Catching Pops, Throwing Strikes Elude Bucs In 7-4 Loss To Brew Crew

Today's Game: Pittsburgh fell 1-2-3 on eight pitches from Brandon Woodruff. The Brew Crew worked just a two-out walk off Chase De Jong. With one gone in the second, Ben Gamel ran into to high 97 MPH heat and dropped the fastball deep into the RF seats; Kevin Newman added a single an out later for effect. The Brewers opened with a double when three Pirates allowed a "Who, me? No, you please..." pop in center to drop. They got another free pass with one gone, and a single tied it (Gregory Polanco's arm...sheesh) while leaving Brewers at the corners. Woodruff helped himself, executing a right-side safety squeeze to plate the lead run. The Bucs went down on nine pitches in the third. De Jong surrendered his third walk of the night with one down; a single to right sent the lead runner to third, but Ke'Bryan Hayes turned Gregory's late throw to third quickly back to second to catch the hitter, Omar Narvaez, looking for an extra sack. A fly brought it to a quiet conclusion. Ho hum, another eight pitches were needed in the fourth to sit down the Bucs. With two away, Milwaukee waited out yet another free pass but De Jong kept it a 2-1 game with a fly to center.

Gregory again had a mixed bag sort of game - 2018 Stadium Club

Michael Perez started the fifth with a double. A grounder moved him to third, where he died. Milwaukee got a one-out two-bagger when Dan Vogelbach won a 10-pitch battle, banging a gapper that glanced off Polanco's glove. Chase worked out if it. With two gone in the sixth, Gregory smacked a 3-2, 98 MPH fastball 438' and it landed in the second tier in right to knot the score. Sam Howard took the hill after CDJ's solid outing and tossed a clean, nine-pitch frame. The Buccos extended Woodruff's pitch count enough (all three ran the count full) to make it his last inning, even if they did go down in order in the seventh. Howard K'ed the first batter, then a pinch-hitter brought Clay Holmes in. An infield single sandwiched around walks put him into a jam, He fell behind Christian Yelich 3-1, fed him a sinker down the pipe and it resulted in a two-run grounder up the middle. After a K, an intentional free pass loaded the sacks. An unintentional, four-pitch walk followed, forcing in another run. Trevor Cahill took the ball and walked in two more runs on nine pitches before the third out and Milwaukee up 7-2. 

Hoby Milner worked the eighth and was bitten by a one-away error when an out later, Key clobbered a full count curve 424' over the fence in left center to tighten the count to 7-4. Cahill gave up another walk but this one led to no further parade around the bases. Josh Hader took the ball in the ninth and gave up a tapper bingle to Bryan Reynolds, but a couple of K's and a pop made quick work of the frame.

Cahill was rusty in his return to the hill - photo MLB.com

As Bruce Springsteen noted "It's the little things that count..." and Pittsburgh hasn't mastered them very well lately. Somebody calling for a no-man's land pop and not walking in three runs are def high among those. 

Notes:

• Pittsburgh had six hits; three left the yard (Ben Gamel, Gregory Polanco, Ke'Bryan Hayes). Tonight was the first time Brandon Woodruff has allowed multiple homers in a start this season.
• The Pirates walked 11 batters, the Brewers none.
• Just sayin...Ka'ai Tom has 11 hits in 68 AB (.162) with 21 K and 13 BBs.
• Jeff Branson, the old Pittsburgh batting coach, was promoted to AAA Toledo by the Tigers as their hitting instructor, joining another old Pirate, Mud Hen manager Tom Prince.

Tomorrow's Game: First pitch is at 4:10 and will be aired on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Chad Kuhl takes on Corbin Burnes.