Pirates Morning Report: Cooking The Guardians

Final Score: Pirates 7 Guardians 1

Why The Pirates Won: Yesterday I wrote that if the Pirates have a chance to win today’s game, Paul Skenes would have to go 8 innings. He went 7 innings. What I did not know would happen is that Billy Cook would have the best game of his career. He went 3 for 4, with two singles and a triple. He scored 2 runs and drove in 2 runs. He stole a base and threw a runner out at the plate in the bottom of the 4th, thanks in part to the Guardians’ apparent aversion to sliding into home. This was the second time in as many games. The Guardians made many other baserunning blunders that made Paul Skenes’ outing better than it really was. The word “gem” was thrown out there again by the Pirates’ website. This outing was far from a gem. The Indians could only muster 1 run on 7 hits and two walks. Besides the horrible baserunning of the Guardians, Skenes was aided by some great defense by the Pirates. This is to take nothing away from Skenes’ performance. It was a solid outing, but it was not any kind of gem. This is one of the worst hitting teams in baseball, and they knocked Skenes around pretty good. Even though this game ended up being a blowout, by definition, it could have turned in a heartbeat in those first 6 innings.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates led 1-0 going into the bottom of the 3rd. The Guardians got two singles wrapped around a strikeout to put runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Steven Kwan laid down a perfect bunt to drive in the run, and when Henry Davis let the shovel throw home get by him, the runner on first went to third. Travis Bazzana worked the count to 3-2. He struck out, and Kwan was thrown out at 2nd trying to steal to end the inning. The score was tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the 4th. Skenes gave up a walk and single to start the inning, putting runners again on 1st and 3rd with no outs this time. Kyle Manzardo lifted a fly to center field that was not deep at all. The Guardians elected to send the runner. Billy Cook made a good throw, but if the runner had slid home, I think he would have been safe. It was a moot point because he went in standing up, and Davis tagged him out for the big double play. Wow! Skenes struck out the next batter to end the inning. The Pirates were able to score in the top of the 5th, thanks to a Billy Cook leadoff triple. He came home when the catcher tried to pick him off 3rd and threw the ball into left field. Skenes walked Gabriel Arias to start the bottom of the 5th. He moved to second base after 2 outs. Henry Davis tried to pick him off 2nd, and the ball went out to centerfield. Arias, however, in his haste to get back to second, overran the base and never touched it again on his way to third. Skenes threw to second before the next pitch, and he was out to end the inning. Here we thought the Pirates were the only ones to make bonehead plays like that. In the top of the 6th, the Pirates added 3 runs, with Billy Cook driving in one and scoring one. In the bottom of the 6th, Steven Kwan tried to stretch a little blooper to left into a double and was thrown out, thanks to instant replay. One out later, Chase DeLauter laced a double to left field. Skenes struck out the next batter. Kahlil Watson got a one-out double in the 7th and proceeded to get picked off by Skenes. Does this sound like a gem to you? This game could have been a lot closer, but the Guardians made sure they were never in this one after the top of the 6th.

Next Game: Tonight, Yankees in New York. The Pirates open a 3 game series against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. The Pirates should have won all 3 games in Cleveland. They will now have to beat the Yankees 2 out 3 if they are going to have a winning record on this road trip. The Yankees are 10th in league in runs scored and 6th in OPS. They are 4th in run prevention and 3rd in FIP. The Yankees are without some of their big players. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, left hand pitchers, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon are all on the IL. The Yankees have played 2 games under .500 since June 1st. The Pirates at the bare minimum have to win one game in New York. They need to win 2 out of 3. Will they ever get bullpen help?