Vogelsong’s eight strikeouts help the Giants overpower the Pirates, 5-2: MLB Update
The San Francisco Giants’ starter, Ryan Vogelsong, had a remarkable day with the ball, as the starter took out eight batters in the Club’s 5-2 series, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the PNC Park on Thursday April 28.
The Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy was pleased of Vogelsong, who made his first big league start in almost seven years. Bochy said, "He came into spring training and he opened eyes up right away. The way he was throwing the ball, he could have easily made our
club. We just did not have a spot for him,”
Bochy further added. "He did a great job. I'm happy for him, proud for him, to get a win in his first start."
Vogelsong joined by a minor league deal this past off-season and had a chance in Triple-A on April 17, when Barry Zito went to the disabled-list due to injury. Before making this start, Vogelsong had made two relief appearances. The Japanese native hurler
pitched five and 2/3 innings and made eight strikeouts while allowed just two runs on four hits for his first win of the season.
Vogelsong took seven years to make his name as a starter and it was a sense of accomplishment for him as he said in post-game conversation.
Ryan said, "It was a sense of accomplishment for me before the first pitch had even started. I was fighting it a little bit not to find myself getting too relaxed, you know?" The 33-year-old further added talking about his achievement. "Thousands of times.
I wondered if I was ever going to pitch in the big leagues again, let alone get a chance to be a starter again and win a game."
The Giants’ relievers, Jeremy Affeldt, Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez, provided Ryan a dream back-up and did not give even a single hit in their short spells. The closer, Brian Wilson, pitched perfect one inning for his seventh save of the season.
On the other hand, Aaron Rowand playing as centre-fielder for the Giants, touched RBI double to start the four-run third inning. Pablo Sandoval drove in a single and Rowand added another RBI to take the lead to 4-1 in third. In the sixth inning, the Pirates’
Ryan Doumit hit a single trimming the lead by one, but Rowand chipped again in the top of the seventh inning and widened the lead to 5-2 that remained there until the end.
The Pirates’ starter Jeff Karstens lost his first game in an outing extended to six and 2/3 innings. He gave five runs on seven hits and walked one batter. The closer, Daniel McCutchen, allowed three scoreless hits over two and 1/3 innings.
The Pirates will take on the Colorado Rockies in the first outing of the three game series on Friday April 29.
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