Final Score: Pirates 2 Blue Jays 6
Why the Pirates Lost: They played horrible defense. The bullpen could not keep the game close, namely Dennis Santana. The offense contributed by having some of the most inept hitting of the year. Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin had particularly bad games, going 0 for 8 with 5 strikeouts. The Pirates, as a group, were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Pirates’ website states that Bubba Chandler threw a gem. It was better than he usually does, but it was far from a gem. Granted, he did strike out 11 Blue Jays. He was the victim of horrible defense in the 3rd inning that led to 2 unearned runs. It took him 99 pitches to get through 5 innings, as he still walked 3 batters. With this bullpen in its current state, you need a starter to go more than 5 innings. The bullpen managed to get through the 6th and 7th shakily without giving up a run. Santana had the disastrous 8th. He gave up 3 doubles that scored 3 runs and this game was history.
Key Moments of the Game: In the bottom of the 3rd, the Blue Jays had 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Catcher’s interference and a single to center put the Blue Jays in business. The next hitter hit a ground ball down to first. Spencer Horwitz, instead of looking back at the runner and stepping on the bag to at least get one out, chose to try to get the runner at third who had come down the line. The only problem was he did not know what he was doing. Instead of going directly at the runner until he made a move, he threw the ball way too early. Not only that, but he threw the ball about 6 feet over Nick Gonzales’s head. This type of play is taught to little leaguers when they are 11 to 12 years old. Horwitz must have missed that practice. The Blue Jays scored a run and had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. One out later, a double made the score 3-1 Blue Jays. Just so that Horwitz would have no doubt about how bad of a play he made, the exact same play happened in the top of the 7th. With two singles, the Pirates had 1st and 3rd with no outs. They not only hit one ground ball but two ground balls in a row to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first. He must have been at that practice because, each time, he looked the runner back and then stepped on the bag to record outs. Let’s hope Horwitz saved those plays on his iPad. The Pirates walked away from that inning scoring no runs.
Next Game: This afternoon, Blue Jays in Toronto. Paul Skenes goes for the Pirates today. The Blue Jays counter with Patrick Corbin, the veteran left-hander. This will be an interesting lineup today. Cruz should get a rest after last night, even though he has done well against left-handers. The Pirates continue to try and ruin Oneil Cruz. He is not a leadoff hitter, and he has performed badly as a DH. For his career, he has had 93 plate appearances as a DH. He has 14 hits and 11 walks. That is a batting average of .171 and an OBP of .269. In the last two years, he is even worse, with 2 hits and 3 walks in 31 plate appearances as a DH. I am sure the Pirates will continue to lead him off and DH him periodically. The Pirates constantly put Cruz in situations where he does not excel. The Pirates should do him a service and just trade him so he can become a superstar. I can’t wait to see Henry Davis bat today either. The odds are 8-1 that he does not get a ball past the pitcher. Can the Pirates pull out a win today even with Skenes pitching with the team that is going to take the field? Highly unlikely, although I suppose Skenes could throw a complete game shutout.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 