Cubero, Keeling Pace Pirates

The Pirates beat the Dodgers 4-3 Sunday afternoon at Memorial.

The visiting Pirates opened the scoring with two runs in the fourth inning.  In the first, Bill Keeling singled and stole second but was stranded there.  In the second Dustin Stover singled and was sacrificed to second by Leo Brown but he, too, was left stranded.  In the fourth, Jose Cubero led off the inning with a single and went to third on Bill's second single of the day.  After Bill picked up his second stolen base and Dustin walked, Jackson Nave's fielder's choice drove in Jose on the out at third.  Dustin reached base on an error with Juan scoring from second on the play.

The Dodgers got one back in the fourth against Jose.  In the first a lead-off single and a stolen base was erased when Juan Ortiz threw the runner out to Brent Bonte at third.  After a pop out to Bill, the next batter walked but on an attempted steal Juan threw out his second runner of the inning this time to Bill at second.  In the second a pop up to Bill, a walk, a fielder's choice and a stolen base scored no runs when a line drive was snagged by Brent.  The Dodgers went three up, three down in the third on a strike out, a pair of ground outs- Jose to Jackson and Dustin to Jackson.  A lead-off walk an error and a single produced the Dodger run.  In the inning, Jose recorded his second strike out and fly outs to Chris Gregory in center and Leo Brown in left prevented any further damage.

Neither team scored in the fifth.  John Denney reached on an error. 

In the sixth the Dodgers tied the game.  The Pirates failed to score in spite of Bill's third single.  The Dodgers took advantage on a failed pick-off attempt to score.

Both teams went out in order in the seventh, the Dodgers going out on a pair of ground pouts to Dustin and Jose's fourth K.

In he eighth, the Pirates could do nothing and the Dodgers took the lead on a single, stolen base, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.  The score after eight was 4-3 Dodgers.

In the ninth, with one out, David Stierle reached on a HBP and charlie Gabriel on a walk.  Chris Gregory went in to run for Charlie.  With two out, Bill recorded his fourth hit of the game, a double down the right field line with David and Chris scoring giving the Pirates their 4-3 lead.  In the ninth, after two outs, the Dodgers threatened by loading the bases before Jose ended the game with his fifth strike out and a complete game victory.

The Pirates improved to 11-6 while the Dodgers fell to 5-12.