PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Everything seemed to fall perfectly for Paul Skenes to be able to pitch on his NL Cy Young Award bobble head day. It was 81 degrees on an April afternoon in Pittsburgh and that humidity led to the bad part. The rain fell hard with two outs in the fourth which led to a 2:27 rain delay and ended Skenes outing in what ended up being a 8-7 loss in 13 innings.
Bucs reliever Yohan Ramirez gave up a two-run homer to Cedric Mullins start the 13th . Ramirez would give up three runs on four hits, one earned over three innings, unlike the 11th when the Bucs gave up a run and Konnor Griffin kept the game alive with a fielders choice and drove in another run in the 13th, but a Joey Bart strikeout ended the game.
Skenes was rolling until the rains stopped the game. Recently recalled Cam Sanders started after the delay, after an opening walk, he struck out two straight before allowing a double and two singles. Evan Sisk then allowed a double and single, all with two out to give Tampa Bay a 5-4 lead.
Nick Yorke tied it with a two-out single in the eighth.
Justin Lawrence, Gregory Soto and Isaac Mattson combined for 3.2 innings of one-hit relief work to settle the game down before Ramirez finished.
Skenes start
The Pirates righty would work out of a no-out, bases-loaded situation in the second inning and struck out four of the last five batters he faced. In total, four scoreless innings, three hits, no runs, no walks and five strikeouts. The ERA which started at 67.50 is now down to 3.27.
Dancing through the 2nd inning
In a game where rain was coming the second inning lasted an eternity, but somehow Skenes got out of a bases loaded jam with no outs. Let’s set the table
A bloop single by Jake Fraley to start the inning. Then what appeared to be a flyout was challenged. Turns out Pirates catcher Henry Davis’ glove hit the bat of Mullins, so instead of an out, Mullins was awarded a single. Richie Palacios singled to right loading the bases. Then what appeared to be a fielders choice scoring a run, turned out to be runners interference which forced the runs to stay on their base and Palacios is out. Skenes got Taylor Walls to strike out looking and then Chandler Simpson to ground out to first resulting in an excited fist pump from Davis.
Ozuna week
Ryan O’Hearn provided the first runs on a two-run shot in the first inning, his fourth of the year. Then Marcell Ozuna got his second home run of the week, and of the year, to make it 4-0 in the fourth inning. Ozuna started the season 1 for 23 and 2 for 35. After his 387-foot home run, he now has a six-game hitting streak with seven RBI over this week.
Let’s Go Pens
“Congrats to the Pens,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly. “They had an unbelievable season when I don’t think a lot of people expected them to. I think Dan [Muse] did a great job over there and the players and excited for the city of Pittsburgh, the fans and everything that means to the city.”
Up Next
What should be a good pitching matchup with RHP Mitch Keller (1-1, 2.86 ERA) against LHP Shane McClanahan (1-1, 3.95 ERA) at 1:35p with Dan Zangrilli hosting the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at Noon and Jason Mackey with the Pirates Insider Show featuring GM Ben Cherington at 12:35p on 93.7 The Fan.
Ozuna homered again, Bucs leave 12 on base
Ozuna homered again, Bucs leave 12 on base
