A War of Position
The Pirates executed their offensive plan perfectly again Saturday night. Although they failed to take command of the game early, the slow accretion of offensive pressure eventually forced the Reds into a weakened position. The Pirates were then able to break through, pull away and win their sixth game in a row.
By the end of the fourth, Reds' starter, Alfredo Simon, had thrown 91 pitches and walked four. The Pirates placed runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings, and eight of the first 20 hitters had worked full counts.