Not to be lost in the Pirates' dramatic 6-5 victory over the Twins was the performance of the bullpen as Evan Sisk, Wilber Dotel and Gregory Soto covered the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings after Jared Jones exited.
Sisk closed out the fifth for Jones with a strikeout and then made way to Dotel, who'd toss three innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Don Kelly called it "huge" to have Dotel keep the team in the game.
“That’s twice this week that he’s been able to do that, with Monday against the Cubs and then today," Kelly said. "For a rookie to do what he did is unbelievable.”
Soto kept it a one-run game in the ninth by retiring the first two batters on seven pitches before making an impressive sprint off the mound to charge after a ball hit just 10 feet beyond home plate along the third base line. Ryan Kreidler raced toward first to try and beat it out, but Soto fired a strike to Spencer Horwitz to record the final out.
“What an athlete, man," Kelly said. "I thought there was no way he was going to have a shot to get over there and barehand it. Then to be able to turn and make such a strong, accurate throw on a guy that can run, that was a heck of a play.”
THE ASYLUM
Dotel, bullpen step up
Not to be lost in the Pirates' dramatic 6-5 victory over the Twins was the performance of the bullpen as Evan Sisk, Wilber Dotel and Gregory Soto covered the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings after Jared Jones exited.
Sisk closed out the fifth for Jones with a strikeout and then made way to Dotel, who'd toss three innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Don Kelly called it "huge" to have Dotel keep the team in the game.
“That’s twice this week that he’s been able to do that, with Monday against the Cubs and then today," Kelly said. "For a rookie to do what he did is unbelievable.”
Soto kept it a one-run game in the ninth by retiring the first two batters on seven pitches before making an impressive sprint off the mound to charge after a ball hit just 10 feet beyond home plate along the third base line. Ryan Kreidler raced toward first to try and beat it out, but Soto fired a strike to Spencer Horwitz to record the final out.
“What an athlete, man," Kelly said. "I thought there was no way he was going to have a shot to get over there and barehand it. Then to be able to turn and make such a strong, accurate throw on a guy that can run, that was a heck of a play.”
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