Bucs receive a gift
PITTSBURGH — Five innings into his major league career, Blake Davis wasn’t nervous. He even felt rather calm at the plate and while manning second base.
On what was supposed to be a memorable day, a sharply hit two-hopper came his way and became a play he’d like to forget.
The Baltimore rookie’s error in his debut allowed Pittsburgh to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the Pirates’ 5-4 victory over the Orioles on Wednesday.
Josh Harrison’s ground ball with two outs and runners on second and third in the fifth went through Davis’ legs, and Brandon Wood and Michael McKenry scored on the error.
“I misread it,” Davis said. “I thought it was going to skip and up and bounce a little higher and it didn’t. I’ve got to make that play, and I feel terrible that I didn’t. I’ve just got to put it behind me and move on.”
Andrew McCutchen had two hits, a run and an RBI for Pittsburgh (37-37), which took the final two games of the series following a four-game losing streak and to reach .500.
Kevin Correia (9-6) tied for the major league lead in victories, and Joel Hanrahan became just the third Pirates pitcher to record 20 saves before the All-Star break.
Nick Markakis went 3 for 5 with an RBI, and J.J. Hardy had two hits, including a two-run double, for Baltimore. The Orioles have lost eight of 11.
Before the game, Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said he was proud of the 27-year-old Davis for persevering and making it to the majors. He stood behind him afterward, too.
“It was a tough play, and we’re compassionate about it,” Showalter said. “We could have done a lot of things in this game that could have made that play not matter.”
The Orioles left a man on base during each of the first seven innings — during the first four, they left a runner in scoring position.
Correia did not have a perfect inning, pitching out of trouble enough to make it through six innings. He was charged with four runs on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts, winning for the first time since June 1.
“I kind of did the bare minimum,” Correia said. “The rest of the team really got us that win today.
“Obviously, I got a little lucky today ... we scored those last two runs on an error,” Correia said. “Any time you come out of a game with a one-run lead and the bullpen throws three shutout, they did a great job.”
Daniel Moskos, Chris Resop and Jose Veras combined to pitch the seventh and eighth, and Hanrahan worked a perfect ninth. He has not blown a save this season and joins Mike Williams (2002-03) and Jose Mesa (2004-05) as the only Pirates with 20 saves before the All-Star break.
Hanrahan has allowed one run over his past 13 appearances. In 12 of those, he hasn’t allowed a hit.
