I would hate to try and create a hierarchy of painful Pirate losses from the last month or so, but this game scores pretty highly because it introduced us to the image of Andrew McCutchen doing everything he can to drag his lackluster team to a win, but still falling short. When McCutchen came up in the eighth inning, he was 0-for-2 with a HBP and the Pirates were losing 3-2. He homered to left center (his first at PNC Park on the seasons) with a vintage Andrew McCutchen swing to tie the game up, and for a moment it seemed like maybe the momentum had swung enough to get the Pirates a win in a game like this one. In the tenth, McCutchen singled with one out but was called out at second on the oh-so-rare strike-’em-out-catchers-interference-’em-out double play. In the 13th, McCutchen again hit a one-out single, but was stranded at second when Pedro Alvarez struck out by swinging at three pitches one at-bat after Jung-Ho Kang walked on four pitches. Three hits in the eighth inning or later for McCutchen, and all for naught.
For the second time in as many Jeff Locke starts, the Pirates fell behind early and used some late rallies to tie the game up, only to lose the game in extra innings. There are few losses more frustrating than the comeback that falls short and ends in a dramatic loss. I guess on the bright side, at least this game didn’t end with anyone falling down. At least, not literally.
Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
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