The Bristol Pirates moved to one game out of first place on Monday night with a 6-4 victory over the Bluefield Blue Jays.The win moves the Pirates up to a .500 record, making it the latest in a season Bristol holds a .500 record since they were 25-25 on August
The Bristol Pirates moved to one game out of first place on Monday night with a 6-4 victory over the Bluefield Blue Jays.
The win moves the Pirates up to a .500 record, making it the latest in a season Bristol holds a .500 record since they were 25-25 on August 18, 2015 after a 6-2 win against Bluefield.
Blue Jays designated hitter PK Morris drove in the first runs of the game on a two-run home run in the top of the second. After an RBI single by center fielder Chase Murray in the bottom of the second, second baseman Josh Bissonette hit a two-run triple to left field to put the Pirates on top 3-2. Bissonette would then score one batter later on a single by left fielder Yoyner Fajardo to increase Bristol's lead to two runs.
Murray would drive in another run in the fifth, and the Pirates would keep it a 5-2 game until the seventh inning when Bluefield first baseman Spencer Horwitz hit a two-out double to cut the Pirates lead to two. Acuna drove in the final run for Bristol in the eighth inning on his 17th double of the season, and despite another run-scoring hit by Horwitz, the Pirates hung on to claim their third straight win.
Ryan Troutman earned his first career win on Monday, allowing three hits and one walk over two scoreless innings. Starter Adrian Florencio allowed two runs with four strikeouts over four innings, while C.J. Dandeneau recorded his third hold of the year after allowing one run over two innings of relief. Alex Roth earned his third save of the year against Bluefield, allowing one run on three hits while striking out two in one inning of work.
Murray led the Pirates at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, scoring one run while driving in two. Bissonette's first career triple was his only hit of the night, while Fajardo finished 3-for-4 with one RBI as he is now 7-for-11 with three RBI and five runs scored over his last three games.
The Pirates (26-26) will try for their first sweep of Bluefield since 2015 when they send Santiago Florez to the mound on Tuesday night. Florez recorded a complete-game shutout in a rain-shortened outing his last time out, allowing four hits and five walks with three strikeouts over five innings to earn his first win of the season.
