Moss caps Pirates' fistful of home runs
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Pirates outfielder Brandon Moss watches as his game-winning homer in the ninth inning against the Brewers sails over the center field wall at PNC Park yesterday. -
Pirates outfielder Brandon Moss rounds the bases after hitting the game-winning walk-off home run as Brewers shortstop Bill Hall walks off the field in the ninth inning. -
Pirates outfielder Brandon Moss rounds third to greetings from coach Rich Donnelly after hitting a game-winning walk-off solo-home run off Brewers pitcher Mitch Stetter in the ninth inning. -
Brandon Moss celebrates his walk-off home run in the ninth inning against the Brewers. -
Pirates outfielder Brandon Moss (44) is greeted by teammates as he arrives home after hitting a game-winning walk-off solo-home run off Brewers pitcher Mitch Stetter in the ninth inning. -
Pirates outfielder Brandon Moss, top right, is greeted by teammates as he arrives home after hitting a game-winning walk-off solo home run off Brewers pitcher Mitch Stetter in the ninth inning. -
Pirates left fielder Brandon Moss can't get to a ninth-inning triple hit by Brewers outfielder Mike Cameron. -
Former Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche, middle, stands in the dugout next to manager John Russell, left, and his replacement, Garrett Jones. -
Former Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche looks on as the Brewers make a pitching change. -
Former Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche, left, sits in the dugout with his brother, third baseman Andy LaRoche. -
Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones, right, celebrates with catcher Ryan Doumit at home after Jones hits a solo home run. -
Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan talks with starting pitcher Paul Maholm. -
Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm throws in the first inning. -
Pirates manager John Russell argues a call made by first base umpire Marty Foster. -
Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit stands on second base as the umpires discuss if Doumit's ball was a double or a home run against the Brewers at PNC. Doumit was given the home run. -
Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit heads for home past Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan, right rear, after hitting a first-inning solo home run. -
Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit (41) is greeted by first baseman Garrett Jones (46) after hitting a first-inning solo home run off Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan. -
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun hits a solo home run off Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm during the first inning. -
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, right, is greeted by teammate Casey McGehee (14) after hitting a first-inning solo home run off Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm. -
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is greeted by teammates in the dugout after hitting a first-inning solo home run off Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm. -
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun flips his bat after striking out swinging with a man on third base during the ninth inning. -
Brewers infielder Casey McGehee flips his bat after striking out with men on first and third during the ninth inning. -
Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan throws during the first inning.
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The way balls were soaring over PNC Park's fences yesterday, one never would have guessed the Pirates had just traded their leader in home runs.
Ryan Doumit hit two.
Andrew McCutchen also went deep.
And Garrett Jones, of course.
Then, with the first at-bat of the bottom of the ninth inning, Brandon Moss bashed a ball into the visitors' bullpen to bring an 8-7 walkoff victory against the nemesis Milwaukee Brewers before a matinee crowd of 21,186.
The Pirates' five home runs represented a season high on the same afternoon that Adam LaRoche -- who had 12 -- was traded to the Boston Red Sox. To put that into better statistical perspective, that is 7 percent of their season total of 72, which ranks 28th of Major League Baseball's 30 teams.
• Game: Pirates vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m., Chase Field.
• TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WPGB-FM (104.7).
• Pitching: RHP Charlie Morton (2-2, 3.21) vs. RHP Dan Haren (10-5, 1.96).
• Season series: Arizona won the series last year, 4-3.
• Key matchup: Haren's overall numbers are impressive, but his past four games are even better: He has allowed three earned runs in a 30-inning span, held opponents to a .176 batting average, struck out 33 and walked four.
• Of note: The Pirates, beginning a seven-game road trip, have lost their past four away from PNC Park, 11 of the past 13.
"We had a lot of guys swinging really well," Moss said.
The climactic swing was most important, but much preceded it.
The Pirates had built a 5-2 lead on the first four home runs, one by Doumit in the first, the next three in a furious four-at-bat span of the third. All came off Jeff Suppan, and only Doumit's second -- initially called a double by reversed by instant replay that appeared to show it clanging off the yellow-striped railing above the Clemente Wall -- was anything shy of a no-doubter.
Suppan was chased after a season-low 3 1/3 innings.
"I wasn't able to make the adjustments I needed to make," Suppan said.
Neither was his counterpart: Paul Maholm gave up two home runs, including Casey McGehee's two-run shot that was part of Milwaukee's five-run fifth. Maholm was chased after 4 2/3, and the Brewers led, 7-5.
But the Pirates bounced back in the bottom half with back-to-back RBI doubles by Andy LaRoche and Ramon Vazquez, setting the stage -- after terrific relief from Joel Hanrahan, John Grabow and Matt Capps -- for Moss.
He stepped into the box against left-hander Mitch Stetter, who had held opponents to a .175 average, fully aware of what he was going to see.
"Offspeed, offspeed, offspeed," Moss said. "It's all anybody's been throwing me."
Until then, it had mostly worked: He was 0 for 3 with a walk. It appeared he was on his way to another walk, too, when he got ahead of Stetter, 3-1.
Thing is, Stetter had thrown a fastball and three sliders among his first four pitches, and Moss was able to see and time each.
That fastball was just 86 mph.
"I knew when he threw me the first fastball, he was going to try to get me out some other way," Moss said.
The sliders failing, Stetter tried another 86-mph fastball -- this time up and over the middle -- and Moss saw it, timed it and crushed it.
"I definitely didn't give in," Stetter said. "I wanted to go low and away."
"I know that the book on me right now is the slow stuff, that I'm an aggressive hitter and like the fastball," Moss said. "So, I've been trying to see a few more pitches to get to that."
Moss was mobbed at the plate by his teammates after what was, per his recollection, his first walkoff home run at any level of organized ball.
"Oh, there's nothing like it," he said. "They really beat you up once you get home -- I think Luis Cruz got me the worst -- but it's fantastic."
Moss' home run was just his fifth of the season but fourth in his past seven starts, all in the Pirates' past 15 games. His average is up to .254.
Doumit's home runs marked his fourth career multiple-output game, his first in nine games since returning from the fractured wrist.
"I'm starting to feel better, stronger up there," he said.
McCutchen's home run was his third, and Jones' was his ninth in 17 games since being promoted.
"Yeah, but they've all been solo shots," he playfully complained.
Manager John Russell was not complaining.
"Some of our power started to show a little and, hopefully, it continues," he said. "We need to swing the bats better in the second half."
The pitching highlight came in the top of the ninth when Capps, after Mike Cameron's one-out triple, struck out Ryan Braun and, after an intentional walk to Prince Fielder, struck out McGehee swinging through 96-mph high heat on an 0-2 pitch he and Doumit intended to waste.
"Just wanted to put it up and away and see if he'd chase," Capps said.
The Pirates took two of three from Milwaukee, including the rancorous opener Monday, marking their first series victory against the Brewers since Sept. 10-12, 2007, after which the Brewers took the next seven.
First Published July 23, 2009 12:00 am
