrens is a 2e9, so this easily could have been a run, with the runners moving up and Tatis still at the plate.

The roll of the 20-sided die is a 20… no error. Yep, double play!

Both managers were left speechless.

There were several other plays, but this one was just that—unbelievable.