Even Steven. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	7	0	9
	4	9	2	9

This game was ugly, no questions about it.  It started with a rain delay that pushed back the start of the game over an hour.  There was a Penguins playoff game going on at the same time, so it's impossible to say how the players looked since the game wasn't on TV.  The most surprising thing about the game is not that the Bucs won,  but that the attendance for the game was over 14 thousand.  For a cold, rainy day when another Pittsburgh team is playing a much more important game across town, that's pretty encouraging.

The game started off strong with the Pirates scoring 2 in the 1st off two sacs from Lasting Milledge and Garrett Jones.  Milledge had a huge game.

A bit of a scare in the 2nd as Andy LaRoche left the game with back spasms.  Bobby Crosby replaced him for the rest of the game.

The Bucs opened up a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd with an Aki Iwamura single which scored Bobby Crosby.  Yeah.  Two Crosbys scored in the same night for Pittsburgh teams.

Nothing much happened after that for a while.  Zach Duke was outstanding, allowing no more than 1 hit in any of his 7 (!) innings, and twice taking the Reds batters down in order.

Then the 8th happened.  Zach Duke walked some joke to start the inning and was promptly relieved.  Joel Hanrahan came in and walked a guy, but was able to get two outs.  Then he was relieved. Javier Lopez comes in.  He walks two more guys and the Reds were on the board, 3-1.  So Brendan Donnelly comes in.  He walks another guy.  3-2.  Finally a foul ball is caught to end the inning.  3 relievers, 5 walks.  So ugly.  Bucs go down in order in the bottom of the 8th.  You knew this lead wasn't safe.

Somehow the first Cincinnati batter gets a triple.  The usual drama for the Pirates closer Octavio Dotel.  He strikes out the next guy.  But then Cabrera kills the Duke's chance of going 3-0 with a sac.  Dotel strikes out the last guy and they go to the bottom of 9th tied at 3.  You might think FSN would put this on TV since the Pens coverage is over, but they're showing tennis or something.

Cedeno and Iwamura both strike out.  McCutch gets a single and then steals second.  That's stolen base #6.  So Lasting Milledge comes up to the plate.  He fell behind in the count 1-2.  Looks like we're heading to extra innings.  Then he takes two balls to make the count full.  He fouls one off.  Hold the phone.  He hits to game-winning walk-off single to score McCutch.  4-3.

GAME.

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Miscellaneous shit

The Bucs are back at .500.  The Reds fall to 5-6.

McCutch, Aki "Gun" Iwamura, and Cedeno all went 2-2 to lead the Bucs batting attack.

This was a pitching duel just like I thought it was going to be.  Both starters went 7 innings.  Leake walked 5, but only one led to a score (Andy LaRoche/Bobby Crosby PR in the 2nd).  Duke did end up with one Earned Run, but that was a result of the walk parade in the 8th.

Bucs look to win the series later today.