The fortunes of this Pirates season fell to a new low yesterday, as the team committed four errors in an embarrassing first game and managed only one hit at the end of the game in the second game of a doubleheader.
Joe Block has the details.
Manager Derek Shelton says the Pirates have to keep fighting to break out of their slump.
The Pirates were particularly inept in the 4th inning of the first game yesterday. Shortstop Diego Castillo committed errors on two consecutive pitches – two of his three errors on the day – and pitcher JT Brubaker was called for a balk on a play on which he forgot he had a runner on base. Amazingly, the umpires missed the balk until the runner, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, alerted them and they reversed the non-call.
Shelton says Castillo’s rough stretch of play at shortstop is typical for a young guy who hasn’t played the position a lot.
Brubaker took the blame for his brain fog.
One bright spot yesterday for the Pirates was the first Major League hit for Canaan Smith-Njigba, a double as a pinch-hitter in his first career at-bat in the first game.
Smith-Njigba was 0-for-2 as a starter in the second game of the doubleheader.
Losers of nine straight games, the Pirates try again today in the finale of their eight-game road trip. The Bucs will send rookie Roansy Contreras (1-1, 2.57 ERA) to the mound against Cardinals star Jack Flaherty, who has been out injured all year and is making his season debut. He will be limited to 60 pitches. It’s a 7:20 airtime on WCCS.
ALTOONA CURVE
Altoona’s Mike Burrows had a rough outing last night as the Curve lost to Erie, 7-4. Burrows, who has been the Curve’s best pitcher all season long, lasted only one-and-a-third innings and gave up five runs on five hits. Lolo Sanchez and Brendt Citta each had two hits for Altoona.
While Burrows couldn’t have been happy with his outing last night, he certainly felt better when he learned that the Pirates have promoted him to Triple-A Indianpolis. Burrows is scheduled to make his first start for the Indians on Sunday.
Enmanuel Mejia gets the start for Altoona tonight in the second game of the series.
Another prized Pirates prospect, pitcher and 2019 first-round draft pick Quinn Priester, gave up five runs on six hits in two-and-two-thirds innings last night in a rehab start for Class-A Greensboro.
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