Jones' hit helps Pirates stop skid, beat Cardinals

With St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Julio Lugo on third base in the first inning, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm twirled in a curveball for a first-pitch strike to the ever-dangerous Albert Pujols.

Since two were out in the inning, the Pirates decided not to pitch around Pujols; a walk would bring up the scorching-hot Matt Holliday. Their plan got off to a good start with Maholm’s curve, but their hopes of keeping the Cardinals off the board vanished with a strange play that epitomized Pittsburgh’s disappointing season.

Rookie catcher Jason Jaramillo lobbed the pitch back to Maholm, but tossed it too high, even for the 6',2" lefthander to catch. The ball trickled behind the mound and into the infield grass. Lugo alertly scampered home.

The Pirates, with an average age of 25 years old, entered the game having committed the fewest errors in the major leagues, 57. This is remarkable, and unexpected from such an inexperienced team. But this was one of few accomplishments they could hang their hat on.

Pittsburgh is dead last in the National League Central, and, with  53 wins and 81 losses, have the second worst record in the major leagues. This is to be expected from such a young team.

Jamarillo’s errant throw was the Pirates’ inexperience on display. But, as all young teams tend to do after such a play, they did their best to try and make amends.

Pittsburgh has nothing to play for except their pride. They’ll finish last in their division and, even if they win the remainder of their games, finish with a losing record for the 17th consecutive time.

But that doesn’t matter to them. They are determined to make the most of this final month, and continue to build for a future that appears bright.

Some of their young crop of talent helped collect the run that Jaramillo gave the Cardinals. Andrew McCutchen, their 22-year old center-fielder, worked the count against Joel Piñeiro and laced a single into center-field to begin the bottom of the first inning.

McCutchen, the prototypical five-tool player, was their second ranked prospect entering this season, and is living up to the hype. Since his promotion in June, the speedy leadoff hitter has put up extraordinary numbers. Entering this series finale, he had a .280 batting average, 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 53 runs scored, a .358 on-base percentage, and 16 stolen bases.

He only added to these impressive statistics with his performance against St. Louis.

After a groundout by Garrett Jones—their 28-year old rookie who spent nearly 10 years in the minor leagues and four in Triple-A alone—Lastings Milledge, a 24-year old once highly-touted prospect who underachieved with the New York Mets and Washington Nationals before his trade to the Pirates, continued his improved play at the plate by singling in McCutchen.

Maholm quelled the momentum by allowing a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, but his offense, once again, battled back from a deficit.

Pineiro, who entered this start third in the National League in wins with 14, behind teammates Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, was not himself in the sixth inning.

He’d entered the frame having allowed just the one run, and his control was pinpoint, as usual. But fatigue began to set in.

Jones singled with one out, then moved to third on a ground-rule double by 25-year old Brandon Moss that hopped over the center-field wall, 400 feet away from the plate.

Neil Walker, their 23-year old rookie third baseman who was called up on the first of September, followed with a walk—only the 20th allowed by Piñeiro in 27 starts.

Ronny Cedeno, their 26-year old shortstop, fell behind Piñeiro by taking two called strikes, but then thumped a third-pitch slider into center-field to drive in Jones and Moss. Jaramillo followed and made up for his first-inning mistake by tying the game with a single of his own.

Joel Hanrahan relieved Maholm and held down the fort by tossing two scoreless innings, keeping the game tied until  26-year-old Jesse Chavez took over in the top of the ninth. Chavez retired the first two hitters, but failed in his attempt to sneak a fastball by Rick Ankiel, a fastball hitter.

Ankiel was a promising pitcher at the beginning of his career. In 2000, he posted an 11-7 record, had a 3.50 ERA, and struck out 194 hitters in his rookie season at the age of 20.

Then, he mysteriously lost his command in that year’s National League Division Series, which was just the beginning of his struggles. He started the first game of the series against Atlanta Braves’ ace Greg Maddux, and after throwing two scoreless innings, he fell apart in the third inning.

In that inning, he allowed four runs on two hits, four walks, and five wild pitches. After that he was never the same. His mechanical issues were never solved.

He suffered multiple injuries over the next three seasons and couldn’t overcome his wildness, so, in 2005, he decided to abandon pitching and become an outfielder.

After displaying tremendous power in the minor leagues, Ankiel returned to the majors in 2007 and hit a home run in his first game back. He hit 11 total that season and batted .282, then hit 25 homers the following year.

Problem was, it turned out that was his lone strength, as his batting average and on-base percentage dipped considerably. He was once a strikeout machine on the mound, but he unfortunately became one at the plate. He was demoted to the bench, and would make only spot starts.

Well, this was one of them, and he took advantage of the opportunity. He clocked Chavez’s grooved fastball deep to center-field. There was no doubt about it, as is the case with most of his homers. The Pittsburgh crowd went silent, but they would soon be rejuvenated as their young Pirates battled back once more.

Jaramillo led off the bottom of the inning with a single, his third of the afternoon. After Andy LaRoche, their 25-year-old third baseman, took Jaramillo’s place on the basepaths by grounding into a force-out, McCutchen singled. Two well-placed singles could now end Pittsburgh’s nine-game losing streak

Ryan Doumit, the Pirates 28-year-old catcher who spent the better part of eight seasons in their minor league system, delivered the first on a line-drive to center-field that scored LaRoche.

Jones, who entered the contest with a .308 batting average, 18 home runs, and 36 RBI in just 57 games, delivered the second by crushing a hanging changeup from Trever Miller deep into the gap in left-center. He rounded first as McCutchen glided home. As McCutchen touched home plate, Jones, halfway to second, was mobbed by his teammates.

McCutchen joined the fray, a celebration that was led by the likes of Milledge, Cedeño, Jaramillo, Moss, and Jones, the hero. There they were, the core of the Pirates future. A group that loyal fans hope can right 17 years of wrongs, and bring winning baseball back to Pittsburgh.