Final Score: Pirates 5 Brewers 6
Why The Pirates Lost: Tommy Pham is a gifted player. He is one of the few players in the major leagues that can go 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI but be the main reason you lost a game. Ryan Borucki did groove a sweeper right down the middle in the top of the 8th on an 0-2 count. Chase Shugart did the same thing the game before. He got away with it as the batter flied out to rather deep left field. Borucki would have gotten away with it too if Pham knew how to judge a fly ball. This was a fly ball that hit about 12 inches before the wall in left field. Any competent left fielder would have caught the ball. Then we come to the bottom of the 8th. Pham led off with a single. He immediately gets balked to second base. Jared Triolo and his .136 batting average are at the plate. The situation was screaming for a pinch hitter. Triolo was allowed to bat. He could not catch up with any fastball, with two being right down the middle. He was an easy strike out. Oneil Cruz was intentionally walked. Pham, who was thinking I probably should have caught that ball, was picked off 2nd base for the 2nd out. This all ruined a nice comeback by the Pirates. The Brewers scored 3 runs in the first, but the Pirates pecked away. Oneil Cruz hit the hardest home run of the season at 122.9 MPH in the third. The Pirates added 2 runs in the 6th and 7th to take a 5-3 lead. Then came the disastrous 8th.
Key Moments Of The Game: Bailey Falter had another shaky first inning. This time, he could not get out of it unscathed. A bad throw by Oneil Cruz allowed the 3rd run to score. The Pirates loaded the bases in the bottom of the 2nd but could not score. Triolo was the big out as his blooper was caught by Jackson Chourio, making a nice running catch. The Pirates scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th and had a runner on 1st with 1 out. Jared Triolo then bunted. Do the Pirates understand anything about baseball? He should have done that later in the game. We had a runner on second with no one out in the bottom of the 8th. Of course, Tommy Pham would have been picked off third instead of second. The Pirates out-hit the Brewers 12 to 7. The Pirates had 4 walks to the Brewers’ 5. This game was pretty much gift-wrapped for the Brewers. Everybody deserved better. However, when you play Tommy Pham and don’t pinch-hit for Jared Triolo in a key situation, you get what you deserve. It was a great opportunity lost.
Next Game: Tonight Diamondbacks in Phoenix. They do not have an off day today but must travel and play in Arizona. At least 4 of the players should be well rested since they did not do anything yesterday. I never thought I would say this, but it’s time for the Pirates to split the catching duties between Bart and Davis. Bart has been looking so bad at the plate for the last 2 weeks that a little in-season competition needs to take place. Davis needs one final shot to avoid being a huge bust as an overall no. 1 draft pick. There is nothing to lose at this point. Cherington today said that the Pirates still feel they can make a drive for the playoffs. What should happen is Pham and Triolo should be made to drive to Arizona. I do not think it is a big deal if they arrive by Wednesday.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 