SOS: Too Little, Too Late - Bucs Fall 4-3

Fraze opened with a hustle double of Tyler Chatwood and got to third on a wild pitch, but three strikeouts later, he was still there. Mitch Keller was tagged for a double and walk to start, but a whiff and 4-6-3 DP cleaned it up. Bryan Reynolds walked to lead off the second and was erased trying to steal second, followed by two more K's. Keller gave up another double to begin the frame and sent him to third on a wild pitch, but the Cubs lost him at the plate with an out on the contact play. It was 1-2-3 for Pittsburgh *yawn* in the third. Ian Happ and Javy Baez both went long for Chi-town to make it 2-0. The Cubs added a knock and Keller then bounced a breaking ball and called to the dugout, pointing to his side. He was pulled for Chris Stratton, who ended the derby. It was another three up, three down frame in the fourth for the Pirates, and the same for Chicago. Chatwood fanned the side in the fifth; he's up to 10 strikeouts. JT Brubaker got in on the act and whiffed two of the three Cubbos he faced. Moral victory: the Pirates went down in order in the sixth, but all three guys put the ball in play. The Baby Bruins put runners at first and third after two outs with a bop and knock before a walk juiced the sacks, but JT left them stranded. 

This guy... image Pittsburgh Pirates

Kevin Newman singled off a glove to start the seventh and a B-Rey rap sent him to second with two outs. Gregory walked to jam the sacks and Jeremy Jeffress was waved on. Phil Evans bounced out and the string of zeroes on the scoreboard remained intact. Brubaker baked up one more quiet inning. Jeffress retired the Bucs in order in the eighth. Michael Feliz answered Shelty's call and promptly surrendered a walk and Kyle Schwarber blast to put a bow on it at 4-0. After a single, Feliz was escorted off the field, apparently injured too, and in trotted Miguel Del Pozo. He got through thanks to a caught stealing, a routine fly and a rocket to Reynolds that was gloved. Kyle Ryan was the chosen one for the ninth and Newman started it up with a rap. After a J-Bell K (his third of the game), Redbeard pounded his fifth long ball of the season to cut the lead to two. B-Rey doubled, went to third on defensive indifference (they shift against Gregory, the next batter) and scored on a bouncer to first. Evans worked a walk; Guillermo Heredia ran for him and Jose Osuna hit for Jarrod Dyson. Joey rolled it to short, and the Bucs fell again, tonight's final count being 4-3.

Makes ya wonder how it would have ended with, oh, maybe Ric Rod working the eighth inning, or if the Pirates could maybe cash in a run or two against a starter. It does look like JT Brubaker will get to replace Mitch in the rotation if Keller is out for any time; kinda late to pull Chad Kuhl out of his piggyback role with Steven Brault tomorrow unless Brault has six innings in him. We'll see in Cody Ponce or Sam Howard get a look tomorrow after the Bucs evaluate their boys.

More tomorrow on what shape Mitch is in - 2019 Panini

Notes:

• One good sign - Kevin Newman & Bryan Reynolds both had a pair of hits. Unfortunately, the rest of team could only add two knocks more to the total.
• Colin Moran leads MLB with five homers in eight games.
• Per the Pirates, Mitch Keller left the game with "left side discomfort."
• Also per the Pirates, Michael Feliz had "right forearm discomfort."