Jason Grilli, the long-haired, wild-eyed former Pirates closer, struck out pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco with a full-count breaking ball and pumped his fists to celebrate his first save at PNC Park in over a year, as the Atlanta Braves avoided a Pirates sweep with a 2-1 win Sunday.
The ninth, as per usual with Grilli on the mound, wasn’t without fireworks. Jordy Mercer’s last-chance, two-out blast reached the warning track in left-center, where two outfielders collided, allowing Francisco Cervelli to score.
Center fielder Cameron Maybin recovered in time to hold Mercer at second, but left fielder Eury Perez stayed down in the dirt for a few minutes, then left the game.