Lose By A Little, Lose By A Lot, It's Still Another Loss As Bucs Drop 3-2 Decision to Phils

It was 1-2-3 for Jameson Taillon  to open; Jake Arrieta's start wasn't quite as strong. Starling singled off a glove, went to second on a wild pitch and scored the game's first run on Red Beard's two-out rap up the middle. It was a quiet second for Philly. Jordy walked and Jamo singled with two gone, but J-Bell whiffed to strand them. In the third, Gregory dropped a liner that he didn't have to move for, but Clint's challenge saved his bacon; apparently he had it long enough to be ruled possession. Starling's having a day; Jake hung a curve and boom, instant Martay Partay in the LF bleachers, to make it 2-0. The Phils broke JT's streak at 11-in-a-row in the fourth with Odubel Herrera's two-out rap but no damage caused. The Pirates raised not a peep. Jamo cruised through the fifth. Starling kept sizzling with a two-out knock; Gregory couldn't keep it going.

Not much help for Jamo (photo Joe Robbins/Getty)

Philly led off the sixth with a single, but a botched bunt (a dropped pop up that was pretty much a comedy skit on both sides, but ending up in a force at second) and 4-6-3 DP cleaned that up. Jake spun a 12-pitch zip-a-dee-doo-doh frame. Herrera legged out an infield single with one gone in the seventh. An out later, Nick Williams turned on a belt-high 0-2 heater and tripled to right on a ball Gregory couldn't pick up in the corner to light the scoreboard. Scott Kingery slapped a slider into center and suddenly it was a tie game, with Edgar Santana taking over the spinning. He gave up a double; Jorge Alfaro was out at third trying to stretch it, but the Bucs are now in a 3-2 hole. Pinch hitter Austin Meadows dropped a two-out single into right; J-Bell popped out foul.

Starling had a good day (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Kyle Crick got the ball in the eighth; he was nicked for a couple of hits but no runs. Seranthony Dominguez took over for Jake. He gave up a single with a couple of whiffs to offset. Felipe Vazquez worked the ninth, and a walk and double put him in immediate hot water. A two-out semi-intentional walk packed the sacks and a whiff left them that way. Victor Arano gave up a lead-off two-bagger to Corey D, a dink to left that landed on the line to become a hustle double. J-Hay struck out for the third time. Jordy fanned too. Freeser at least put the ball in play, lining out to center to put the game to bed.

An infield single and an 0-2 mistake pitch were Jamo's only mistakes; the team didn't back him in the field nor at the dish as they continue to circle the drain. That's five straight losses and 31 in their last 45 games. Time to break' em up?

Notes:

• Starling had three hits; no other Pirate reached safely more than once.
• The Pirates have struck out 24 times in the two games v Philadelphia.
• There were 28,150 in the yard today. Still a big Philly presence; opposing chants of "Here We Go Steelers" and "E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!" echoed through the park.. 
• Indy RHP Tyler Eppler (9-3, 3.06) was added to the International League's 2018 All-Star Team.