Pittsburgh Pirates: Regular season results for May - MLB 2011 - Part 1
After ending the month of April 2011 on a poor note, Pittsburgh Pirates were hoping to achieve impressive results in May 2011 to restore some of the lost pride. With only twelve wins in twenty seven games, things were not looking very bright for Clint Hurdle
and his men. The team manager aimed to improve their game play significantly to give their fans something to cheer about.
Showing great hitting abilities, the hitters did a fantastic job in the third and final game of a three match series with Colorado Rockies. Making the most of the opportunities, Clint Hurdle’s side secured their first series win of the month in emphatic
fashion. Xavier Paul had two hits in his first start and former Rockies reliever, Joe Beimel pitched out of the jam to lift the Pirates to a sensational series win. “My mindset going into the game was just have fun,” Paul said. “To come up with a big hit,
it feels great.”
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle added, “He was on base three times, stole a base, handled his chances in left field, so it was a good first start for him.”
The Pirates made a phenomenal start to their next three match series with San Diego Padres. Emerging victorious 4-3 in a nail biting encounter in the opening game, they handled the pressure absolutely brilliantly. Garrett Jones and Chris Snyder each blasted
a two run home run in the first innings and the Pirates managed to clinch a narrow win over their arch rivals.
“We hit two out and we didn't see a whole lot of grass,” Hurdle said, referring to the Pirates winning with just six hits. “I think we shot more balls into the dugout than we did out in the field for hits. We played a complete game. We had two hits after
the first inning and our pitching held up.”
San Diego Padres showed amazing determination and fighting spirit in the following game to clinch a thriller. The Pirates, on the other hand, made too many unforced errors during the contest to let their opponents establish control.
With the series tied at 1-1, the Pirates came up with an incredible performance in third and final game to earn their second series win of the month. Kevin Correia led the hitters pack as he hit a towering grand slam in six run third innings and the Pirates
battled back to secure a memorable victory.
With five road series win since the start of the season, the Pirates were looking in great shape. They had eleven road wins as compared to last year, while they did not get their 11th one until the end of June.
Continued in part 2
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