Some familiar trends continued Tuesday night at PNC Park.
Once again a Pirates starting pitcher allowed runs in the first inning. Once again Bucs starter Mitch Keller stumbled early and failed to make it through five innings. Once again, for a fourth time in four games this year, the Pirates lost to Milwaukee, this time by a 12-8 final.
And, while Pittsburgh’s ongoing issues with illnesses kept going, the severity and impact of those possible infections increased.
Let’s begin with Keller.
Hoping to build off a solid outing six days ago in Milwaukee in which he allowed one earned run and struck out seven batters, Keller failed to replicate that success Tuesday.
He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowed four earned runs, including a first inning bomb over the centerfield fence by Brewers shortstop Willy Adames.
“I thought tonight they were just coming out swinging,” Keller said. “I used a lot of fastballs last outing against them. This time, they were swinging earlier.”
Adames also pounded a two-run double and a three-run bomb later, part of a career-best seven RBI game.
“They’re a great lineup,” Keller saiid. “Hats off to (Adames). He was seeing ti well and hitting the ball well tonight. It’s a tough lineup.”
The Pirates entered the game having, on average, thrown the most pitches in the first inning of any team in baseball. That number didn’t go down Tuesday with Keller’s 31-pitch opening frame.
“I don’t think it’s preparation,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of the long first innings. “I think we’re doing a good job preparing. We have to figure it out. I can’t tell you an exact answer.
“I think the big thing is we can’t walk guys early. We walked the leadoff hitter, then we get a two-run homer. I think it’s more about putting the ball on the plate. Our starters have not done that early in games, and that’s led to runs.”
The Pirates are now tied for last in Major League Baseball with a 9.53 ERA in the first inning of games.
COVID is back
Pirates manager Derek Shelton has had quite the unconventional start to his managerial career, having to first navigate a shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19.
That was followed by a year with fan capacity limits and strict guidelines for players when it came to testing and fraternizing outside of baseball.
Unfortunately, it seems COVID isn’t quite done with the Pirates.
The team placed two players, outfielder Bryan Reynolds and infielder/outfielder Cole Tucker, on the COVID injury list Tuesday.
Pittsburgh has, for the last week or so, Beene dealing with an outbreak of illness running through the clubhouse. This, however, is the first case of Pirates players needing to be placed on the COVID list.
“I operate with concern every day because the only thing I know as a manager is COVID,” Shelton admitted. “Any time somebody gets sick or something happens, that’s kind of the way we react to it.
“We just have to make sure we follow all the protocols. First and foremost is player health and player safety. I wake up every day thinking about it unfortunately.”
In addition to Reynolds and Tucker, Pirates reliever Anthony Banda was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a non-COVD viral illness, retroactive to April 23.
Welcome to the show
Mostly because of the COVID and illness issues, a quartet of Pirates made debuts Tuesday.
Lefty reliever Sam Howard made his season debut after dealing with a back injury from Spring Training. He faced one batter late in the game.
Righty pitcher Beau Sulser got an extended relief appearance, pitching 2 2/3 innings and allowing two unearned runs.
“Beau came in, picked up 2 2/3 and really threw the ball well,” Shelton said. “For the first time in eight days pitching, I thought he was pretty effective.”
Two others, Jack Suwinski and Tucupita Marcano, were in Akron with AA Altoona and got a call Tuesday afternoon to get to Pittsburgh as quickly as possible.
Suwinski, who drove the pair in a rental car from Akron, started in right field, and picked up his first career hit in the big leagues.
“We just jumped right into it,” said Suwinski, who has been Altoona’s top hitter early in the season. “But I figure there’s no other way.”
“Jack’s at-bats are good,” said Shelton, who explained that there was not enough time to get players to Pittsburgh from AAA Indianapolis. “They’ve been good since the first time we saw him in spring training. He controls at-bats. He does a lot of things well.
“To be able to get his first hit and get that out of the way, overall, it’s exciting when you are able to have guys make their major league debuts and then actually perform. It’s a good thing. Now we just continue to move forward with him.”
Marcano doubled in his first plate appearance with the Pirates. He also threw a runner out at home plate to end the eighth inning.
Milestone for an old friend
Late in the game, Brewers designated hitter and former Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen pitched up his 200th career stolen base.
McCutchen was 1-for-4 with a walk in his first game in Pittsburgh this season.
171 of his 200 stolen bases came as a member of the Pirates from 2009 to 2017.