Pirates 19, Cubs 18

Another 1-run game, and an absolute wild one. The Cubs opened the first by scoring 6 runs off an error, a few walks and some timely hits by Jacob Silvia & Landon Cormie. The Pirates tied it up at 6 in similar fashion. The Cubs scored 4 in the 2nd, led off by a Keaton Aliberti blast for a solo homer. A few errors and a walk, then Silvia with another clutch hit driving in two more. The Pirates then scored 10 unanswered runs over the 3rd and 4th innings, led by Ben Mulvey and Tobey Roberts who each had 3 RBI during this stretch. The Pirates looked like they had the game in hand, as Tobey Roberts came on in the 3rd and pitched 3 2/3 innings, holding the Cubs to two runs (a blistering triple by Aliberti), while striking out 8. With a 16-12 lead, and two outs in the 6th, the Cubs went on a run, scoring 6 to go up 18-16. The rally was led by a Finn Lewis double, a Cam Napior triple, and a clutch single by Ashley Brasefield. The Pirates bounced back to score three for the win. Kaleb Hatt drew a leadoff walk, Ben Mulvey followed suit, and Tobey Roberts hit a hard shot to left field, scoring Hatt & Mulvey. With score tied, Roberts scored from third off a passed ball. Cub Jacob Silvia was 3-3 with 2 singles, a double, a walk, 3 runs scored, and 3 RBI; Keaton Aliberti was 2-3 with a homer, triple, walk, HBP, 4 runs, 2 RBI; Nate Sawyer made a fantastic catch in center, robbing a sure double or triple.  Pirate Ben Mulvey made an outstanding catch at second, drove in 4 runs and scored twice; Roberts reached base 4x and had 5 RBI; Barrett Oliver went 2-3 for the Pirates, with a walk, double, RBI, and scored twice.

Red Sox 6, Cardinals 1

Led by the great pitching performance of Latham Higgins, the Red Sox beat the Cardinals 6-1 on Tuesday. With the help of great defense behind him, Latham had four 3-up, 3-down innings, allowing no earned runs and posting 7 Ks on his way to a complete game in his first start in the majors. Silas Abrams also pitched well for the Cardinals, with 3 Ks, while not allowing any earned runs through the first two innings. At the plate, the Cardinals were able to mount a 2-out rally in the third, loading the bases and scoring when Emmett Athearn drove in Hardy Eville. For the Sox, the three Jacks were all solid. Jack Lionette (3-4, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored) was toying with the cycle with a single, double, a triple, and a long fly ball to center in the fifth, which was caught by Faith Thigpen. Jack O’Brien reached base safely in all three plate appearances, with a run scored, and Jack Crawford netted his first majors hit with a sharp single to right-center in the fifth.

A’s 6, Cubs 5

A’s Matt Moore got the start on the hill, striking out four of the first 10 batters over the first two innings Monday. A’s Owen Metell would single in the first, followed by a Moore single, then Parker BenDavid doubled to score them. A’s Charlie Porterfield, 2 for 3 on the day, singled to left center, driving in BenDavid for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Ashley Brasefield would hit one down the third baseline, skipping off the base for her first major league hit. Cub Finn Lewis would hit an RBI single and score to get within 2. A’s closer Owen Metell got them out of a jam in the fifth. Nate Sawyer made a nifty catch on a deep hit to center by A’s Moore to slow the A’s. Cub Aliberti tripled and scored in the fifth, but A’s Metell, backed by the defensive play of Owen DiBiaso, would shut them down for the one-run victory.

Cubs 8, A’s 1

The Cubs downed the A’s 8-1 on Saturday behind the arm of Cam Napior and the bat of Keaton Aliberti. The Big Cambino threw a complete-game masterpiece, scattering three singles while striking out 11. Teddy Bear Aliberti blasted a grand slam and a two-run shot while driving in six. Finn “Laser Show” Lewis scored two runs while reaching base three times. “The Animal” Silas Stanek-Streed was solid behind the plate. The A’s scored when Micah Simmons drove in Parker BenDavid with a nice opposite-field hit. Simmons also pitched the final two innings, allowing only three hits.

Pirates 12, Red Sox 9

The Pirates held off the Red Sox 12-9 Saturday to win the first game of their doubleheader. After the Red Sox scored 2 in the first, the Pirates batted around in the top of the second, plating 8 runs off 4 doubles in the inning, with Jack Carbon scoring twice. The Sox scored 4 of their own in the second when four of the first five batters reached — Nate Story scored his second run of the game, Jack O’Brien hit a 2-RBI double, and Nick Cranston and Atlas Zack each drove in runs with singles. 8-6 Pirates. In the fourth, the Pirates scored four more, driven by clutch 2-out singles by Tobey Roberts (2-RBI) and Jonathan Norton (Norton was 3 for 4 with a double and 3 RBI). Pirates Nico Arroyo pitched a strong three innings in relief, and Tegan Fenner made his 2016 pitching debit with a scoreless sixth to seal the win.

Pirates 4, Cardinals 3

The Pirates swept their doubleheader with a very close 4-3 win over the Cardinals. For the first two innings, Cardinals starter Andrew Marchand and Pirates starter Jonathan Norton held the opposing teams in check, the only offense coming off a Norton triple and then a race home off an infield error. Pirates 1-0 after 2 innings. In the bottom of the third, the Pirates scored three to go up 4-2. The big hit was a lined single by Harper Hearn, driving in two. Pirates 4-2. Eamon Savard came on in relief for the Cardinals, and held the Pirates scoreless in the fourth and fifth. Tobey Roberts came on in relief for the Pirates, striking out five of the first six batters he faced. The Cardinals scored one in the sixth, but a nice grab by Pirate Lukas Fernandes in deep left field, Roberts’ sixth strikeout in three innings, and a pop-up ended the game

Cardinals 8, A’s 7

The A’s and Cardinals gamely worked around a soggy, puddle-strewn field Friday and managed to put together a quality game that once again ended with a walk-off win for the Cardinals. Starting pitchers Jack DeBettencourt and Silas Abrams were both awesome. Both teams struggled to break through the excellent pitching, with a couple of notable exceptions. At the end of five, the Cardinals were up 7-2. The A’s refused to go down without a fight. Owen Metell singled to start the sixth, Micah Simmons walked, and Bethany Cardoza was hit by a pitch. Declan McCarthy hit a fielder’s choice to third, scoring Metell. Charlie Porterfield worked a walk to load the bases. Jack DeBettencourt quickly went down 0-2, fouled off the next three pitches, then cracked a single to drive in three. One-run game. Owen DiBiaso doubled, scoring DeBettencourt, evening the score at 7. The Cardinals finally escaped without surrendering the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, it was, once again, Andrew Marchand driving in Silas Abrams on a bang-bang play at third for the walk-off Cardinals win.