Bucs Fall Behind Early, Drop KC Opener 4-3

Ke'Bryan Hayes singled with two outs for all the opening noise against Kris Bubic. With an out, Adalberto Mondesi whacked a 3-2 slider out of the yard to make it 1-0. A walk and single off Kevin Newman's glove with two away put a little more heat on Steven Brault before he whiffed his way clear. A Redbeard walk and J-Bell knock put Bucs on the corners with no outs in the second; the next three hitters fanned swinging. Brault spun a clean frame. K-Man walked with one gone in the third and became the fourth Pirate stranded. A walk, single, blooper and wild pitch rang up two more KC runs, making it 3-0. Moran and Bell opened the fourth on the corners again with back-to-back raps; this time, Jake doubled in a run. Second and third, no outs? No prob for Bubic - he got a pop, whiff and fly. Steven gave up a walk; his pitch count is at 97 already. 

Josh banged #5 in a losing cause - 2020 Topps

Key singled and stole a base in the fifth with no other help. Dovy Neverauskas took the bump and surrendered a double and walk but no tallies. Jesse Hahn climbed the hill in the sixth and retired the side in order. Chris Stratton grabbed the ball and did the same to KC. Josh Staumont tossed the seventh, giving up just a walk. Mondesi continued to be a Royal pain: he walked, stole two bases and jogged home after a single to make it 4-1. Nik Turley came in to serve the last out. Scott Barlow toed the slab in the eighth and the Pirates made it interesting; B-Rey was plunked and J-Bell went long to cut the deficit to 4-3 before regular programming returned. Geoff Hartlieb fluffed the rosin and spun a 1-2-3 inning. Greg Holland was called out for the save in the ninth, and earned it easily with a pair of swinging strikeouts and a routine bouncer.

Runners on first and third and runners on second and third with no outs...the Bucs had a chance early to cash in, but...

Notes:

• Ke'Bryan Hayes had three hits and J-Bell had two; the rest of team scratched out a pair.
• The Bucs continue on their recent history trail; after Roberto Clemente Day, today they visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in KC, described by the Trib's Kevin Gorman.
• The Pirates have a 9-4 record v the Royals beginning with the 2009 campaign. Before tonight, the clubs last met in a three-game set at PNC Park in September, 2018, and the Bucs won each contest by a single run. Boo on payback...
• Tonight's Padres-Giants game in San Diego was postponed after one of G-Men tested positive for the coronavirus, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.