Buc Notes-Lowe pulled, Keller wild in Pirates loss

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a game the Pirates fought back to get within a run and then a curious decision by manager Don Kelly backfired in a 5-4 loss to Washington Tuesday night.

Bottom of the 7^th inning with the bases loaded and one out Kelly pulled second baseman Brandon Lowe for pinch-hitter Nick Yorke. Lowe had homered earlier in the game and had four home runs and 11 RBI in his last three games (only two other Pirates ever did that), but was 2 for 21 against left-handers this year (although the home run in the first inning was against a lefty). At the time the Nats had a left-handed pitcher in the game, after the announcement of Yorke, the pulled that lefty for another lefty against the right-hand hitting Yorke.

Coming in 0 for his last 10, Yorke grounded sharply into a double play to end the inning. Yorke would pop out to the first baseman to end the game with Konnor Griffin at second base and pinch-runner Billy Cook at first.

Starter struggles

Last outing starter Mitch Keller was pulled after the sixth inning throwing 75 pitches and not giving up a run. Keller reached his 75^th pitch in the fourth inning Tuesday.

From the beginning the 30-year-old righty struggled, walking leadoff batter James Wood on four pitches and then walked Luis Garcia before giving up three straight singles and staking Washington to a 3-0 lead. It could have been worse, but Keller picked off Daylen Lile at second base and struck out Jacob Young as Joey Bart threw out CJ Abrams trying to steal on the play.

A solo home run by CJ Abrams in the third inning made it 4-1 and then another run in the fourth on Garcia’s RBI single.

Keller only lasted four innings, six hits, five runs, four walks, a hit batter and three strikeouts throwing 90 pitches (53 strikes).

Dang Mang

A seventh-inning pinch-hitter, Jake Mangum went into the field for the first time in the eighth inning. With two outs, pinch-hitter Jose Tena lined a ball into left, after a hop, Mangum came up firing and gunned down Abrams at the plate on a strike to Bart, who only at the last second allowed the runner to know the play would be made. Washington challenged, but the out was upheld.

Bullpen

A Pirates bullpen that entered the night 26^th in MLB in WHIP had to go five innings, five scoreless innings.

• Yohan Ramirez-2 innings, 2 strikeouts
• Mason Montgomery-1 inning, hit, 2 strikeouts
• Isaac Mattson-2 inning, 2 hits, strikeout

Ozuna 1^st

Kelly saying before the game that struggling designated hitter Marcell Ozuna was progressing well. He said he’s had some good swings and they materialized in his first Pirates RBI, a double in the fourth inning. Ozuna was 2-4 and robbed of another hit in the eighth because of a diving catch by Lile in the left-center gap.

Jared Jones has amazing bullpen session in rehab

Bart blast

Bart hit his first home run of the season as the last batter against Miles Mikolas. The ball just out of reach of left fielder Lile traveling 383 feet into the left field stands to cut the lead to 5-4. It’s also the first home run by a Pirates catcher since September.

Up Next

Pirates have not announced starting pitchers for the last two games of the Washington series including Wednesday night at 6:40p. Dan Zangrilli will have the latest with the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 5:45 on 93.7 The Fan.