Tag: Another heartbreaker

Final Score: Pirates 1 Padres 2

Why The Pirates Lost: It was an offensive failure this time. The Pirates did get 7 hits and 3 walks but could only muster one run. They were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. They had only one inning where they were retired in order. All of this offensive incompetence wasted a fine pitching performance by Jake (If I Didn’t Have Bad Luck I Wouldn’t Have Any Luck At All) Woodford. He gave up 3 hits, did not walk anybody in 6+ innings of work while throwing only 74 pitches. The run he was charged with scored while he was sitting in the dugout. The Padres added a run in the bottom of the 8th thanks to the combined efforts of Jalen (I Don’t Know Why They Are Using Me So Much) Beeks and Dennis (I Told You Not To Put Me In Close Games) Santana. They needed that run, since the Pirates finally scored in the top of the 9th. The game ended on a great diving catch by Padre rookie sensation Jackson Merrill to send the Pirates to their 8th straight loss.

The Key Moment Of The Game: The Pirates best chance to score came in the tip of the 6th inning. With one out Oneil Cruz singled to right field. He stole second and later went to 3rd on a wild pitch with Joey Bart at the plate. Bart walked to put runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Up steps Rawhide Rowdy (If They Sign Me Again Next Year Then They’re Dumber Than I Think They Are) Tellez. He gets ahead of the count 2-1. Maybe he did not know what the count was because he swung at a pitch that you could have excused if the count was 1-2. The pitch was low and inside and he weakly popped it up to the first basemen for the second out. Isiah (No Relation To Ralph) Kiner-Falefa grounded out to end the inning. The Pirates had other chances. Oneil Cruz led off the 8th with a double but the Pirates could do nothing with that either. It was an artistic loss if you like Greek tragedies.

Next Game: Tonight, Padres in San Diego. Luis Ortiz goes tonight for the Pirates, and he has not looked good. In his last 16 and 1/3 innings of work, he has given up 13 runs on 15 hits walking 7. What is amazing the Pirates have been able to come back and tie or take the lead in every one of those games, so he has not been charged with any losses. If Paul Skenes had gotten that kind of support, he would be 10-0. Will it end tonight? Who knows? Only The Shadow knows.

Final Score: Pirates 5 Diamondbacks 6

Why The Pirates Lost: The Pirates lost 2 out of 3 to the Diamondbacks and the bullpen was responsible for all 3 results. Paul Skenes finally proved he was human, but it was not that bad of an outing. He was charged with 2 runs on 5 hits over 5 and 1/3 innings but needed 100 pitches to do it. The Pirate offense put up 17 runs in the series. The two games where they put up 8 and 5 runs, they lost. Colin Holderman continues to have his struggles, but it would be more correct to say that he just can’t get out of the messes he makes, unscathed anymore. He has appeared in 43 games and has had only 9 innings where he has set the team down 3 up and 3 down. This has been a pattern of his ever since he joined the Pirates. Most of time he has been able to get out of the inning with no runs scoring. In the last 3 games this has not been the case. Yesterday he came into the game with a 4-2 lead in the top of the 7th. He walked the 1st and 3rd batters he faced on 9 pitches. I will say this, the first two pitches of the Corbin Carroll at bat looked like strikes. On a 1-2 pitch, Joc Pederson took a 100 MPH fast ball that was belt high out over the plate and belted it 107 MPH and 410 feet to give the Diamondbacks the lead they never relinquished. The Pirate bullpen has been mediocre all year ranking anywhere from 22nd to 28th in baseball. The Pirates did nothing to bolster it at the trade deadline. It certainly looks like this is what is going to keep them from making the playoffs, not the offense.

The Key Moment Of The Game: The Diamondbacks added a run in the top of the 9th on a Ketel Marte homer to take a 6-4 lead. The Pirates tried to make a comeback scoring a run and having 1st and 3rd with one out when Oneil Cruz came to bat. The Diamondbacks brought in A. J. Puk the left hander to face Cruz. Many people might say that Cruz had a good 11 pitch at bat. In my view, it was a batter refusing to take a walk for the good of the team. Pitch 6, 9, and 10 were all well inside but Cruz swung, fouling them off. I know you have to protect the plate, but if it is that far inside you have to take it to load the bases. Instead, he struck out and Bryan De La Cruz made the last out on a little blooper that Corbin Carrol was ablet to track down.

Next Game: Tonight, Padres in Pittsburgh. Unless the Pirates can sweep the Padres then this season is over. After the Padres series, the Pirates go on the west coast to face them again and the Dodgers. It does not seem feasible that this team could win 7 out of 9 which is what they need to do to get back in the hunt. Every time it looks like this team is going to fade away, they do seem to manage to come back. Time will tell if they can do it one more time.