Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 2 PADRES 4, IN 10 INNINGS

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: ANOTHER CASE OF THE PIRATE BATS FALLING ASLEEP AS THEY COULD ONLY MUSTER 5 HITS AND ONLY ONE OF THOSE WERE FOR EXTRA BASES, WITH THAT BEING A GIFT FROM THE OFFICIAL SCORER. THEY MANAGED TO TIE THE GAME IN THE TOP OF THE 8TH BY STRINGING TOGETHER 3 OF THOSE HITS, INCLUDING KE’BRYAN HAYES’S FAKE DOUBLE. THE PIRATES COULD NOT GET MUCH ELSE GOING THE REST OF THE GAME EVEN WITH A RUNNER ON SECOND AND NOBODY OUT. CONTRERAS HAD A DECENT OUTING BUT DID NOT HAVE HIS USUAL COMAND, THROWING 76 PITCHES IN 5 INNINGS OF WORK. ALL IN ALL, A TOUGH LOSS, TO LOSE THE SERIES.

THE KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: THE 2 RUN BLAST BY TRENT GRISHAM ON THE 3RD PITCH OF THE BOTTOM OF THE TENTH, ENDED THE GAME QUICKLY AND GAVE THE PADRES A SERIES WIN. THE PIRATES GOT A ROUGH BREAK IN THE TOP OF THE 10TH WHEN THE WILD PITCH BOUNCE RIGHT BACK TO THE CATCHER AND HOY PARK WAS TAGGED OUT AT THE PLATE TO END THE INNING.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, DODGERS IN LOS ANGELES. CAN THE PIRATES WIN ONE GAME IN LA AND SPLIT THE SEASON SERIES WITH THE DODGERS? WITH JOSH VAN METER BATTING CLEAN UP, IT IS A CINCH. SPEAKING OF VAN METER, HE IS HITTING .211 WHICH PUTS HIM ONLY 2 POINTS BEHIND BRYAN REYNOLDS. VAN METER MAY BE THE NEXT PIRATE TO SIGN A LONG-TERM DEAL. I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE PRESS CONFERENCE.