Walks, miscues lead to defeat
Offense fails to start against solid Peralta
MILWAUKEE — The Pirates saw a one-run lead dissolve Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers without allowing an earned run.
Most of their issues in a 6-1 loss were defensive.
The first issue came in the fifth inning, with the Pirates up by a run. Left-hander Manny Banuelos was on the mound and had already given up a one-out walk. The next batter, Christian Yelich, grounded into what looked like an inning-ending double play. Shifted toward second base, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes ranged to his left with plenty of time to step on second and double-off Yelich. The only problem was Hayes forgot the ball and both runners reached safely. He said after the game that he rushed trying to get to second to step on the bag and took his eye off the ball.
A Willy Adames double scored the Brewers’ first run of the game to tie it.
In the sixth, it was shortstop Oneil Cruz’s turn to make a mistake. The first batter of the inning, Keston Hiura, grounded an easy one to Cruz, who scooped it and fired a ball way wide of first for a two-base error. Pitcher Miguel Yajure got two groundouts after that, but both were to the right side of the infield, allowing Hiura to scamper home.
The Brewers scored their remaining runs in somewhat more conventional fashion. In the seventh, they blitzed Yajure with a one-out single and walk. Their next single was a line drive smoked at Cruz. Critical watchers might say he could have had it but the 103.4-mph frozen rope skipped off the ground, then Cruz’s glove and into center for an RBI single.
That’s when the pitching wheels fell off. Yajure gave up one more RBI single before making way for Yohan Ramirez, who proceeded to walk the bases loaded, then walked in two runs. Ramirez eventually got out of the inning but not before the Brewers had made it 6-1, the final score.
“Our margin for error is not very big,” manager Derek Shelton said. “When we don’t field the ball and we put extra guys on base, we’re going to put ourselves in a hole that’s hard to dig out of.”
All of that, in quick succession, is how the Pirates saw a one-run lead melt into another disappointing loss, but it isn’t the only thing to be blamed. The Pirates offense went nearly dormant against Brewers right- hander Freddy Peralta. The only damage any Brewers pitcher incurred on the afternoon, in fact, came on a solo homer from Pirates outfielder Ben Gamel in the fourth, which gave the Pirate’ their shortlived 1-0 lead.
In total, Peralta lasted just five innings but allowed just two hits. With that, his career ERA dropped to 2.84 against the Pirates, by far his lowest against any opponent he’s faced for 20 or more innings.
“We didn’t get much offense going at all, and that’s the other part of it,” Shelton said. “We can talk about not making a couple of plays defensively and walking guys, but if we don’t get anything going offensively, it really doesn’t matter. ... We have to be more consistent offensively, too.”
With the Pirates trying to cobble starters’ innings together, with right-hander JT Brubaker just returning from the paternity list, they started right-hander Zach Thompson, who threw four scoreless innings.
Thompson was named the starter late Tuesday night about an hour after the game. He knew he was pitching Wednesday, but had not known if it would be in a starting role or out of the bullpen. That uncertainty, Thompson thinks, may have helped him.
“Thankfully, I’ve done this before, so it’s not that new to me,” Thompson said. “Honestly, it’s kind of nice not to think, just be in a spot where you’re on your toes and can just do whatever with your day and there’s no superstition or anything involved. Just be yourself. It’s something that I think has benefitted me so far.”
Roster moves
Prior to the game, Yajure was called up and Brubaker was reactivated. To clear roster space they optioned lefthanded relievers Cam Vieaux and Eric Stout to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Injury updates
• Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Pirates closer David Bednar is expected to throw a bullpen session in the coming days with a live batting practice session coming sometime next week.
• The Pirates’ No. 8 prospect on MLB Pipeline, righthander Mike Burrows, was placed on the 7-day injured list Wednesday. That move became known after Tomczyk’s media availability and the nature or severity of the injury was not known.