Pittsburgh Pirates Lose In Bizarre Fashion To Close Road Trip

By Matt Gajtka | Jun 4, 2014

Jun 1, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) hits a solo home run during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up their 10-game, three-city road trip at 6-4, but the way it ended has to be a little disheartening.

Despite allowing only one hit – and a bunt single at that – the Bucs fell 3-2 to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday evening at Petco Park.

On the surface that seems impossible. In fact, it’s the first time the Pirates (28-31) lost while one-hitting an opponent since 1992. To make matters even more bizarre, the Padres’ hit came in the first inning and didn’t even plate a run.

Rather, Everth Cabrera‘s bunt pushed Chris Denorfia, who had walked and stolen second base, to third ahead of Carlos Quentin‘s sacrifice fly to shallow right-center field. Second baseman Josh Harrison made an ill-conceived catch while backpedaling, allowing Denorfia to score easily.

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Harrison added a physical error to his mental miscue later in the first. After Pirates starter Francisco Liriano hit Chase Headley with a pitch, Tommy Medica bounced back to the mound, where Liriano tried to start a double play. However, Harrison’s throw from second base was wild, allowing Cabrera to score.

Andrew McCutchen, playing on the fifth anniversary of his MLB debut, launched a solo home run to left in the top of the fourth to make it 2-1, but Liriano continued to stagger in the bottom of the inning. The left-hander walked six batters total in five innings of uneven work, including three in a row in the fourth to push across San Diego’s third run.

The Padres (27-33) ended up walking nine times against Pirates pitching, but couldn’t add on against Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon.

Meanwhile, Harrison made up for his poor defense with another great day at the plate, going 3 for 4 with an RBI out of the leadoff spot. His double in the fifth off San Diego righty Ian Kennedy drove in Jordy Mercer and pulled the Pirates back within a run at 3-2.

But the Bucs offense stagnated from there, wasting a leadoff double from Harrison in the eighth and Pedro Alvarez‘s one-out single off Huston Street in the ninth.

The Pirates have Thursday off before heading into an important weekend series against first-place Milwaukee at PNC Park.