Bullpen Lifts Buccos Past Tribe, Pirates Win Series

On a clear Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates strung together their first win streak since mid-May.

The Pirates put together well-timed hits and with the help of three Indians' errors, defeated Cleveland 5-3 to win their first series in over a month.

Rookie pitcher Brad Lincoln made his third start today. He entered the game with an ERA just over 7.00. Lincoln went six innings for the Bucs, surrendering three runs on eight hits to the Tribe. 

Indians' star rookie Carlos Santana took Lincoln deep for a two-run-homerun in the top of the first. The Pirates quickly answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the opening inning, with hits by Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, and Garrett Jones, to tie the game.

Santana then doubled off Lincoln in the third to score Shin-Soo Choo, giving the Indians their second lead of the ball game.

Javy Lopez and Brendan Donnelly pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, continuing the Pirates' bullpen success.

Down a run in the bottom of the eighth, Pedro Alvarez came up big with a sac fly to the Clemente Wall, earning his second RBI by scoring Andrew McCutchen.

Shortstop Bobby Crosby then scored Garrett Jones on his third hit of the day, a single to center field.

Octavio Dotel pitched the ninth inning in his second consecutive day of work, picking up his fourteenth save while striking out two of the three batters he faced.