Already A Broken Record - Bullpen Blows Lead, Bucs Strand Boatload in 5-4, 10-Inning Loss

It was 1-2-3 for Jamo in the first. The Bucs were up to their old tricks against Miles Mikolas. Fraze led off with a double, and after an out, an error and walk jammed the sacks. JHK spanked one to third and the around-the-horn twin killing killed the frame, even with a bobble by Carpenter - Kang isn't exactly Jesse Owens. After the Cards stranded a second-inning single, an infield rap by JB Shuck and an oppo field triple by Erik Gonzalez got the Bucs on the board. He came home when Fraze bounced a two-out, two-strike curve past Goldy into right. The Redbirds bled out a single in the third; the Pirates did their two-out, two-strike thing again when Jung Ho belted a slider into the seats. Melky doubled followed by a walk to JB, but no more damage was wreaked. The fourth was low drama; Fraze doubled but was stranded (the Bucs are 1-for-9 w/RISP so far). The fifth was six-up, six-down. Easy sixth for JT; he's at just 70 pitches and has sat down 11 in a row. Dominic Leone took the hill and tucked the Bucs away quietly.

The Cards lit the board in the seventh when Paul DeJong caught a center-center sinker that didn't sink and popped it over the fence; the next trio were put away in garden variety fashion. Mike Mayers took the ball. Cervy walked with two gone to become the first Bucco runner since the fourth, but J-Bell whiffed to douse the euphoria. Jamo called it a night, giving up a run on three hits with five K'son 85 tosses; Keone Kela took over in the eighth. He walked Kolten Wong on four pitches, and another ball was followed by a tying homer by Harrison Bader into the bullpen. Carpenter doubled after an out, but Kela left him there at the cost of 28 pitches. Mayers got the first batter, then Andrew Miller toed the rubber and worked a calm finish. Kyle Crick came in for the ninth and pitched a clean frame. John Gant walked his first man, Gonzalez, who stole second, surviving a Redbird challenge (a bad jump & slide overcame a worse tag). He stayed there *sigh*.

Jamo looked good, but the supporting cast... (photo Joe Guzy/Pirates)

Nick Burdi got the 10th, and Wong led it off with a triple off a two-strike hung slider. A walk and single put the Birds up and brought Frankie Liriano in the game. A walk and wild pitch gifted St. Louis another run. Alex Reyes was sent in for the save. Cervy singled, and after an out, Reyes walked the next two Buccos to bring up JB Shuck. In trotted Dakota Hudson. JB looked at five pitches and became the third straight free pass to pull the Bucs within a run and leave 'em loaded for Gonzalez. He popped out to first and Pablo's bouncer ended it; it was right after he offered at ball three with a 2-0 count.

So that's two games where the Bucs bullpen blew a big lead and wild-pitched the winning run home. It's only four games, but the Pirates were under the magnifying glass from a dubious fan base, and they're not doing much to help their own cause.

Notes:

• Fraze had three hits; JB had a knock and two walks. The Pirates were 1-for-14 w/RISP and stranded 11; the Cards had 10 runners and plated five of them.
• Tough night for Dexter Fowler in right - he dropped a can of corn and then failed to cut off Gonzalez's triple. Miles Mikolas was battered, too, as he had two or three comebackers bang off his body. To his credit, he hung in and made the plays.
• The official attendance was 23,954. Buc night worked; the cheap seats drew most of the warm fannies.
• Man, everyone is getting extensions - the Cubs signed utility man David Bote to five-year/$15M deal. The upcoming CBA must be messin' with a lot of guys minds, both players and suits...