CINCINNATI - Hundreds of Pirates fans stood, twirled their towels and chanted “Let’s Go Bucs!” as Jay Bruce hit a grounder for the final out, setting up a playoff game in Pittsburgh.
Baseball, this time.
Neil Walker hit two of Pittsburgh’s six home runs - its biggest power surge in six years - and the Pirates clinched home-field advantage for the NL’s wild card playoff game by beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 Saturday.
Pittsburgh will host the Reds on Tuesday night in the Pirates’ first playoff appearance in 21 years. Pittsburgh went 50-31 at PNC Park, the third-best home record in the NL, and wanted to make that long-awaited playoff return at home.
They got what they wanted. The postseason will start at PNC Park.
“It’s going to be a really exciting time,” Walker said. “Something a lot of people haven’t experienced with Pirate baseball. I imagine it’s going to be Steeler-esque on Tuesday.”
The Reds will go with Johnny Cueto (5-2) in the one-game playoff against left-hander Francisco Liriano (16-8). Mat Latos was on schedule to start for Cincinnati, but manager Dusty Baker said he’s developed a sore arm.
The Pirates won five of nine games against the Reds at PNC Park this season.
“The important thing forme is getting the guys home and playing in a park where we won 50 games and giving our fans a taste of postseason baseball,” Manager Clint Hurdle said.
Pittsburgh hit five home runs off Bronson Arroyo (14-12), who had never given up that many in a game in his career. Walker homered twice off the right-hander, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez also hit home runs, and Marlon Byrd had a two-run shot that ended Arroyo’s outing in the fifth and made it 6-3.
Latos isn’t the only Reds starter who’s hurting. Arroyo said his back started bothering him Saturday.
“It locked up right before the game,” Arroyo said. “I was in the tunnel. It was like I was being stabbed in the ribs and I couldn’t swivel from side to side.
“I don’t think it had much to do with the game. You can’t leave balls in up the zone in this ballpark against that lineup and get away with it.”
Prospect Andrew Lambo hit his first home run off Logan Ondrusek, the first time the Pirates had six in a game since Aug. 22, 2007, at Colorado.
Pirates starter Charlie Morton also struggled, leaving with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth. Vin Mazzaro (8-2) struck out Zack Cozart and retired Ryan Hanigan on a fly ball as the slumping Reds left the bases loaded for the second time in the game.
Cincinnati stranded 11 runners overall.
Both teams already had clinched wild-card berths heading into their weekend series. Whoever took it would host the one-game showdown. Pittsburgh made quick work of it, winning the opener 4-1 on Friday night and then the second game, too.
Walker and McCutchen hit backto-back home runs in the third for a 2-0 lead. Brandon Phillips had an RBI single and Jay Bruce followed with a two-run double for a 3-2 lead in the third, Cincinnati’s first lead since Monday.
CARDINALS 6, CUBS 2 Adam Wainwrightearned his 19th victory in a tuneup for the NL division series opener and Matt Holliday homered again as host St. Louis showed no letup after clinching the NL Central, beating Chicago. BREWERS 4, METS 2 Carlos Gomez homered and had four hits, including a tie-breaking single in the 10th inning that sent visiting Milwaukee to a victory over New York.
PADRES 9, GIANTS 3 Jesus Guzman, Chris Denorfia and Jedd Gyorko each homered and drove in two runs and visiting San Diego beat San Francisco.
PHILLIES 5, BRAVES 4 Chris Johnson made a headfirst dive into first base but was thrown out to end the game, then argued in the dugout with Atlanta Coach Terry Pendleton after the Braves lost to visiting Philadelphia. The loss dropped Atlanta one game behind St. Louis for the best record in the National League.
NATIONALS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 0 Dan Haren brought his disappointing season with Washington to a strong conclusion, blanking host Arizona on four hits through seven innings. Haren (10-14) struck out five and walked one.
AMERICAN LEAGUE INDIANS 5, TWINS 1 Cleveland moved into the AL wild-card lead on the next-to-last scheduled day of the regular season, beating host Minnesota behind Scott Kazmir’s strong start to extend its winning streak to nine. Cleveland (91-70) is assured of at least a tie for the AL wild card.
RANGERS 7, ANGELS 4 Craig Gentry doubled, scored and bunted in a run, helping host Texas beat Los Angeles and reach the final day of the regular season with a chance to make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
BLUE JAYS 7, RAYS 2 Tampa Bay dropped into a tie with Texas for the second AL wildcard berth, losing to Toronto as Ryan Goins and Kevin Pillar hit two-run home runs for the Blue Jays and J.A. Happ won for the first time in four starts.
MARINERS 7, ATHELTICS 5 Brad Miller hit a pair of home runs, including his first grand slam, and host Seattle beat Oakland in a game that decided division-series matchups in the American League. Boston clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason with Oakland’s loss. ORIOLES 6, RED SOX 5 Steve Pearce drove in the go-ahead runs with a double in the eighth inning and host Baltimore rallied to a victory over Boston.
WHITE SOX 6, ROYALS 5 Adam Dunn and Conor Gillaspie each hit two-run home runs and host Chicago earned a victory over Kansas City. After the game, the Chicago White Sox announced they had fired hitting coach Jeff Manto. YANKEES 2, ASTROS 1 Andy Pettitte completed his career in fitting fashion. The 41-year-old left-hander pitched a five-hitter for his first complete game in seven years to lead visiting New York over Houston. INTERLEAGUE MARLINS 2, TIGERS 1 Anibal Sanchez all but clinched the AL ERA title by pitching five scoreless innings for visiting Detroit, but Joaquin Benoit blew a save and the Tigers lost to Miami in 10 innings. Sanchez lowered his ERA from 2.64 to 2.57 to increase a slim lead.Saturday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 8, Cincinnati 3 San Diego 9, San Francisco 3 Milwaukee 4, NY Mets 2, 10 innings St. Louis 6, Chicago Cubs 2 Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 4 Washington 2, Arizona 0 Colorado at LA Dodgers, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE Texas 7, LA Angels 4 Cleveland 5, Minnesota 1 Toronto 7, Tampa Bay 2 Seattle 7, Oakland 5 Baltimore 6, Boston 5 Chicago White Sox 6, Kansas City 5 NY.Yankees 2, Houston 1 INTERLEAGUE Miami 2, Detroit 1, 10 innings
Sports, Pages 23 on 09/29/2013