PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Incredibly the Pirates scored 9 times in the 3rd inning, yet couldn’t hold the lead. With two outs in the ninth with a runner at third, Giants third baseman made a diving stop, but threw the ball away allowing Brandon Lowe to score on the Rafael Flores hit, final 13-12 Pirates. Bucs are now 68-71.
“Good things happen when you hit the ball hard,” Flores said. “Just made a terrible throw and we won the game, it was crazy.”
After leading 11-5 after the third, the Pirates road that lead until the sixth inning, when the Giants scored a pair of Yohan Ramirez. A home run by Brandon Lowe made it 12-7. Evan Sisk came in to pitch the eighth inning and after an easy out, walked the next three batters. Prized reliever acquisition Luke Weaver then gave up a pair of doubles and a single as San Francisco tied the game.
“Eventful is a good way to put it,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly. “Getting a win any way you can get it and a lot of really good things that happened in the game and some things that we need to be better and clean up.”
3rd inning
A crazy bottom of the third where the Pirates had the first nine runners on base and scored nine runs. Interestingly enough it hasn’t been that long since the Bucs had its first nine batters reach safely in an inning, it happened against Milwaukee on July 12. That day Jared Triolo had two hits in the same inning, Tuesday it was Oneil Cruz, he drove in runs with both hits, totally three RBIs in the third inning.
Lineup in 3rd
- Bryan Reynolds-single
- Nick Gonzales-single
- Oneil Cruz-single, RBI
- Esmerlyn Valdez-single
- Jacob Gonzalez-walk, RBI
- Jared Triolo-walk, RBI
- Henry Davis-single, 2 RBIs
- Spencer Horwitz-single, 2 RBIs
- After a fielders choice by Reynolds for the first out, two batters later, Cruz had a two-run single
The inning lasted 34 minutes and 44 seconds.
“Incredible,” Lowe said. “I don’t think I’ve seen that many singles and walks and to be able to put that kind of production up on the board without some sort of extra-base hit. It just seemed like everybody was ready to go. B-Rey probably knew he was gonna get a couple at-bats. Other guys knew they were gonna get multiple at-bats in that inning. It kinda felt like one of those times you were going to hit a lot.”
Hitting heroes
- Multiple RBIs-Cruz (4), Davis and Horwitz 2
- Multiple Hits-Cruz (4), Lowe (4), Gonzales (3), Horwitz (2), Gonzalez (2),
- Multiple Runs-Reynolds (3), Lowe (2)
- Lowe hit his 29th home run in the 7th inning
Skenes start
Even with a 6-run lead and 2 outs in the fifth inning, Skenes was pulled with a final line of 4.2 innings, 8 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts and 95 pitches (56 strikes).
In his 28th start, Skenes gave up four runs in the second inning, three scoring on a home run by Rafael Devers. The season numbers are 9-11, 3.97 ERA.
Reliever Yohan Ramirez was able to get a pop-up to keep both inherited runners left by Skenes in the fifth on base.
“I wasn’t too worried about the win,” Skenes said. “I’ve just got to execute those two-strike pitches better.”
Konnor update
In his second rehab game, first in AAA, shortstop Konnor Griffin went 0-4 with a walk for the Indianapolis Indians in Toledo Tuesday night.
Notes
- Teams combined to leave 21 runners on base despite 2 double plays by each team
- Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Nick Dombkowski allowed a run in five innings with five strikeouts for AA Altoona to lower his ERA to 2.89.
- 21-year-old, right-hand hitting shortstop Jhonny Severino hit his 31st home run (leads South Atlantic League) with High A Greensboro and has 94 RBIs. (2nd in SAL)
- 6’7”, 21-year-old, right-hand hitting 1B Tony Blanco, Jr. hit his 25th HR (2nd in South Atlantic League)
Up Next
Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (6-9, 4.26 ERA) faces Giants RHP Landen Roupp (8-13, 4.25 ERA) in game two of the series with Dan Zangrilli hosting the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 5:45p and first pitch at 6:40p on 93.7 The Fan.
