Final Score: Pirates 1 Rangers 6
Why The Pirates Lost: Again, a punchless night for the Pirates. Even when they got hits they managed to fall asleep at the wheel. Rich Hill pitched ok but could only get one out in the sixth inning and was charged with 5 runs but 2 of those scored on balks, one of which Hill did not even commit. He threw 98 pitches and struck out 9 batters but his at them ball wasn’t working. DUJ made an appearance and promptly gave up a ball that went to the fence in left and then another that did go over the fence in left in the span of 5 pitches. At least DUJ is efficient.
Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates were the epitome of ineptitude throughout the game. The 1st inning runner on 3rd, one out could not score. The 3rd inning Ji Hwan (I’m Not Too Sure I Understand All The Rules) Bae singles but then gets picked off first base. McCutchen walks, followed by a Bryan Reynolds double bringing McCutchen home but could have brought Bae home, which would have tied the score. Then in the 8th Bae is on first again but now the Pirates are trailing 6-1 and McCutchen singles to right and Bae is thrown out at second because he thought he would try for third, changed his mind and could not get back into second. The Pirates balked in 2 runs. That was enough to win the game. The score could have been 4-3 after 8 innings if the Pirates knew how to play baseball. Nathan Eovaldi pitched a complete game, but it could have been a lot tougher if the game was as close as it should have been. The Pirates fall to 25-23, struggling to stay above .500.
Next Game: This afternoon, Rangers in Pittsburgh. The Pirates hope to avoid the same pattern of the previous series where they won the first game and then lost the next 2. Johan Oviedo will start for the Pirates, and he is coming off a good outing. The Pirates right now are just making blunders and not hitting with men in scoring position or on 3rd with less than 2 outs. Will today be the day they can really change this around?
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 