PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – This time it was the Giants who scored in the ninth inning to tie the game and then scored four runs in the tenth to win 9-5.
Bucs were down to a final out before the Giants tied it and kept adding in the 10th. Colin Holderman appeared ready for his first save of the season after battling to allow just one run in an inherited bases loaded situation and no out situation.
After getting the first two outs of the ninth, Luis Matos ripped a single to left off Holderman, Reynolds bobbled the ball allowing Matos to get to second. That would be critical as Lamont Wade, Junior would follow that up with a liner to right and Matos scored to tie the game with an unearned run. Carmen Mlodzinski got a strikeout to end the top of the ninth.
Mlodzinski then struggled in the 10th with a runner stationed on second, he allowed four straight baserunners, got a strikeout, then a sacrifice fly, another RBI single and a walk before he was replaced by Kyle Nicholas, who got a fly out.
“You know it always sucks,” Holderman said. “The first and last out are always hardest. At least I died by my best pitch and can’t look back and wish I could have thrown something else.”
“We had some late-inning magic yesterday and they did today.”
Shelton said you feel good being up 5-0 with Jared Jones on the mound, but admitted they were a little short in the bullpen and had to pitch Holderman a second inning.
Nuff runs
Typically this season if the Pirates can just get one offensive spurt in a game they usually win. They did, a Bryan Reynolds grand slam that gave the Bucs a 5-0 lead.
It was a fourth inning in a scoreless game when the Pirates took advantage of a hit sandwiched around a couple of walks off San Francisco starter Blake Snell to load the bases with one out. Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch in a 2-2 count to drive in the first run of the game and then Reynolds, after fouling off a couple, sent a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall for his second career grand slam. It’s the third, four-run home run of the season.
Jones blames self
Giants were able to get at starter Jared Jones for three runs on a RBI single and a two-run homer as the rookie, right-hander finished with three runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts in six innings with 57 strikes on 93 pitches.
“I feel like I made one bad pitch and it got it for two runs,” Jones said. “Obviously didn’t have the command I’ve had before, just being able to execute pitches in tight spots where I need them got me through six today.”
“Still when he's not at his sharpest, he was able to execute the fastball and get the ball on the ground and get himself out of three innings,” Shelton said. “You don't see him--I mean, he went 0-2 to 4-2, which you very rarely see. I don't think we've seen that this year. So, that was the sharpness. But, he was still able to execute pitches and get himself out.”
“And I mean, he came out of the game and gave us a chance to win. Really, that's all we're asking for our starters to do."
Not that Jones was going to accept that.
“If I don’t give up that home run to Chapman and throw a better pitch, we probably walk away with a win,” Jones said.
Hunter Stratton would pitch a perfect seventh inning before Aroldis Chapman struggled again.
The veteran left-hander had thrown a pair of scoreless innings previously before coming in and walking the bases loaded with two strikes on 14 pitches.
“I mean, just, didn't command the ball, very simply,” Shelton said. “I mean, he threw the first two strikes to LaMonte and then after that just lost control of the zone."
“I mean, we were one pitch away twice,” Shelton said. “We had the ball in the gap and then the ball that Wade hit. So, it was a game that we should have won. We were right there and we just didn't finish it."
Notes
· Reynolds HR was the Pirates only hit with runners in scoring position
· Pirates pitchers walked 8
· Pirates batters struck out 15 times
· Last time the Pirates scored 5 runs and lost was April 25 in a 7-5 defeat by Milwaukee
Bonds away
Pirates announced 3 going into their Hall of Fame in August-manager Jim Leyland, two-time World Series champ Manny Sanguillen and two-time MVP Barry Bonds. It’s the latter that Derek Shelton was asked about pregame.
“This guy was one of the best players in the history of the game. The things that he was able to do even as a Pirate, take away the second part of his career when he went to San Francisco.”
“Just how explosive he was. That he could run, that he could hit, that he could defend. There was nothing he couldn’t do.”
Shelton has never met Bonds and said he’s excited about Bonds along with great respect for Sanguillen and someone who has become a mentor for him, Leyland.
Up Next
Another Paul Skenes afternoon on 100.1 FM and AM 1020, KDKA as Skenes makes his third MLB start against to be announced for San Francisco. North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 11:35 with first pitch at 12:35 on NewsRadio KDKA.