Mistakes cost the bucs, Padres beat the bucs 9-2

“Don’t sweat the small stuff”. Well, in the Pirates case, maybe they should have. Many miscues cost the bucs as they lose for the third straight game to the Padres, 9-2, in front of a sell out crowd of 36,967. 

After pitching five strong innings, striking out five batters, Karstens pitched a three-run sixth. After a leadoff single by Jerry Harriston Jr., he reached second on a error by Alvarez, Gonzalez and Headley both hit for RBI Singles making the game 3-2. After intentionally walking Will Venable, Hundley hit a sac fly giving the Padres a 4-2 lead.

 

Karstens threw 96 pitches over six innings, he was charged with 2ER.

I feel like I’m so close to getting over that hump,” said Karstens, who fell to 2-6 and has not recorded a win since June 19, a span of six games after Saturday’s loss. “There’s a few things that haven’t really gone my way, but it’s just part of baseball. And what can I say? They gave me a 2-1 lead and I let it slip away.”

Things got much worse for the Pirates in the eighth. Garrett Jones was issued an error on a ground ball from Headley. Sean Gallagher then allowed two more men to reach after Headley, loading the bases with no outs. Gallagher then balked in a run, Padres 5-2.

The game was delayed for almost 45 minutes due to rain. D.J. Carrasco came in to replace Gallagher and gave up two hits, scoring four more runs, a total of eight men came to the plate.

 

The two rough innings, two errors and balk overshadowed Jose Tabata’s big night at the plate. He went 3 for 5, including an opposite field solo Home Run, his second of the year, and a double. He was a triple away from the cycle. Tabata batting .388 — 19 for 49 — over the past dozen games.

Delywn Young scored the only other run on the night, a solo homerun. Four of Young’s five homeruns this season have came off pretty phoenominal arms; Roy Halladay, Steven Strasburg, Brian Wilson, and Matt Latos. In Delwyn’s six straight starts, since replacing Andrew McCutchen, Young is batting .412, driving in seven runs, and has hit two homers. 

We kept the game close,” Russell said “They took the lead or tied it up, and D.Y. hit the home run. I thought that was big. Unfortunately, we gave them three the next inning. Can’t take away that last part of the game, but it was a pretty well played game. I think our hitters hung in there pretty well.”

The Padres are now 22-9 all-time at PNC Park and improve to 27-20 on the road this season, which is the most road wins in the National League.

Matt Latos improved to 11-4 on the season, his ERA at 2.48, opponents batting just .198 against him. His road starts have been even better for this young arm. He is 7-1 with a 1.36 ERA, 66 Strikeouts per 16 Walks and opponents batting .161 against him.

He was good,” Russell said. “Threw hard up to 96 mph, changed speeds, mixed the breaking ball and changeup”.

“The kid kept the ball down, threw hard,” Young said. “I was pretty impressed, and I think we all were.”

 

Today’s Pitching Matchup:

In the series finale Brad Lincoln take the mound for the Bucs. He is 1-3 with an 6.29 ERA. His last outing – the shortest of his career – lasted just two and one thirds, giving up seven runs.

 

The Padres send Wade LeBlanc who is 4-8 this season with a 3.28 ERA. He struggles away from PETCO Park, going 2-4 in seven starts, an ERA at 4.78.

 

Other Pirates News:

• Opp AVG (MLB Leaders) Last 10 games- Entering Sat

Neil Walker PIT .485

Chris Denorfia SD .471

Starlin Castro CHC .471

Rusty Ryal ARI .467

Delwyn Young PIT .467

• Rudy Owens 7IP, 7H, 1R (unearned) 8K, 0BB
• Tyler Waldron 6IP, 5H, 0ER, 0K, 0BB
• 1B Matt Curry, a Pirates 2010 draftee, continues to rake at St. College. 2/3, 2B, BB today. OPS ~ 1.100 for the season. (via @RoccoDemaro)
• Brandon Moss says he needs to prove he should rejoin the Pirates. 24 hits/18RBI last 15 games. Wants another shot, but “must be earned” (via @scottDMcCauley)
• During an in game interview last night, McCutchen said he will probally return to the lineup for today’s game against the Padres.
• D.J. Carrasco a possible starter for the Pirates? He thinks he could help the team out if he was given the oppurtunity. Read the article here.
• Bad start for Tim Alderson. 4 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
• Jeremy Powell started for Dana Eveland yesterday. Eveland has some elbow tenderness and could miss another start.
• Pirates prospect, Phillip Irwin (WV Power) pitched 7 hitless innings. -MILB

 

Around The Ballparks:

• Miguel Cabrera has been hot for the Tigers. In his last 23 gmaes he is batting .416 with 16 XBH, and 26 RBI. The rest of the team, not so much. In the last 10 games they are 2-8 with a .239 AVG, with just 4 HR.
• Entering 2010, Roy Oswalt was 23-1 lifetime vs. the Reds with a 2.58 ERA. His two starts vs. Cin this season: 0-2, 6.75 ERA.
• The Reds beat the Astros last night, 7-0. Johnny Cueto went 8IP, 4H, 0ER, 6K- 122 pitches. In his last 6 starts he is 4-0 with a 0.88 ERA in 41 innings, allowing just 32 hits.
• Giants Eugenio Velez was hit in the head by a foul ball while in the dugout last night. He was rushed to the hospital. But there is Good news on Velez. CT scan negative, no skull fractures. He is alert and talking, Bochy said. Velez never lost consciousness, was diagnosed with a concussion.
• Ubaldo Jimenez threw 65 pitches, giving up 3 hits, 6 earned runs and issued six walks over two innings. The Rockies lost 10-2. In July his ERA has shot to 7.59 (it was 0.79 in April, 0.78 in May)
• NYM lost to LAD yesterday in 13 innings via James Loney’s 1st career walkoff HR, giving the Mets 12 walkoff losses this season – most in MLB. To see an interview with Loney after the walk off click here
• Yesterday versus the Marlins, Brooks Conrad became the fifth player ever to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in a single season.
• Troy Tulowitzki will continue his minor league rehab through the weekend, and then the Rockies will re-evaluate.
• Dodgers Catcher Brad Asmus says he’ll retire after the season -ESPN
• Rough day for Tigers, Maglio Ordonez will be out 6-8 weeks with a right ankle fracture and They also lost second baseman Carlos Guillen on Saturday with a right calf strain.
• Pablo Sandoval to miss a couple of games on leave -MLB
• Mets 12 walk-off losses are their most in a season since 1989 and 2 shy of their franchise record.
• Jeremy Affeldt goes on the DL with a strain in his left oblique. Joe Martinez is joining the Giants to take his place in the bullpen.
• The right oblique issue that started with Angel Pagan and then Jose Reyes is catching. Rod Barajas left Saturday’s game in the sixth inning with a strain to that muscle.
• Twins Justin Morneau making slow, steady progess. -MLB
• Hunter Pence joined twitter. It’s seriously him. If you don’t believe me, check out this video of him chatting about it. (@HunterPence9)