Final Score: Pirates 0 Brewers 5
Why The Pirates Lost: If you do not score any runs you will not win, as the Pirates were shutout for the 7th time this season. They only had 4 at bats with runners in scoring position and 2 of those were in the first inning. They went 0 for 3 with a walk. Five of the 9 innings they only sent 3 men to the plate. The Pirates had 6 hits and 2 of those did not leave the infield. Mitch Keller had another mediocre performance, but he could have been Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson all rolled into one and the Pirates would not have scored, even if the game went into extra innings. The only good news was Roansy Contreras pitched a nice 2 innings, retiring all 6 batters he faced, with one strikeout. The score was 4-0 Brewers when he came in, so it’s not the same as coming into a tight game. He had to know that the Pirates were not going to score, and game was over.
Key Moment Of The Game: In the top of the 7th with the Pirates trailing 4-0 they somehow managed to load the bases with 2 out, and the Pirates allowed Austin Hedges to bat. I would have rather seen a left handed batter come to the plate, rather than Hedges batting in that situation. He had already struck out and grounded into a double play. Naturally, he popped out for the 3rd out, ending any chance the Pirates had, which I admit was slim, of making a comeback.
Next Game: This Afternoon, Brewers in Milwaukee. Luis Ortiz takes the mound today. Another young Pirate pitcher that seems to be going backwards rather than progressing. The Pirates have lost 5 in a row and have fallen one game below .500 for the second time this season. The last time this happened, they reeled off 6 wins in a row. I would not mortgage the house on that happening this time. I am not too sure that this team will come back. As I wrote before, this is not the same as the May downturn. All phases of the Pirates’ game are awful. They cannot hit, pitch, or field, with no end in sight. Management does not seem inclined to make any moves to right the ship. If they don’t, it will be a long hot depressing summer if you’re a Pirate fan.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 