PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Pirates took the first two games of the series and then the Braves took out their frustration on the Pirates bullpen winning 14-3 Wednesday afternoon.
Kyle Crick roughed up for four runs in a third of the sixth inning.
"It's just command, putting the ball on the plate," said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. "We know his stuff plays when it's on the plate. Today, it was around the plate and not on the plate."
Duane Underwood, Junior came in following a one hour 18 minute rain delay and gave up seven runs in the eighth.
"He seemed like he was a little bit gassed," Shelton said. "That's one of those outings that you just throw away for him because he's done a pretty good job for us. Today he did not execute."
It was a typical Wil Crowe start this year, 4.2 innings giving up a pair of runs with two walks and four strikeouts. The 26-year-old has given up at least two runs in every start since May 2.
"I thought I did everything I wanted to do," Crowe said. "Couple of at bats went long and got my pitch count up. I thought for the most part I threw the ball pretty well today."
"Lack of execution and lack of command, when you do that," Shelton said of Crowe. "You put yourself in a hole."
Crowe is 1-1 in 2021, lowering his ERA to 6.05, opponents hitting .281 against him with 25 walks, 46 strikeouts, 11 home runs allowed and a 1.62 WHIP.
"We took the early lead and had multiple opportunities to extend that lead; and did not take advantage of that," Shelton said. "When we put the extra base-runners on they definitely took advantage of it."
Pirates left 14 runners on base. Catcher Jacob Stallings hit a three-run home run in the first inning for the Pirates runs.
Big John Ohtani
The one bullpen pitcher the Braves didn't score on was first baseman John Nogowski. He pitched a scoreless ninth allowing a single but smoothly started a double play 1-4-3 to end the frame.
"I pitched a ton growing up kind of all through high school," Nogowski said. "Pitched a little bit my freshman year at Florida State. Kind of some old muscle memory there. No velocity, but muscle memory."
It was the seventh time in his pro career Nogowski entered the game as a pitcher and first in the big leagues. .
Nogowski also had four hits Wednesday, now 7 for his first 12 as a Pirate.
"Trying to get off to a good start," Nogowski said. "It was a good three games. The comfort level for me is that I was able to see a guy more than once and get more than one shot at him."
"Really consistent at bats," Shelton said of Nogowski. "Saved the back-end guys in our bullpen. He continues to impress. He continues to have good at bats."
Greensboro stars
Outfield prospect Matthew Fraizer hit his 14th home run in a win against Asheville on Wednesday. A third round pick from the University of Arizona in 2019, the 6'3", lefty-hitting Fraizer is batting .327 for the season with three triples and a near .400 OBP. The 23-year-old also has 10 doubles, 7 stolen bases and 36 RBI in his first full year of professional baseball.
Grasshoppers right-handed pitcher Michael Burrows went 5.1 innings allowing just one hit, one run, two walks and 10 strikeouts. On the season, Burrows has 10 starts, 43 innings, 17 walks, 62 strikeouts, 0.88 WHIP and an opponents' batting average of .142.
Up Next
Pirates wrap up the 'first half' of the season with four games in New York starting at 7:10p Thursday night on 93.7 The Fan with JT Brubaker pitching against a yet-to-be-determined Mets starter.
