That is how you do it!

The Pirates are continuing to impress. They came home with a 4-2 record after only winning 17 games on the road all last year. They did disappointingly drop the home opener, but avoided losing their first series of the year to the Rockies after a Jose Tabata double that scored Josh Rodriguiz in the bottom of the 14th inning. The first extra inning game of the year and the Pirates came up big. There are a lot of good signs to start this season and winning the first extra inning game is one of them.

The Pirates battled back with a run in the 6th to tie the game at three and the bullpens shut everything else down until the 14th. The Rockies had a real chance to win. They had the bases loaded with two outs and they pulled out their ace in the hole pinch hitting Todd Helton. However Helton grounded out and the Pirates lived to play on. The Pirates then went quietly for the first two outs. Rodriguiz walked and then Tabata took a 3-1 pitch into the right field gap. Pirates win! Pirates win!

The bad news is that Ohlendorf looked bad and then left in the 3rd with shoulder pain. Karstens did great in relief. Then Crotta, Veras, and Hanrahan added an inning each of scoreless activity. Resop then went three big innings and Olsen went 2 including inducing that ground ball from Helton. All three Rockies runs belonged to Ohlendorf.

The minor leagues provided some more good news for the Pirates. Chris Synder hit a two run home run in his first at-bat at Bradenton. He added a single, a double, and a walk before being pinch hit for because Bradenton was killing their opponent. They won 13-0. McSwain got the win and the Maurders look good with a line up that can put up runs.

Other future Pirates had less good days. No hits for Sanchez, Mercer had one hit and a walk, and Holt had a double as Jeff Locke lost, but pitched okay. One bad inning cost him the game as Altoona lost 2-1. West Virginia was rained out in its anticipated game. And who knows what people were thinking in Indianapolis. Andrew Lambo did not start nor did Josh Harrison. Both made pinch appearances in the ninth when Indy failed to convert a real opportunity to win the game or at least tie it. The intentionally walked Lambo. D'Arnaud did get an RBI triple and Alex Presley looked good. Sean Gallagher took the loss as he pitched awful. Why did they not start Owens? I know that Lincoln is hurt, but still, Gallagher?

Overall a pretty good day.