Pirates Pounded Again 14-1

Kyle Hendricks worked a 1-2-3 opener. James Marvel was on shakier ground, but he left a pair of Redbirds aboard in his half. It was the Bucs turn in the second, stranding Fraze and Pablo, both who singled with an out. The Cubs took names. With a pair of singles aboard and two gone, a bopped batter loaded the bases and Nick Castellanos doubled in the trio; a bloop scored him and it’s 4-0. The Bucs left K-Man on the pong after a third inning knock. Ben Zobrist added another run to the total with a solo shot. Joey O and Fraze opened the fourth with raps and a bouncer moved them up. Kevin Kramer’s sac fly got the Pirates on the board. Chicago got it back on more when Castellanos doubled and Kris Bryant went long, both with two outs; six of the seven Cub runs have plated with two away. K-Man doubled and was left anchored; the Bucs are 0-for-6 w/RISP. Wei-Chung Wang took the hill; a walk and two raps loaded the bases. A strikeout took it to two down when yep, more carnage occured as Anthony Rizzo chased a pair home with a rap. Clay Holmes came in and hit two batters to force in another run before it ended at 10-1.

Joey O led off the sixth with a single; he didn’t move. Holmes stayed in and bopped another Cub with two outs (it caused a little yapping and bench stirring, but no mound dance), followed by a walk, and a Nico Hoerner homer. James Norwood got the seventh, and K-Man clubbed a triple and B-Rey walked, but no cigar again. Parker Markel took the ball and Vuc Caratini went long off him. Danny Hultzen tossed a 1-2-3 eighth. Yefrey Ramirez tossed a clean frame. With an out in the ninth, Dillon Maples bopped Eli and Erik Gonzalez, collateral damage from Clay Holmes plunking a trio of Cubs. Maples was bounced for sticking up for his team (can’t gripe about this payback) and Derek Holland come on to put it to bed.

No Pirate starter has a 100 league average ERA+ (Big Joe is getting close at 96; the rest are in the 80′s). If the FO thinks they’re gonna get by in 2020 with this rotation, well…

Notes:

• Kevin Newman had three hits (he was a homer short of the cycle) while Joey O and Fraze added a pair of raps. Not that it mattered today, but the Bucs went 0-for-9 with RISP and stranded 10 runners.
• The Cubs plated 12 runners after two were out and hit four more dingers.
• The Pirates have now given up 10 or more runs in a game 28 times this season, tying the franchise record set in 1930. That ’30 team had a 5.24 ERA in a run-happy season; this year’s staff has a 5.16 ERA.
• This is the first time in franchise history that the Pirates have hit four batters in a game.