PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - After going 1-3 against the Milwaukee Brewers in that 4-game series over the weekend at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates were looking to have a much better series beginning Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves.
Ronald Acuna Jr. led off the game for the Braves with a walk and came around to score on a throwiing error, the first of three for the Pirates tonight, by Elias Diaz who tried to throw him out at third after they struck out Josh Donaldson for the second out of the inning.
The Pirates responded with 4 runs in the bottom of the first inning on a 2-run home run by Melky Cabrera and a 2-RBI double by Cole Tucker to take a 4-1 lead into the 2nd. The Braves got a run back in the 2nd inning, but the Pirates extended the lead back to three win Cabrera singled home Starling Marte after he doubled with two outs in the bottom of the second.
The score would remain 5-2 until the 6th inning where the Pirates second error of the game, Kevin Newman mishandled a ground ball hit by Austin Riley, would lead to the Braves plating their third run when Matt Joyce singled home Riley to cut into the deficit.
The Pirates still were holding on to the 5-3 lead heading into the 7th and brought on Kyle Crick who struck out Freddie Freeman to lead off the inning and after a walk to Donaldson he got Nick Markakis to hit a flyball to left, but it was dropped by Bryan Reynolds and the next batter Austin Riley, the NL Rookie of the Month for May, hit a 3-run home run to give the Braves the 6-5 lead and they would never give the lead back to the Pirates on this night.
"77 consecutive errorless innings, so yeah it has been characteristic because I think we've played 8 straight games without an error," said Manager Clint Hurdle. "Not tonight."
Crick has been a lockdown pitcher for the Pirates for the most part this season, but the Braves were able to get to him tonight when Riley took him deep in the 7th inning on a pitch that he thought he executed well, but Riley was able to put a better swing on it.
The Pirates will send Joe Musgrove to the mound for Game Two of the series Wednesday night at 7:05 pm against Kevin Gausman and the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park
Listen to Pirates Startiing Pitcher Steven Brault's postgame comments below:





