For seven innings, everything had gone right for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The offense was explosive. The starting pitching was decent. And when Nick Gonzales launched a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to make it 7-3, the visiting dugout at Minute Maid Park had the loose, carefree energy of a team already planning its post-game meal.
When the Pirates tacked on another run go up 8-3, their win probability sat at a comfy 97.1%. The Astros’ crowd was restless. The game felt over.
But baseball can have a cruel sense of humor. And the Pirates’ bullpen was about to become its punchline.
Seventh Not-So-HeavenThe trouble started quietly in the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Yohan Ramirez got the first out. Then Yordan Alvarez—inevitable as always—got on base with a single. No harm yet. Astros first baseman Christian Walker was the second out, and it looked like Ramirez could escape unscathed. But Isaac Paredes had other ideas. On a 2-2 pitch, he turned on a fastball and sent it 363 feet into the left-field seats. Just like that, a 8-3 lead was now 8-5. The buzz returned to Houston’s dugout.
Still, Pittsburgh led by three. Surely, they’d hold.
