Bucs Drop Shootout To Atlanta 8-7 in 11 Innings

It was a 1-2-3 first for Mike Soroka. After an out, Mitch Keller gave up a knock followed by a soft infield single. A two-out, 0-2 rap by Nick Markakis followed by a triple from Austin Riley again doomed Mitch to a first inning dud. Then came a walk, steal, and another walk before he got the pitcher with Atlanta up 3-0. Keller threw 38 pitches; 29 were four-seam fastballs and a couple more two-seamers; he fired 13 heaters in a row to start the game. J-Bell and Melky singled to open the second. Fraze and Eli had one-out raps, producing two runs before Mitch bunted into a DP. A single and caught stealing were followed by a double/single combo to plate another Bravo, but a liner to Josh at first ended up a DP to stop the bleeding. K-Man singled to get the third started and stole second; Starling also had a rap, but the Bucs couldn't cash in. The Brave kept bashing - a single, double, single (a two-out, two-run rap by Sokora), trifecta around a couple of line outs made it 6-2. The Pirates opened with back-to-back knocks by Fraze and Eli, and a K-Man two-bagger with two outs shipped the pair home. Clay Holmes quieted the Braves, giving up just a two-out knock.

K-Man keeps on crankin' - 2017 Bowman Prospect

Starling opened the fifth with a dinger; JHK later walked but all the damage was already done. Atlanta banged a double, but Clay kept them off the board. Josh Tomlin worked the sixth. Gregory and K-Man collected one-out knocks to put Bucs on the corners, and Corey D's sac fly tied the game. Ric Rod was sent to the slab to face the top of the Atlanta order. Acuna singled and went to second after a bouncer. Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked with the open base, and it paid off when Josh Donaldson rolled into a 6-4-3 DP. Tomlin tossed a clean seventh, Frankie came in. He got the first two outs before JHK took a bunny hop and missed the target on his throw. Then again, it was raining and three pitches later, the game went into a delay. They rolled the tarp back up at 10:30 with an 11:05 restart. Frankie lost the next Bavo on a 3-2 pitch but escaped with a zero, not too bad after cooling one's heels for 55 minutes. AJ Minter walked Eli, who went to second on a bouncer. With two gone, K-Man was intentionally walked to get a lefty-on-lefty matchup with Corey D, who fanned swinging through chin-high heat.

Felipe Vazquez got an unusual eighth inning wave. After a K, he issued a walk and brushed Freeman with a 98 MPH heater. Then the alarm clock went off and The Nightmare fanned the next two batters on seven pitches. Luke Jackson took the hill in the ninth and J-Bell dumped a 2-1 slider over the wall in straight center to give the Bucs the lead. Kyle Crick did the spinning, and not so well. He fell behind Austin Riley 3-1 and fed him a fastball that was slammed out of the yard, with the ball falling just beyond Starling's reach into the seats. After an out, he issued a five-pitch walk. A K and wild pitch preceded another walk, maybe a work-around with Ron Acuna in the box. Then he fanned Dansby Swanson to take it into extras. Jacob Webb toed the slab in the 10th and allowed a walk but no points. Michael Feliz climbed the slope and hurled a 1-2-3 frame. Webb walked J-Bell with two gone in the 11th, but Melky's shot to center was pulled in at the track by Acuna. Riley was bopped by a pitch to open Atlanta's half and Ozzie Albies doubled him in to end a long and frustrating night.

Michael Feliz has taken the loss in his last three outings - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Like yesterday, can't blame the pen; they gave up two runs in seven innings. The Buc lineup does have some fight to them; too bad the pitching isn't raising its dukes a little more. And hey, in 11 hours, we get to do it all again.

Notes:

• K-Man had three hits; Starling, J-Bell and Fraze added a pair.
• With tonight's (or more accurately, this morning's) loss, the Pirates are in last place in the Central Division, 8-1/2 games behind the Brewers.
• Kyle Crick has had seven save opportunities in his career; this was the fifth one he's blown. It should be noted that Felipe blew 6-of-10 save opps before he took over the job full time in Pittsburgh.
• Bucco bats did good: Mike Soroka was chased after allowing a career high in hits and runs tonight.
• Wednesday injury updates: Keone Kela will begin throwing again in a day or two, while the initial prognosis on Jordan Lyles is that he should miss just the mandatory 10 days and then be back in action, barring further ouchies. Cervy is symptom-free in civilian life but hasn't been cleared for baseball activities by the docs yet. Willy tosses tomorrow in rehab and should be ready to go against the Tigers when the Bucs return home next week.
• On the MiLB level, JT Brubaker threw a two-inning sim game today, so he's working his way back into action.
• Edgar Santana and wife Maria just had a baby boy. Congrats!