Too Deep a Hole; Bucs Fall 90' Short In 11-10 Loss

J-Hay and Freeser homered in the first and second frames off Carlos Martinez while the Redbirds turned Trevo everyway but loose, scoring six runs on eight hits (three that went yard) in his three innings of work, the killer being Matt Carpenter's two-out, three-run dinger in the second. Steven Brault picked up four innings, giving up a couple of runs, and Huddy of course was nicked for tally in his frame. The Pirates added one more on Starling's two-out triple, chasing home Jordy.

Mad Max splashed down tonight (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

The Bucs tried to make a game of it in the eighth. Mad Max banged a two-run shot into the river on the hop and Elias Diaz cracked a two-run double with an out. But in keeping with Bucco protocol, he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple although down 11-8. Schugs tossed a clean ninth, and Matt Bowman came on. He walked back-to-back hitters with an out and then bopped S-Rod on a 1-2 pitch. Ol' Bucco Zach Duke took over to face J-Bell; Joshua worked an eight-pitch walk off him to make it 11-9. That brought in Seung Hwan Oh. Freeser lifted one to the track and the sac fly cut the lead to a run. Fraze was intentionally walked to bring up Eli, and there the rally ended when he chased a slider off the plate to whiff.

It had the feel of a little-league all-star game and finished like one. For the Bucs, it was close but no cigar; the pitching has fallen during the six-game losing streak and can't get back up. But at least some of the young guys they have to decide on like Brault, Moroff and Diaz are getting some looks, much like Taillon, Kuhl, Bell and Frazier did last year.

AJ was the only Buc pitcher to put up a final line zero (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Notes:

• Starling and Jordy had two knocks and a walk; Mad Max, J-Bell and Fraze had a hit and walk.
• Trevor Williams gave up three homers in three innings tonight. He had given up nine in 111-2/3 IP (one every 12 frames) this year before this match.
• S-Rod replaced Cutch in center tonight instead of swapping with Starling; wonder if that's just a PNC Park thing?
• None of the five homers hit early in the game were particularly spanked; all of them dropped just a row or two into the seats. Still, they go in the books the same as a 450' blast.
• The six-game losing streak is the longest of the year.
• 29,906 were on hand for fireworks nite.
• Jared Wyllys has an interview with S-Rod in The Sporting News.