Game 4: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Atlanta Braves vs Pittsburgh Pirates- Thursday, April 18, 2o13
There are thirty teams in the major leagues. So what do you think are the odds that of the four games we have been to thus far, we would be seeing the Atlanta Braves three times in a row in three different cities. Go figure! But that’s exactly what happened following the Cubs-Rangers rainout at Wrigley on Wednesday. If we go to one more Braves game, then they should just add us to their roster.
For a while it looked like we may not be able to even leave Chiacgo in time to get to Pittsburgh. A weather advisory was in effect and it was not certain if we would be cleared for take-off. Eventually, after a minor delay, we did get out of Chicago and arrived in Pittsburgh in the early afternoon. The first think that we noticed was the beautiful day. “There will be a game today,” we said to ourselves. Thank Goodness! After checking into the hotel, we went over for a quick visit to the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History. It’s a really cool place! We then had a late lunch (yes, at Pittsburgh’s Hard Rock Cafe!) and headed to the ballpark.
There is really only one word to describe the PNC Park: Magnificent!
The stadium sits like a jewel, right by the river with its string of stately bridges. Since we got there about 45 minutes before game time, we walked around the outside of the ballpark and took pictures of the statues of Pirates legends – J.P. “Honus” Wagner (The Flying Dutchman), Willie “Pops” Stargell, Roberto Clemente (The Great One), and Bill “Maz” Mazeroski. The inside of the park is just as gorgeous. When you look beyond the centerfield, there is a spectacular skyline view of Pittsburgh. The open design of the ballpark is done so well that during the game you could go into the concourse and walk around while still staying connected with the action on the field. In a recent survey, PNC Park was rated as the best ballpark in the majors and we can see why. The fans and the game are intimately tied together. The only pity though, was the attendance. With just 11,000 plus fans on hand, most of the seats were empty. That’s too bad. If we could, we would come here everyday!
We had awesome seats down the third base line only about fifty feet or so from the bag. The seats were also close to the Pirates dugout. We saw Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen signing autographs just a few feet away from us and their starting pitcher A. J. Burnett giving an interview on top of the dugout steps. In fact, many of the players on both sides went right by us as they were getting on and off the field.
The game, too, was a beauty. Tight all the way through. B. J. Upton got things going early with a lead-off homer in the first inning to put the Braves in front 1-0. The Bucs came right back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame thanks to a sacrifice fly by Garrett Jones that scored Travis Snider. In the second frame, Russell Martin homered off of Braves starter Julio Teheran to put Pittsburgh ahead 2-1. The lead was short lived. With two outs in the top of the third, Pirates starter Jeff Locke walked Justin Upton and the next batter, Chris Johnson, belted a homer to center to help regain the lead at 3-2. Atlanta, however, would let the Bucs tie it up in the bottom of the fourth. In style. Pedro Alvarez hit a monster homer, the biggest we have seen on this trip, that bounced off Pittsburgh’s version of the green monster behind the center field fence. It was a 448-foot tape measure job. Whew! The Braves came right back in the next frame, thanks to a homer by Justin Upton who has now hit a long ball in all three Braves games that we have been to on this trip. But Atlanta would squander the lead again, allowing a RBI double to Garrett Jones that brought home Travis Snider from second. The game was tied at 4 and stayed that way through the late innings. Then in the top of the eighth, Andrelton Simmons drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bruce Laird. The pitcher’s spot was up next but the Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez took a chance and sent in his bench catcher, Evan Gattis, to pinch hit. Gattis responded by launching a fly ball toward left field. For a while, the home faithfuls watched with bated breath and hoped that the ball would curl foul, but it ended up staying fair and finding the seats. The two-run shot proved to be the difference in the game as Atlanta held on to win 6-4. Evan Gattis is turning into a folk legend in Atlanta. When you have a moment, you should check out this story about him. It’s really neat and filled with great human interest.
This turned out to be a great game that was close and hard-fought. In addition to the long balls, we saw several doubles, sacrifice bunts, and astonishing defensive plays in the infield and outfield. We also saw a runner getting picked off trying to steal second. After the game we went back to the hotel and started packing for our next stop.
See you soon!
