PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – To simplify this game, when the Rockies had a chance to break a tie, they did it, even if barely. When the Pirates had one, they didn’t, aided by a great play by Colorado centerfielder Brendon Doyle and catcher Austin Wynns. Rockies win the series with a 4-3 victory Wednesday afternoon.
Andrew McCutchen’s two-run homer gave the Bucs a 3-0 lead through three innings. The Rockies would tie it with three in the fourth inning. Finally after nine games of two-runs or less, the Pirates seemed ready for a bust-out inning in the sixth. Bryan Reynolds walked, followed by a McCutchen single and a Carlos Santana walk. However, Connor Joe struck out looking and what looked like a sacrifice fly instead turned into a double play. Doyle caught a medium-deep Rodolfo Castro fly ball and made a perfect throw home to nail Reynolds. The Bucs could challenge two calls-blocking of the plate and the tag being in time, neither were reversed.
“We have to execute in that situation to at least get one run across,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. As for sending Reynolds on that play in the sixth?
“He made a really good throw and Wynns made a nice job on the tag that got him up the line,” Shelton said. “He did a good job staying in front of the base so there was no violation and then stepping back to make a catch and a tag. Bang-bang play that didn’t go our way.”
Rockies loaded up the bases in the seventh with no outs and Jurickson Profar singled home Wynns for the game-winning run.
Rich Hill
The 43-year-old lefty only gave up one earned run, but couldn’t get out of a jam in the fourth inning and was pulled after a trio of two-out runs. While two of the runs weren’t earned, it was Hill’s error that created that situation. He threw 75 pitches, 48 strikes actually lowering his ERA to 4.35 through eight starts.
“I missed it,” Hill said of the comebacker that he made the error on. “It was a terrible play. I picked my head up. It shouldn’t happen there and it cost us the game. Once again it falls on me. I have to sit on this for the next five days, get ready for the next one. Frustration is definitely there with that. Very easy ground ball, should have been able to execute it and didn’t.”
It’s losses in nine of the last 10 games.
“Shower that off, think about it, learn from it,” Joe said. “Reset on this off day and go into the road trip with good energy.”
Related
1st rounder starting
His ERA at 5.96 after six starts, right-hander Quinn Priester goes for AAA Indianapolis Monday night against St. Paul. The Bucs 2019 first-round pick is coming off his best start of the season, six shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks against Toledo on May 4. Priester does have 29 strikeouts in 25.2 innings this season.
Turnaround
Pirates 2019 competitive balance draft pick Sammy Siani continues to have a huge bounce-back season at High A Greensboro. The 22-year-old, 5’10” outfielder from Philadelphia hit his third home run on Wednesday driving in three runs as Greensboro won 8-4. The left-handed hitting Siani upped his batting average to .300, which is 99 points higher than last season with the Grasshoppers.
Up Next
A Thursday off for the Pirates before beginning a three-game road trip at Baltimore starting Friday night at 7:05 on 93.7 The Fan. Johan Oviedo will start for the Bucs as the O’s have not yet announced any starters for the series. Baltimore would be leading any other American League division with 23 wins and are 10-5 at home.