In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Bucs showed their grit Thursday night in St. Louis, having to battle back all night long before finally taking an 8-5 lead in the eighth inning on a Francisco Cervelli three-run homer.
Then it happened again.
Felipe Vazquez blew another save, allowing five runs, four earned, in the bottom of the ninth without recording an out as the Pirates lost 10-8 to the Cardinals in devastating fashion.
Boy do I miss Felipe Rivero.
Yairo Munoz connected on a three-run walk-off homer that sent Vazquez and the rest of the Pirates into the clubhouse wondering what they can do next.
The loss is the Bucs fifth straight in St. Louis, a place where they have dropped 12 of their past 14 games.
Trevor Williams allowed four first-inning runs to put the Bucs in a quick 4-0 hole, but battled through five. Tyler Glasnow and Kyle Crick were once again great out of the pen, combining for three hitless innings of work.
Jordy Mercer delivered an RBI single and Gregory Polanco added an RBI double to make it 4-2 before Josh Bell tied the game at four with a two-run homer.
Greg Garcia gave the Cards a 5-4 lead with an RBI single in the fifth, but Polanco tied the game at five with an RBI double in the eighth setting the stage for Cervelli who at the time delivered what looked like the knockout punch.
Once again though it wasn’t to be.
Welcome Back Polanco
If there’s some good news to take away from such a devastating loss it came in the form of Polanco, who broke an 0-for-22 streak at the plate with a 3-for-4 night.
Polanco had a pair of RBI doubles in the loss so hopefully it’s a sign of getting his confidence back.
UP NEXT
The Bucs and Cards meet for the second game of their four-game set tonight.
Jameson Taillon (2-4, 4.53 ERA) will face the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas (6-0, 2.58).
Taillon is 1-1 with a 4.45 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis.
#BUCSin280
Unbelievable. #Cardinals score 5 in the ninth and win 10-8. A walk-off 3-run bomb ends it. Just an awful, awful loss for the #Pirates. Vasquez didn’t even record an out. Man. Cervelli homered. Polanco had 3 hits. Williams was bad. The Pirates really blew this one. #BUCSin280
— Pirates Breakdown (@piratebreakdown) June 1, 2018
Daily Links
- Clayton Kershaw returns, now to have MRI on back
- Braves cool off Nats, back in first place
- Report cards for every MLB team heading into June
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