Another heartbreaking loss, Pirates fall to the Brewers 6-5.
What a game. It was the bottom of the ninth inning and Dotel was in for the Save, the Pirates were up 5-4. Edmonds led off with a double, weeks flied to left, then Corey Hart came to the plate and hit a walk-off two run homer for the win.
Dotel converted seven straight saves before Friday’s blown save, now two blown saves in a row.
The Pirates got swept by the Brewers, the second 3 game sweep in a row. (Astros)
I don’t think the All-Star break could have came any sooner.
Not to be a complete Debbie Downer. It was actually a very good game.
Brad Lincoln had a very good outing. He want 6IP, 7H, 3ER, 3K, 2BB. Unfortunately, he got a no decision. Lincoln has not walked more than three batters in a single start this season.
He did give up 2 homeruns in the game (Braun and Kottaras) but they were only the fifth and sixth homeruns he has given up so far this season.
Lincoln had some great innings. The second inning he retired the three straight batters. In the sixth inning he got into a jam. He walked both Braun and Fielder with no outs but then retired McGhee, Kottaras and Gomez to get out of the inning clean.
The Pirates had a big second inning, they had four hits, 1 HR (Milledge) and scored three runs. (Yesterday was the second time Lastings has homered in back to back games, Aug 2 and 3, 2008.)
It was also McCutchen’s first time since June 23-25 that he has driven in a run, three games in a row.
Pedro Alvarez went deep to right center field and it was a bomb. (His third homerun this season)
Despite the loss, and the blow save. The Pirates really had some good at bats and showed some promise.
“We came up with a big run in the ninth, and the guys did everything they need to do,” Pirates manager John Russell said. “We made a few mistakes late in the game from guys who usually don’t do that. … I can’t really explain what’s going on.”
“With the way things have been going for us, obviously it happened at a bad time for us,” Hanrahan said of the bullpen’s atypical struggles. “You don’t want to break down when you’re about to go into the break. We’ll take these couple days and come back strong.”
“We’ve been in better situations, we’ve been staying in the game,” Milledge said. “Our starting pitchers have been keeping us in the game, and we’ve been able to get some leads early. We’ve dropped these last three, but in these last three games, we’ve been playing real well and just couldn’t get over the hill.”
“I still didn’t really have the command,” Lincoln said. “I was able to get some big outs in a big situation there in the sixth inning, but it’s just unfortunate for us the way our luck’s been going so far.
“It’ s been a tough journey so far for us to be losing ballgames like thi. We’ve been on the winning edge so much, and we’re just letting it slip away. We’re out there playing hard and giving it all we’ve got. We’re just coming up short, and it hasn’t been going our way.”
Milledge 2-3, HR (3), SB
Alvarez 1-4, HR(3)
Braun 2-3, HR(13), 2 Runs
Hart 1-5, walk-off two run HomeRun
Wolf 6IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 5K, 3BB (Wolf leads the NL with 57 BB and 21 HR allowed)
WP: Axford, 5-1
LP: Dotel, 2-2
Other Pirates News:
- Batting Average as a Pinch Hitter:
Ryan Spilborghs .306
Gabe Kapler .297
Jason Varitek .290
Delwyn Young .290
Ross Gload .276
- Colton Cain was promoted from GCL to State College.
- Pedro Alvarez is hitting .289 in the month of July, only .152 in June.
- The Pirates are 17-25 VS the NL Central this season
- Lastings Milledge is 23 for 60, .383 AVG in his last 17 starts in right field.
- Best Fielding % (NL First Baseman)
Prince Fielder- 87 Games, 737 Chances, 1 error, .999% (Made his 274th consecutive straight start yesterday, the longest current streak in ML)
Lance Berkman- 73 Games, 650 Chances, 1 error, .998%
James Loney- 87 Games, 775 Chances, 2 errors, .997%
Joey Votto- 82 games, 728 Chances, 2 errors, .997%
Albert Pujols- 86 games, 867 chances, 2 errors, .997%
Garrett Jones- 383 chances, 2 errors, .995%
- Prospect Watch: Hitters:
Jeff Clement (AAA) .279 AVG, 6HR, 20 RBI
Josh Harrison (AA) .311 AVG, 49 RBI, 50 Runs
Chase D’Arnaud (AA) .241 AVG, 31 RBI, 17 SB
Gorkys Hernandez (AA) .264, 41 Runs, 16 SB
Calvin Anderson (High A) .293, 9HR, 50 RBI
- Prospect Watch: Pitchers
Danny Moskos (AAA) 0-1, 2.57 ERA, 8K
Charlie Morton (AAA) 1-3, 4.50 ERA, 25K/14BB
Rudy Owens (AA) 8-3, 3.00 ERA, 81K/19BB
Bryan Morris (AA) 4-4, 4.19 ERA, 52K/19BB
Jeff Locke (High A) 9-3, 3.54 ERA, 83K/14BB
- Pirates, Scoring 4+ Runs (This season, entering Sunday)
Month Games 4+ Runs PCT%
April 23 10 .435
May 27 7 .259
June 26 10 .285
July 9 3 .333
Totals: 85 30 .353
The Pirates offense is averaging 3.2 runs per game in the first half of the season (Last in MLB)
The League average is about 9 runs per game (4 1/2 per team)
- The Pirates Allowing 4 + runs (this season, entering Sunday)
Month Games 4+ Runs Pct%
April 23 8 .350
May 27 15 .555
June 26 12 .462
July 9 4 .444
Totals: 85 39 .459
The Pirates pitching staff team ERA in 5.09 (29th in MLB)
- The Pirates promoted Jeff Locke (High-A Bradenton) to Altoona Curve yesterday.
- After the game the Pirates optioned Jason Jaramillo and Justin Thomas to AAA Indy. Zack Duke will come off the DL. The other spot has yet to be annouced, although rumors are swirling it’s Erik Kratz.
@RobBiertempfel: JR- “JJ needs to go play every day (at Indy). We still think he’s more than just a backup catcher.”
- The Pirates set rotation after the All-Star break is: Duke, Ohlendorf, Maholm, Karstens, Lincoln
Kristy Robinson
