PITTSBURGH -- Baseball is a game full of numbers that dictate milestones. Thursday was the 81st game of the season for the Pirates, marking the halfway point of a 162-game marathon.
Pittsburgh defeated Seattle, 5-1, in the series finale at PNC Park to finish the first half at 41-40. It’s the first time the Pirates have been .500 at the midway point since 2015.
Brandon Lowe got Pittsburgh on the board early, hammering a solo shot off of Mariners’ starter Bryce Miller in the bottom of the first for his 19th of the season. With an early lead, Bubba Chandler cruised through Seattle’s lineup with three clean innings while allowing only one hit.
Henry Davis added to the lead with a two-run homer to the opposite field in the third inning, extending the advantage to three. The Pirates needed the cushion, as the Mariners loaded the bases in the fourth. Cole Young lined a ball to left-center field, but Jake Mangum made a sliding catch to erase the threat.
Chandler eventually lost some control in the fifth inning, walking the first two batters and allowing a run on an RBI single from J.P. Crawford. Against the heart of Seattle’s order, Chandler worked out of the jam, striking out Cal Raleigh and forcing Julio Rodríguez into a 5-4-3 double play.
Chandler exited the start after 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking three on 75 pitches. Evan Sisk entered with a runner on and loaded the bases after allowing a single and hitting a batter. However, the reliable lefty escaped unscathed to preserve the lead.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen fell into trouble multiple times, and the five Bucs who pitched in the finale combined to issue six walks. The Mariners left 11 on base.
The early home runs, plus insurance runs in the eighth courtesy of Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, were enough to escape victorious.