Game Recap #9 Pittsburgh Pirates @ Cleveland Indians

The regional rivalry between the cities of Pittsburgh and Cleveland is usually founded between the Steelers and Browns. Today though, it was between the Pirates and Indians. This is a decidedly less spectacular and historical rivalry, being that they only meet a few times a year being in different leagues, and with both teams having faced mediocrity or worse over recent year. Nonetheless, city pride stays on the line. In today's game, Cleveland got on the board first as breakout star Jason Kipnis took Pittsburgh starter Brad Lincoln deep in the first inning on a solo shot. Lincoln also had difficulty in the second inning, allowing a Johnny Damon double and a Casey Kotchman RBI single to put the Indians up 2-0. Pittsburgh finally got to Cleveland starter Jeanmar Gomez in the fourth inning, as red-hot Pedro Alvarez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning, allowing both Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee to score. The Indians shot back and got the lead again in the bottom of the fourth, as Shin-Soo Choo doubled in both Damon and Lou Marson. Lincoln was chased here, after scattering eight hits, a walk, and four earned runs, while striking out two. The Pirates took the lead again to spare Lincoln the loss by rallying in the fifth inning. Alex Presley tied the game by depositing a ball in the seats in right-center, followed by McGehee making it to first base on an error from shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, which gave time for Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen to get home. This chased away Gomez, who ended with seven hits and two walks producing eight runs, of which four were earned in a little over four innings work, and his replacement Esmil Rogers was the one who surrendered another Alvarez homer, his fourth in two games, and this was also of the three-run variety. Jones and McGehee scored again. The Indians were able to get one back in the seventh inning against reliever Jared Hughes, as Michael Brantley doubled in Kipnis. Cleveland was unable to comeback from the messy fifth inning, falling 9-5 to the Pirates. They did dominate the basepaths though, as both Kipnis and Damon recorded stolen bases, no small feat for the aging Damon. Overall though, this was a Pittsburgh victory, as it seems to often be when Pittsburgh meets Cleveland.