Atlanta Braves Beat the Bucs as Alex Wood Stops the Rot

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Jun 28, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Alex Wood (40) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The last time Alex Wood faced the Pirates he pitched out of the stretch the whole game and fought to keep his team in it. Today, Wood was as good as he’s been all year ending the Braves five game skid as the Braves beat the Pirates 2-1.

How the Braves Beat the Bucs?

Wood started the game by getting Josh Harrison to fly out to center, but then promptly plunked Jung Ho Kang in the billfold. He corrected the ship quickly however by getting Andrew McCutchen to fly out to center and striking out Starling Marte. From that point on, Wood was in charge.

The Bucs managed only two hits over the next five innings as Wood cruised through the Pirate infested waters like a Battleship guns blazing, sinking seven Bucs with strikeouts along the way.

Jeff Locke had been in and out of trouble all day and the Braves finally snatched a run off him in the fourth when Cameron Maybin singled, went to second on a passed ball and scored on a Nick Markakis double. Deolis Guerra replaced Locke in the sixth and had a quiet inning.

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Vance Worley came on for the Bucs in the seventh and Jace Peterson greeted him with a solo homer on a 1-1 pitch count to put the Braves up 2-0.

Wood was back out for the seventh and instantly in trouble as McCutchen and Marte singled on the first two pitches of the inning. Francisco Cervelli bunted them over and the Braves got David Aardsma up in the bullpen.

He wasn’t needed however as Wood struck out the pesky Jordy Mercer and induced Sean Rodriguez to popup to Peterson to end the inning.

Next: The Bullpen Does Its Job

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