Snake-bit Dbacks get swept by Bucs

8/26 - Bank One Ballpark
Veale vs Benes
Pirates 6, Dbacks 4

Matt Mantei blew a 4-1 lead by giving up 4 devastating runs in the top of the 9th to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  Manny Mota led off the inning and took one for the team in the forearm.  Pagliaroni walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd.  Matty Alou made the safe play and bunted both runners up 90 feet into scoring position.  Gene Alley lifted a sac fly to left to score Mota.  Pittsburgh was not in a position to exchange runs for out at this point.  With 2 out the 1966 NL MVP, Roberto Clemente, stepped to the plate mano y mano with Mantei.  With an 0-1 county Clemente sined a single up the middle to tie the game at 4-4.  Mantei was now completely rattled and was in no condition to face Willie Stargell, who deposited the first pitch that he saw 382 feet from home plate for a 2 run shot to give the Bucs a 6-4 lead.  Roy Face came on to closeout the game in the bottom of the 9th.  Face's hire wire act included back to back walks to Williams and Finley to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out.  Face found his release point and struck out Bell and Stinnett to end the game.

8/27
Sisk vs Johnson
Pirates 3, Dbacks 1
Although he was down 2-1, the Big Unit was flat out dealing having struck out 7 runs in 4 1/3 innings of work before he rubbed up a huge blister and had to leave the game.  Greg Swindell did yeoman's work giving up just 1 run in 3 innings of relief, while fanning 4.  With surprise starter Tommie Sisk cruising for 8 innings it didn't really matter what the Dback pitcher's did.  Sisk, who hadn't pitched yet this season, got the surprise call to start and made the most of it.  His day eneded after 8 innings of 5 hit / 1 run ball.  Sisk did nothing flashy, but his numbers tell the full story. Clemente, Bob Bailey and Maz all knocked in runs.  Jay Bell hit his 2nd homer of the season off of Sisk in the bottom of the 3rd for the only run the Bucs would yield today.

8/28 - Forbes Field
Daal vs Cardwell
Pirates 6, Dbacks 5 (15 inn)

Both teams exchanged solo runs in the 5th to knot the game up at 4-4, which is how it stayed through regulation.  Extra innings didn't solve much as both teams again exchanged solo runs, this time in the 11th, to keep the contest going.  Armondo Reynoso started the 11th for Arizona.  Matty Alou tried to bunt his way on, but instead popped out to Stinnett behind the plate.  Mota grounded a single into the hole between 1st and second as did Gene Alley, to put runners on the corners with 1 out.  Reynoso ran the count to 3-1 on the great Roberto Clemente, who had been mired in a huge slump to start the season.  Popular thought would have had him just throw a 4th pitch wide and not let the Latin star beat him.  Instead Reynoso went right at him and Clemente lined a single to left with Mota trotting home with the winning run.