Final Score: Pirates 6 Cubs 10
Why The Pirates Lost: A total and complete collapse of the bullpen. The Pirates have given up 21 runs in this series and 16 of them have been by the bullpen. Considering they pitched just 6 and 2/3 innings that’s an average of well over 2 runs per inning. You are not going to win any games at that rate. It is hard to say what has happened to the group unless they just wanted to join the rest of the team and go through a very bad stretch during the season. They have not been over worked. They are just league average when it comes to average number of pitches per game, per relief pitcher, at 19. The offense had a decent enough day, scoring 6 runs, with home runs by Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Santana and Austin Hedges. Austin Hedges hits a home run, and we still lose. Good God. I guess we would have needed some of the 1927 Yankees to come to the plate if we were going to have any chance. Roansy Contreras had another rough outing and I think it is time to send him to AAA to get his confidence back and figure things out. The Brewers are just as terrible right now and we are still 1 game up in 1st place. Go figure.
Key Moment Of The Game: Going into the bottom of the 6th things looked good. The Pirates had a 5-1 lead and Contreras had pitched a solid 5th inning. The Cubs open the inning with 2 singles but the next batter flies out to rather deep left field, but the 1st out is recorded. Contreras falls apart by walking the next 2 batters, including a pitch clock ball 4, and gives up a single to make the score 5-4. Yohan Ramirez comes in and gets the 2nd out on 2 pitches. He craps himself by throwing 4 straight balls that are not even close. He follows that up by giving up 2 more singles with a wild pitch thrown in, and the Cubs lead 7-5. The Pirates get a run in the top of the 7th to make it 7-6 but Colin Holderman seals the deal in the bottom of the 8th, for the Cubs. He gets rocked around for 3 runs, 4 hits and 1 walk in just 2/3 of an inning. That made the bullpen blow-up official.
Next Game: Tonight, the Cubs in Chicago. Not the start the Pirates wanted on this road trip. If the bullpen does not turn this around this will be the point of the season that the Pirates fall out of contention and just play out the season. Oviedo starts tonight to give old man Hill a little extra rest after his 119 pitch performance. Rumor has it that he had to be woke up both games to go from the locker room to the dugout. He was heard mumbling in his sleep that he really liked being a Dodger and playing for Dave Roberts. It’s hell to get old, just ask our President.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 