The Pirates wasted a strong start from Trevor Cahill and solid bullpen work from their first 5 relievers before giving up 4 runs in the 10th inning in a 5-1 loss to the Reds at PNC Park. Cincinnati has now beaten the Bucs 5 out of 6 times.
We give you the good, the bad and the ugly – and more, not necessarily in that order.
The Ugly: Duane Underwood, Jr. in the top of the 10th inning. With the free runner at second base, the NL's leading hitter Jesse Winker roped a singled to center to break the 1-1 tie. After another single and a walk loaded the bases pinch-hitter Wade Miley popped out. But Eugenio Suarez, who had been hitting .150, lined a base-clearing double into the left centerfield gap to make it 5-1 and that was that.
The Bad: The starting line-up. The only starting position player hitting over .214 was part-timer Elimer Difo who came in at .250. The starting outfield featured 3 players all hitting under .200 – leadoff batter Ka'ai Tom (.156), newcomer Ben Gamel (.059) and Gregory Polanco (.198). The result from that lineup was about what you would expect – 7-for-37, a .189 clip.
The Bad, Part Deux: Hitting with men on base which, as illustrated above, should have been expected. The Bucs left 2 men on base in 3 innings, two of those times it was second and third with one out. Gregory Polanco did drive in the only run with a sharp single. The Pirates finished 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. "It 100 percent came down to it," Shelton lamented, "we have to score, we have to figure out ways to get runs across. We gave ourselves opportunity and didn't capitalize."
The Puzzling: Bryan Reynolds is 4-for-8 with 2 HRs against Sonny Gray but after a night game, Bryan Reynolds was given the afternoon off to rest his lower body soreness which had cropped up recently. Reynolds did enter the game as a pinch-hitter and finished the game in center field, going 0-for-2. Derek Shelton said it was also a scheduled day off for his other leading hitter, Adam Frazier, but he also got into the game and also went 0-for-2.
The Ailing: Philip Evans played first base and executed a perfect hit-and-run to set up their only run, but left after tweaking a hamstring on the Polanco single. Shelton says he had no update other than "we'll find out more tomorrow."
The Unlucky: Back-up catcher Michael Perez, now hitting .114, needs all the help he can get. He got none in the 4th inning. With 2 on and 1 out, Perez smoked a line drive up the middle and right into the glove of shortstop Tyler Naquin who was shifted directly behind second base.
The Good: Trevor Cahill, who is quietly becoming a reliable starter. For the 4th time in 8 starts, Trevor Cahill pitched at least 5 innings and allowed just 1 run, this time allowing the run on 3 hits, no walks and 1 strikeout over 5-and-a-third. The only blemish was a Mike Moustakas home run in the second inning. He was taken out with one out in the 6th after just 74 pitches so he could have gone longer. "I don't think about it," Cahlill said, "I honestly just pitch until they take me out."
The Good, Part Deux: The bullpen, or at least most of it. While Sam Howard had some control issues, he, Clay Holmes, Chasen Shreve, David Bednar, and Richard Rodriguez combined for 3-and-two-thirds scoreless innings. Bednar's 3 outs were all strikeouts, two of his third strikes were clocked at 99 and 100.
Notable
First base umpire John Tumpane, who helped stop a woman from jumping off the Clemente Bridge 4 years ago, had two of his "out" calls overturned, one for each team.
The Bucs being a 4-game series against the Giants Thursday night. RHP Wil Crow is scheduled to start against SF right hander Anthony DiSclafani at 6:35 on 93.7 The Fan.
