PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - After what transpired Friday night with the bases loaded and nobody out and the Pirates couldn't score the tying run down one, Saturday night found a way to top that ending.
Brandon Lowe ripped a lead off double and then moved to third on a Bryan Reynolds infield single. The Bucs had runners on first and third with nobody out in the top of the 9th inning down 2-1. Ryan O'Hearn struck out for out number one. Jaden Hill entered the game for the Rockies and he hit Nick Gonzales to load the bases for Tyler Callihan. Callihan struck out for the second out. That set the stage for Jake Mangum.
Mangum hit a grounder to third base and the third baseman Kyle Karros fielded the ball and did not throw it to any base, the tying runner scored. Karros looked at the umpires and signaled to the dugout that they needed to challenge for runner interference. The umpires got together and ruled that there was interference and the game ended on that call. A slowed down replay of the play seems to show Billy Cook's cleat make contact with Karros' glove which would be interference.
"They said Billy kicked his glove, which he did. I just don't know why they didn't call that immediately, that had to get together to call that," said Don Kelly. "It's a tough loss, two in a row, to have guys in scoring position late in the game, battled back, Paul pitched his butt off to put us in position."
"Two outs, I'm going on contact. I know I can't get hit by the ball so I beat the ball, no contact with the third baseman and I'm just running and then I guess he clipped my cleat just barely because I was past him," said Cook after the game. "You look back and you're like well I could have stopped and if I get into a rundown and get tagged out the run scores but I beat the ball and that's what I'm trying to do and not make contact with the fielder. If that happens then we have bases loaded with two outs because Jake beats that out everytime. Can't stop and get tagged out before the run scores so I just sprinted through. It's just unforunate how it happened.
Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano retired 12 Pirates in a row. He was pulled after the sixth inning. He gave up just 1 run on 4 hits and struck out 5. The lone run was on a solo shot from Spencer Horwitz.
"I didn't think we were very good against Sugano, the at bats early on, chasing the pitches down," said Kelly.
Paul Skenes also pitched 6 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 8. He threw 104 pitches. Jake McCarthy hit an inside the park home run in the first inning after Mangum dove for the ball and it rolled all the way to the wall. T.J. Rumfield hit and RBI single in the 3rd inning that gave the Rockies the lead.
"I thought he pitched well, I don't know if he had his best stuff tonight. The way he competes is unbelievable and he found a way to get through 6 innings and gave us a chance to win," said Kelly.
The Pirates have lost in 7 straight Paul Skenes starts.
"It's really hard anytime pitchers give you a chance to win, I think we've talked about it, in those 7 losses it hasn't been consistent. Tonight and a couple of them we haven't hit. We have got to do better, we have to find a way especially with an opportunity in the 9th inning to score. We have to get it done," said Kelly.
They are back under .500 (38-39). They'll look to salvage one game in the series with the Rockies Sunday when Jared Jones (1-1, 6.23) faces Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.13) at 3:10.
The Pirates had the tying runner on third with nobody out in the 9th inning and did not score for the second game in a row.
The Pirates had the tying runner on third with nobody out in the 9th inning and did not score for the second game in a row.
