Pittsburgh Pirates: Bucs Drop Second Straight Despite Pedro Alvarez Heroics
By Matt Shetler
It’s been a long while since the Pittsburgh Pirates have dropped consecutive games, 15 games to be exact, but that’s what happened Monday night as the Pirates offense lacked punch in a 5-4 defeat to the Colorado Rockies to open up a three-game series.
The Bucs offense lacked punch all night, that is until the ninth inning when Andrew McCutchen led off with a single. After a Casey McGehee fly out, Neil Walker singled to bring up Pedro Alvarez. But Alvarez would have to wait out an insane 53-minute rain delay.
They’ve been the comeback kids all year long and when play resumed Alvarez crushed a three-run bomb to left (off another lefty) to tie the score at four. But after a Rod Barajas single, Rex Brothers got Clint Barmes to bounce into an inning ending double play.
However while this Pirates team has created magical moments all season long, it wasn’t to be Monday night.
The Bucs entered play Monday night with the best bullpen ERA in baseball and it was one of their most reliable arms on the season that failed to hold the Rockies in check.
Jason Grilli left a pitch up in the zone to Wilin Rosario, who laced a single to left. After striking out Josh Rutlidge, pinch-hitter Jason Giambi lined a single into right center, which turned out to be the play of the game, allowing Rosario to get to third. A couple of pitches later, Dexter Fowler hit a sac-fly to center to win the game.
The good news is that after striking out a combined 44 times in the three game series in Milwaukee, the Bucs only fanned one time on the evening.
The bad news is that until the ninth inning, the Bucs offense mustered very little against the team with the worst ERA in the majors.
Rockies starter Jeff Francis, who entered the game with an ERA over five, limited the Bucs to one run on six hits through five innings. He was followed by Josh Roenicke, who allowed only one hit in three scoreless innings of relief.
Jeff Karstens started for the Bucs and drove in the first run of the game in the fifth with an RBI single. But he walked Tyler Colvin to start the fifth and leadoff walks are killers.
This would be no exception as after a Rosario single, Rutlidge tied the game with an RBI single. Pinch-hitter Eric Young Jr. hit a two-run double to right on a ball that Josh Harrison didn’t have a clue on. It was scored a double, but a more established right fielder likely makes the catch and only one run scores instead of two.
Two batters later, Marco Scutero singled in Young to make it 4-1, so Harrison’s misplay turned out to be huge.
Karstens didn’t pitch bad overall, throwing seven innings, allowing six hits, striking out four.
But the Bucs fought back and despite the loss should feel good heading into the second game of the series.
Notes: Andrew McCutchen was named National League Player of the Week for the second consecutive week….Cutch also went 2-for-4, raising his league leading average to .372….Neil Walker remained locked in, going 3-for-4, raising his average to .298, extending his hit streak to 16 games…Alex Presley was activated off the 7-day disabled list and started in left field, going 1-for-4. Matt Hague was sent down to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room for Presley…..Despite the loss the Bucs remain only a game out of first place in the National League Central, as the Cincinnati Reds also lost.
Winning Pitcher: Rex Flowers (5-2)
Losing Pitcher: Jason Grilli (1-3)
Save: None
MVP: Pedro Alvarez, 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB
LVP: Josh Harrison, 0-for-3, costly misplay in right field
Play of the Game: Giambi’s pinch-hit single in 9th
Home Runs: Alvarez (18)
Up Next: Tuesday, July 17 at Colorado, at 8:40 p.m. EDT
Probable Starters: Erik Bedard (4-10, 4.80 ERA) vs. Christian Friedrich (5-6, 5.60)