Halfway between the mound and the foul line, Nick Kingham gave his glove a half-hearted smack. Surely he was frustrated because he didn’t finish off Friday’s seventh inning, but he also had to know how well he had pitched.
The 21,431 in fans at PNC Park cheered and clapped. Those near the home dugout stood. Kingham smacked his glove again, then raised his right hand waist-high in acknowledgement.
Friday’s 7-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers boded well for the Pirates in two ways. It gave them a 4-1 record during their stretch of eight games in seven days against teams above them in the division and wild-card standings, the stretch identified by general manager Neal Huntington as an important factor in the teams’ decision of whether or not to sell.