Pirates Drop a Close One to the Guardians
Fellow Pirates fans, what a roller coaster of a game we had today! Pittsburgh fell to the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 in a thrilling but ultimately heart-wrenching extra-inning battle. It was a game of perseverance and late-inning rallies, but we just came up slightly short.
Early Inning Troubles
The game started quite slowly for our Buccos, as both teams struggled to put runs on the board early. We had a tough time getting our offense going, with Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, and our beloved veteran Andrew McCutchen all unable to create much in the first inning. Things still looked bleak as we couldn't capitalize on a few scattered hits through the first five innings. Losing the momentum to Cleveland when Steven Kwan hit a two-run homer in the third was, without a doubt, a tough blow.
Pirates Make a Comeback
But you can't count our Pirates out! In the bottom of the sixth, our lineup showed signs of life. Bryan Reynolds got on base with a single, then finally Andrew McCutchen doubled to left, bringing Reynolds home for our first run. It was the spark we needed, bringing the score to 2-1 and giving us hope! The Guardians increased their lead with Kyle Manzardo's two-run homer in the seventh, bumping the score to 4-1.However, you could feel something brewing along the Allegheny River, as our Buccos weren't finished yet. Adam Frazier stepped up and delivered with a clutch two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to make it 4-3. Ke'Bryan Hayes then drove in Frazier to tie the game, sending the fans into a frenzy!
Unfortunately, a double play squashed our chances to walk it off.Extra Innings Heartbreak
Heading into the tenth with the score tied at 4-4, hopes were high. In the top of the frame, the Guardians eked out a run, giving them a narrow 5-4 lead. Battling until the final out, our boys just couldn't push that tying run across the plate. With a runner on third, Enmanuel Valdez lined out to close the game.While today's outcome wasn't what we had hoped for, there's no denying this team has spirit, grit, and determination. Let's keep cheering for our Buccos — they've given us one exciting season. As painful as losses like these are, they prove we've got what it takes to battle through challenging games. Until next time, let's go Bucs!
Scoreboard for Guardians @ Pirates (April 20th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 1 |