Final Score: Pirates 3 Rays 10
Why The Pirates Lost: Make no question about it things went the Rays way last night. They got 17 hits and did hit 3 home runs but many of their hits snuck through the infield or were bloopers. The Pirates offense remained inept getting only 5 hits. The Pirates were still in the game going into the 6th inning and that is where we saw the contrast in managers.
Key Moments Of The Game: The score was 4-0 Rays going into the bottom of the 4th. Ryan Pepiot had been pretty much in control of the game. He walked the first two batters to start the inning. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled in the first Pirate run, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Pepiot did get Connor Joe to pop out. Suwinski doubled to make the score 4-2 and after a walk to Grandal to load the bases out came Kevin Cash to get his pitcher. Reliever Colin Poche got out of the jam in one pitch getting McCutchen to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. Contrast that with the top of the 6th and the score still 4-2 Rays. Luis Ortiz had pitched 3 and 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs on 5 hits including a home run to Josh Lowe. The inning started with 2 singles followed by a force out at 2nd putting runners on 1st and 3rd. Ortiz struck out the next batter and up stepped the aforementioned LEFT HAND BATTING Josh Lowe. Josh Fleming was warming up in the bullpen. Against lefties Lowe is hitting .167. Ortiz had thrown 76 pitches, the most all year. Shelton never moved. First pitch Lowe homered for the second time, both off Ortiz, making the score 7-2 and the game is over. He still doesn't take him out until another double is given up. What makes this even worse, according to Joe Block, the Rays bullpen was used a lot the day before and the Pirates with the day off had a well rested bullpen. Thanks to Derek (How Many Pitches Had He Thrown) Shelton, they are still well rested.
Next Game: This afternoon, Rays in Pittsburgh. Another momentum killing loss for the Pirates last night. Jared Jones is getting the start today and let's hope he turns it around. His last 7 starts, which is half of his starts, his ERA is 4.97. He needs to get back on track especially with this offense. This team could be named the Treadmill Pirates. The legs are moving fast, with the exception of Rawhide Rowdy, but they are going nowhere.
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