Bucs Can't Hang On As The Bullpen Struggles, Blackmon Rakes In 4-3 Loss To Rockies

Today’s Game: Chase De Jong tossed a 1-2-3, nine-pitch first while the Bucs managed a Kevin Newman knock off of Kyle Freeland. The Rox worked a walk in the second; Pittsburgh also drew a free pass, hit into a 6-4-3 DP and rolled out. Colorado didn’t get a ball past the infield in the third. Ka’ai Tom opened with a walk and was bunted up. He scored easily on an Adam Frazier double. A grounder and walk left Bucs on the corners, where they stayed. The Rockies got on the board when a fourth inning leadoff single came home on Charlie Blackmon’s one-out triple off an 0-2 curve to even the score. Chase got a whiff, walked a lefty intentionally, and then posted another K, nicely dodging any further damage. Back-to-back raps and a walk set up shop for the Pirates, and Tom followed up with a hustling RBI infield single. After De Jong K’ed, Fraze’s rollover grounder plated another score to make it 3-1. It was a quiet fifth for the Rox. Jordan Sheffield climbed the hill and survived a couple of smoked outs for a clean frame.

A leadoff single ended DeJong’s day in the sixth as Sam Howard was waved in with two lefties due up; he walked them both. Then he struck out the righty, go figure, and fanned the next lefty. Clay Holmes was handed the ball and finished the triplet with another strikeout. The Pirates went down in order. Holmes was tapped for a knock and a walk with two away in the seventh, and Chasen Shreve came on to put it to rest. Carlos Estevez stepped on the rubber and shut the Buccos routinely. Kyle Crick gave up a double, wild pitch and walk to start the eighth. A whiff was followed by a bopped batter to juice the sacks. Crick stayed on after a visit, served up a three-pitch K and then walked in a run that was on Shelty for leaving him on the slope. Richard Rodriguez was beckoned and put out the fire to keep Pittsburgh ahead 3-2. Daniel Bard gave up a leadoff walk and nada else. Ric Rod got a fly out to the track, then lost Ryan McMahon in a 12-pitch battle. Blackmon doubled him home to knot the score after falling behind 0-2. He was wild-pitched to third and a two-out, two-strike single gave Colorado the lead. Bard faced the bottom of the order and mowed them down.

The Pirates almost stole one, but Charlie Blackmon (see notes) and the bullpen’s wildness, something they usually manage to work around, showed up in spades today. In four innings, five relievers gave up three runs on four hits with six walks, a HBP and three wild pitches while tossing 98 pitches. The Rox went 0-for-11 w/RISP and stranded 12 runners to keep the Pirates in the game.

Notes:

• Pittsburgh only had five hits. Gregory and Ka’ai had a knock and walk; B-Rey walked twice.
• The Rockies had more walks (8) than hits (7) today, not including a bopped batter. Charlie Blackmon was a one-man show with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. It was an even split of five hits, five BB’s for the Bucs.
• The Pirates pitchers had shut out Colorado for 17-1/3 IP before the Rox finally crossed the plate; then they allowed three more runs over the last two frames. 
• 7,917 was today’s announced crowd.

Tomorrow’s Game: The Bucs will spend Memorial Day in Kansas City. The 8:10 game will be on ESPN, AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan, with Chad Kuhl expected to take on Mike Minor.