It’s pretty simple, really: this team can’t hit right now. Andrew McCutchen lead the game off with a home run, and then the Pirates scattered six hits across the rest of the game. I think the only time they had multiple people on base was in the fourth inning, when Pedro Alvarez struck out with two guys on and two outs (it was not a good K, either, as he got ahead in the count 2-0 and then swung through three fastballs that weren’t any faster than 93 mph and were all hittable pitches). And that was pretty much it.
Chris Iannetta’s three-run homer really sunk the Pirates. It was pretty draining as the inning started with Carlos Gonzalez doubling off the wall on a ball that Matt Diaz probably should’ve caught, then continued with a bunt single and an infield single. Diaz is just brutal in the field and I honestly have no idea why Hurdle went to him when Jose Tabata came out of the game with a tight hamstring. Why even bother claiming Xavier Paul if you’re just going to toss Diaz into the game against righties?
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