Pirates Resume Regular Programming, Bombed 11-1 By Nats

Adam Eaton dropped a bunt single with one out against Moose and reached second on a wild pickoff try, but no damage done. B-Rey singled and J-Bell walked with two down before Patrick Corbin finished the frame. There was no action in the second. A walk to the eight hitter and thrown away bunt by Musgrove put Nats at second and third to start the third. The Bucs cut down a run at home, but Eaton’s double brought home a tally and a single chased home two more. A walk and Asdrubal Cabrera’s three-run homer piled it up to 6-0. The Pirates had no response. The Nats loaded the bases in the fourth but couldn’t cash in, thanks mainly to an early TOOTBLAN (Yan Gomes thought it was a good idea to try to go from second to third on a grounder to short. He was wrong). It was 1-2-3 for Pittsburgh. Big Joe bounced back with a clean fifth. Stalls and Erik Gonzalez singled and were left on the pond.

Dario Agrazal took the hill in the sixth and sat down the bottom of the order. The Bucs got a one-out walk and their daily DP. Dario and Patrick exchanged calm seventh innings. Parker Markel was waved in for the eighth. He got an out, then was banged for three doubles (one by Corbin) with a walk thrown in. Uncle Ray had a chat, and Markie did get another out before issuing two walks on nine pitches and forcing Clint to burn Frankie Liriano, who K’ed Juan Soto. The Pirates were three up, three down. With two away, Liriano walked a pair and gave up a rap; Joey O relieved him and gave up another knock before getting the third out; it’s now 11-0. Tanner Rainey climbed the hill. A B-Rey single and J-Bell two-bagger averted the shutout.

Same ol’ at this point.

Notes:

• Pittsburgh had five hits; B-Rey had a pair and J-Bell reached twice with a knock and a walk. The Pirates have scored six runs in their past five games.
• There were 10,577 announced in the house tonight.
• Marc Carig of The Athletic notes that the Yankees have more payroll ($79M) on the IL than four MLB teams have in total payroll. One of those four teams is the Pirates (the Marlins, Rays & Orioles are the others).