Bucs Don't Answer When Opportunity Knocks, Swept By Twins 6-4

Pre-game note: Starling was pulled from the lineup shortly before game time, with Fraze going to center and Eli Diaz to DH, with no reason given.

Jose Berrios tossed a 1-2-3 opener as did Chris Archer. Cervy was bopped on the arm with one gone in the second, and J-Hay singled an out later. Red Beard's grounder to short plated Fran when the throw went awry before Hechy fanned. The Twins came back with a leadoff two-bagger off a hung hook. A roller into right tied it up, followed by another knock on an 0-2 change. Bobby Wilson dinked a slider several inches off the plate into right for another score; a cheap knock hurts again. Corey D had a pro at bat, doubling on the ninth toss to start the Bucs off in the third, and Fraze moved him along. A popout and J-Bell walk followed, but 10 pitches later Cervy was rung up (and not happily on a borderline call). Arch twirled a clean frame with a couple of whiffs. Eli homered to begin the fourth. J-Hay and Red Beard had back-to-back raps, and a Hechy fly-out tagged Josh to third. Corey D popped out, then Fraze walked to fill the sacks. Gregory at last came through, singling home a pair and moving to second on a bobble. Oliver Drake took the ball with Berrios at 86 pitches to get the third out. The Twinkies went down in order.

Gregory had two knocks; hopefully his slump is in the rear view mirror.
(photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Eli came back from 0-2 to walk with one away in the fifth, followed by a J-Hay bunt hit that withstood a challenge. No diff; Colin and Hechy whiffed. Arch struck out the side. Gabe Moya climbed the hill in the sixth and Corey went to work again, singling on the 11th pitch. He went to second on a foul pop by Gregory; the base running has been heads up today, but died there. A leadoff flare into center ended up two bases when J-Hay and Fraze failed to communicate and a single made it 4-3. Arch was at 96 tosses and Edgar Santana was called in. He got a whiff, but a following double and knock put the Twins ahead before the buzzer. Cervy and Eli started the seventh with raps.After a fly out, Freeser hot Red Beard against the lefty Moya; the Twins countered with righty Tyler Duffey, who got another fly out. Hechy made it three-pack with another can of corn; the Bucs have stranded 11 runners so far. Keone Kela came in and gave up a homer to Wilson on his first pitch before settling in. It's 6-4 Twins with six outs of life left.

Southpaw Taylor Rogers got the first two outs of the eighth before Gregory singled. J-Bell went down swinging from the heels, missing a curve. Kyle Crick answered the phone and fanned three Twinkies with a walk sandwiched among the K's. Trevor Hildenberger looked for the save. He caught Amore looking, again on a borderline call; Fran should try to spoil those close pitches instead of ump'ing them. Eli walked after being in an 0-2 hole. Curb your enthusiasm; two pitches later, J-Hay bounced into a 6-4-3 DP to close the book.

Corey had a couple of raps, too, after a prolonged cold spell.
(photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

This may be the road trip to end the Pirates contender status; they were looking for six wins and instead finished 4-5. It's especially hard when they gave top guns Jamo and Arch leads to work with. Today the bats worked until it counted - the Pirates stranded a dozen and went 2-for-15 with RISP, negating 12 hits, four walks, a HBP and a pair of Minny errors. Unless they catch fire while playing the next 16 against the big boys, September will be the start of another football season instead of a playoff hunt. As for Arch, from what we've seen, the Bucs job with him will be to expand his four-seam/slider kit with a two-seam and off-speed pitch that he can trust going forward.

Notes:

• J-Hay had three hits and Eli reached four times with two knocks and two walks. Corey D, Gregory and Red Beard each had two raps.
• No word on Starling and why he was scratched.
• Chad Kuhl is slated to start a throwing program when the Pirates return to Pittsburgh tomorrow, with the hope that he can be ready for action sometime in September.
• Kiley McDaniel has a piece on Fangraphs explaining how the Rays successfully work "misfit toys" like Tyler Glasnow into their pitching staff and other arms that fit the mold around the league.