Pittsburgh Pirates Takeaways & Throwaways – Ugly Win, But We’ll Take It

Pittsburgh Pirates Hold on Through 12, Defeat the Rockies 9-8 on a RBI Double from Jordy Mercer

Game three of this four-game series against the Colorado Rockies started out looking like a cake walk for the Pirates, who were up 7-0 in the fourth inning. But, as fates often change at Coors Field, the wheels started falling off for the Bucs in the bottom of that same inning, making things feel like the tea-party scene from Alice in Wonderland that dragged on through the 12 innings – the first game to go to extras for the Rockies this season. The good guys held on though, taking the game 9 – 8 and leading the series 3-0.

Takeaways

• Small Ball – Last night the story was all about power and homers, tonight, we’re back to a more familiar tale for the Pirates as they continue to master the art of base-running, offense and relying on “smart hitting.” Through the fourth inning every player in the line-up had either a hit or an RBI. Overall the team made fewer mistakes, made productive outs and really put on display all of the work they’d done in Spring Training on this new approach to the game.
• Pressure – Jon Gray was making his debut as a starter for the Rockies tonight, and thanks to constant pressure by the Pirates offense, lasted only 3.2 innings, giving up nine hits, six runs in 96 pitches. He threw 26 pitches in the first and was at 50 by the second inning. He was replaced by Eddie Butler, who lasted 2.1 innings giving up two hits and one run in 41 pitches. We’ve talked for the past 21 games about the Pirates’ new, patient approach at the plate and we’re still seeing it in play. They are pushing pitchers at each at-bat, making those pitchers work and eating up throws. Unfortunately, the Rockies’ bullpen outperformed the Pirates’ tonight, shutting our hitters down until Polanco’s home run in the top of the seventh.

Throwaways

• The bottom of the fourth inning. The wheels were falling off and in a big way. The Pirates took the field with a 7-0 lead. Then, with only one out, Niese gave up home runs to Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado, a triple to Ryan Raburn and a single to DJ LeMahieu. The Rockies batted around the Buccos and struck some painful blows in the process. Cutch got roughed up by the outfield wall and the Pirates narrowly escaped 7-4. If only that were the end of it.
• This bullpen – When Ryan Vogelsong replaced Niese with bases loaded and one out in the sixth, we celebrated his getting out of the situation with one run. Coming into the seventh, the Pirates led the Rockies 7 -5, then got a boost from a Gregory Polanco homer, taking the score to 8-5. Neftali Feliz came in for Vogelsong, and gave up a double to Nolan Arenado and then a home run to Mark Reynolds then another double to Ryan Raburn. With the score at 8-7, Feliz got the hook for lefty Tony Watson – who got the Pirates out of the inning with no more carnage. But in the bottom of the eighth, he promptly gave up a home run to Gerardo Parra to tie the game 8 – 8. Then, in the 12th, after Mercer scores a run with an RBI double, the Buccos fandom released a sigh of relief as Mark Melancon took the mound. However, after giving up his first two walks of the season, with runners on third and second, he struck Trevor Story out in dramatic fashion, finally ending the misery and giving the Pirates the win. The only bright spot was Kyle Lobstein who pitched three innings giving up three hits, striking out two and even taking a turn at bat. Niese did not deliver the performance of his career tonight – but these days, the shark tank is looking more like a fourth grade goldfish tank with a few floaters at the top.

W – Kyle Lobstein (2-0)

L – Carlos Estevez (0-1)

S – Mark Melancon (5)

Line of the Night – Jordy Mercer hit an RBI double in the top of the 12th inning, his fifth double of the season, to score Polanco from first, breaking up the 8-8 tie. To say Mercer has had a strong start to the season is an understatement. The shortstop boast a .311 average with one homer, 11 RBIs and an OPS of .789.  His one home run of the season came on this road trip, against the Diamondbacks on April 23, and it measured 466.1 feet – the longest this season according to Statcast. Just as Polanco is showing maturity after having secured a long-term contract with the Pirates at the beginning of the season, Mercer too is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, coming through with hits in clutch situations just like tonight (this morning, whatever).

Honorable mention: Even with the fourth inning implosion, Jon Niese kept the Pirates in the game through the sixth when he loaded the bases and was pulled. He worked efficiently, throwing just 85 pitches total and striking out five. He also kept his cool after the terrible fourth, coming back in the fifth to retire the side with an impressive 10 pitches. Coors Field is not a pitcher-friendly ballpark, with Pirates announcer Bob Walk remarking today that pitchers need to adjust how they approach games there, understanding they’ll likely give up runs and to focus instead on “outpitching the opposition.”

Up Next – The final match of this four game series at 3:10 p.m. eastern Thursday, April 28 and the end to an epic western swing for the Pirates. The boys won’t get much rest, though. They fly home, throw some clothes in the washing machine and head to PNC for a three-game series against Cincinnati beginning at 7:05 p.m. Friday, April 29. Expected pitchers are Juan Nicasio (2-2) for the Pirates and Tyler Chatwood (2-2) for the Rockies.