PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates scored seven consecutive runs after trailing early, but the Dodgers scored the last six including a three-run homer by Chris Taylor in the eighth for an 8-7 LA win.
Five of the runners who scored for Los Angeles did not get a hit to reach base.
“We gave up too many baserunners,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “I mean, you know, we didn’t play clean and when you have a team, I mean, we had a 7-2 lead and did not play clean. When you do not play clean and you give a world championship caliber team extra opportunities, they capitalized on them.
And they just continued to chip away and we had opportunities at the end of the game and we didn’t capitalize on it.”
Former Cardinals All-Star starter, a briefly a Pirate, Shelby Miller got his first MLB save against the team he has the most career wins against (12).
Sweet catch
So much of Tuesday was about the contract extension for Bryan Reynolds.
Still out due to a death in the family, Jack Suwinski started for Reynolds in left field and made a spectacular catch robbing Mookie Betts of a three-run homer.
It was two-outs in the sixth inning, two runs already in when the All-Star hit a deep fly off Robert Stephenson. Looked like LA would take the lead, until Suwinski backed against the wall, timed his jump over the left field wall taking three runs away from Los Angeles.
“Nothing crazy about it,” Suwinski said. “I felt the dirt under me. You know how close you are and where you think the ball is going to end up, you getting to that position. I know as I’m running out of room, I have to either jump or it’s getting to that point. With enough time and space, knowing that I’m able to get there.”
“You always [think], ‘Did I really catch that?’ It all happens pretty fast, kind of fast and slow at the same time because you have taken a lot of reps doing things like that. It’s a pretty cool feeling.”
Bae speed
Ji Hwan Bae hit a ground ball behind first base in the fourth inning that only a few would have beat it out. After his infield hit, Bae stole second base and then scored on a single to right by Austin Hedges. The rookie is third in the National League with seven steals.
Oviedo Outing
25-year-old starter Johan Oviedo gave up five runs in 5.1 innings. Two of the runs came on a two-out bloop single and another was unearned.
“They took advantage of a couple of things going on in the field,” Oviedo said. “A lot of soft contact, finding holes, bloopers.”
Oviedo said he struggled with his slider and was just trying to give the team a chance to win. The righty struck out four and walked a pair giving up six hits.
“Did not think the command of his fastball was where we’ve seen it and he still went, what 5.1?” Shelton said. “And still gave us a chance to win the game, so, you know, that’s a really positive sign because that’s probably the first time this year he has not pitched with his good stuff. And he still gave us a chance to win the game.”
Minors Notes
· 20-year-old left-handed starter Anthony Solometo went five innings, two hits, two runs, three walks and four strikeouts. It’s the longest outing of his High A, Greensboro career. The 2021 second-round pick was 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 13 games with Bradenton last year.
· RHP Kyle Nicolas gave up seven runs for AA Altoona, none earned in 11-5 Curve loss to Reading
· RHP Chase DeJong pitched a scoreless inning with a walk as he begins AAA rehab as Indy beat Columbus 10-4. OF Cal Mitchell had his best game of the year, 5-for-5 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs.
· 20-year-old, left-hand hitting outfielder Enmanuel Terrero hit a three-run homer in the ninth to give Low A Bradenton a first lead. Terrero is batting .364 with 14 RBI in 15 games. Marauders pitchers walked eight, struck out 10 as Bradenton won 3-1 over Dunedin.
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23-year-old right-hander Roansy Contreras will make his fifth start of the season after allowing one run in 6.2 innings in his last start.
Contreras is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA with 25 strikeouts to eight walks. The Dodgers have not yet announced their starting pitcher with first pitch at 6:35p and the North Shore Tavern Lead-off Show begins at 5:35p on 93.7 The Fan.