Bautista's slam sinks Dodgers, 10-6
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LOS ANGELES -- Another first-place opponent, another first-class victory.
And yet another set of signs that what these Pirates are doing in this most surprising September might not be a mirage.
"We played great," manager Jim Tracy said after his team thumped Los Angeles, 10-6, last night at Dodger Stadium. "And you know what? We've been doing that for a while. We're growing up a lot in every way, and you can see it in just about everything we're doing."
The most obvious way to measure is with wins, the only statistic that matters: The Pirates have won four in a row, all against division-leading teams after sweeping the New York Mets over the weekend and taking the opener of this series against a desperate group of Dodgers. In a broader scope, they have won 14 of 20 and are 34-27 since the All-Star break.
But there is evidence, too, when examining the smaller elements so critical to winning, the ones where individual failures are overcome.
Consider Jose Bautista.
He was off to a .116 start to September and doing little with his chance to play every day as the team weighs his role for 2007. He came through with a grand slam and a career-high five RBIs.
Or Ian Snell.
His first pitch of the evening was a fat fastball that Rafael Furcal creamed into the right-field pavilion, sending the 43,734 in attendance into a tizzy. Los Angeles loaded the bases from there, but Snell escaped and held the Dodgers scoreless on two hits for the rest of his six-inning start.
Or Xavier Nady.
He snapped out of a 2-for-23 spell by reaching base all four times up, including a fourth-inning home run.
Or Ronny Paulino.
His reputation for being comfortable in clutch situations seemed undeserved after a lunging, four-pitch strikeout with bases loaded in the sixth. Two innings later, he came up with bases filled again and smacked a two-run single to center.
"There are things that we're doing right now that we weren't doing in the first half," Tracy said. "You look at what Snell did after a first inning that could have been pretty rough. You look at the approaches we took at the plate in key situations. It's great to see."
Nothing was more pleasing to the Pirates' eyes than Bautista's slam.
Stephen Dunn, Getty ImagesDodgers left fielder Marlon Anderson can't reach a grand slam home run hit by the Pirates Jose Bautista last night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Click photo for larger image.
Today: Pirates (Shawn Chacon 1-3) vs. Dodgers (Greg Maddux 13-13), 10:10 p.m.
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.
TV/Radio: FSN Pittsburgh/KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network.
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His second-inning RBI single off Los Angeles starter Hong-Chih Kuo neutralized Furcal's early strike, and Nady's solo shot to deep left-center -- his 17th of the season, third with the Pirates -- brought a 2-1 lead.
After one out in the sixth, Freddy Sanchez singled, Jason Bay doubled, and Nady was intentionally walked to load the bases. Paulino had his forgettable strikeout, chasing a Kuo pitch low and outside. And Bautista was up again, now against reliever Elmer Dessens.
His approach, as it has been through much of his development, was patient.
"I never faced him before, and I know his ball's got a lot of movement," Bautista said of Dessens.
So he took the first pitch, low and outside.
"With the second one, I recognized the ball path, and I knew that was going to be low, too."
He took that one, too.
And next?
"I was in a good hitter's count, so I could afford to look for my pitch."
It came as expected, a meaty fastball that he launched high and about 20 feet inside the left foul pole. Los Angeles left fielder Marlon Anderson made a valiant attempt by leaping into the seats after it, but he ended up empty-handed.
Bautista had his 14th home run, his first since Aug. 15, and his second slam. And the Pirates were up, 6-1.
"It was an outstanding at-bat, the kind we've seen from Jose all year," Tracy said. "He's a player who has a knowledge of the strike zone, and this is another sign of his growth."
For Bautista, it was more a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, it's been frustrating this month," he said. "But I'm trying to hang in there, stay positive and finish on a good note."
Snell improved his staff-best record to 14-10 with a second consecutive victory. One more, and he will be the first Pirates pitcher to achieve 15 since Todd Ritchie in 1999. Two more, and he will have the most since John Smiley's 20 in 1991.
"Our starter was terrific," Tracy said.
Snell's initial reaction to Furcal's opening salvo, he admitted, was not a positive one.
"I'm thinking, 'Are you serious?' " Snell said. "But then, a few other guys were really hitting my fastballs, so I went offspeed and got out of it."
The bullpen wobbled, Damaso Marte giving up two runs in the seventh and Matt Capps three in the eighth. But that damage was minimized by the Pirates' four-spot in the top of the eighth that included Paulino's key hit.
First Published September 20, 2006 12:00 am
