Takeaways and Throwaways – Taillon Not Sharp as Home Run Sinks Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Reds 7-2 behind three long balls as Taillon struggles.

Welcome to Takeaways & Throwaways. Shortly after every Pittsburgh Pirates game, come to Pirates Breakdown to see our flash recap format. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the game, without making you read the same boring recap you can see anywhere else.

FINAL: Cincinnati Reds 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Takeaways 

• The Pirates were able to limit Billy Hamilton‘s effectiveness because they didn’t allow him to reach based. Hamilton seems to kill the Pirates every time he faces them. He can turn a ground ball into an infield single, and can turn a single into a double or a triple depending on how many bases he steals. But his speed allows that to do that against almost every team he faces. The Pirates did a good job against him tonight..of course, this comes with the huge caveat that he hit a three-run home run. Let the record show his speed was still limited on the base paths…
• Josh Harrison continues to stay hot at the plate. He’s already closing in on his WAR from last season, which he could surpass before the end of May. How is he doing this? He’s already hit five home runs, surpassing his total from last season. He’s only walked five times, but that walk rate could lead him to surpas his total walks from any single season in his career. And he’s just getting hits. Hopefully he keeps his play up into the summer.

 Throwaways

• Jameson Taillon did not have a good outing. After an impressive start to the season, Taillon has had two poor outings in his last three. Growing pains were certainly going to come in his sophomore season, but I’m still confident in Taillon becoming a top of the rotation pitcher moving forward. Tonight’s outing was the most earned runs Taillon has given up in his young career.
• What the heck, Andrew McCutchen? He’s off to a terrible start to what was supposed to be his big rebound campaign for him. Yes, he has struggled in his career in April, but there can be exceptions to the rule. If McCutchen doesn’t start to perform better, and has another down year, the Pirates will be lucky to get pennies on the dollar for him this summer, and could possible get nothing for him if they hold him until this winter and don’t pick uo his option next year. He did hit a home run late, but it doesn’t help much when you’re already down 7-0.

Line Of the Day

Jordy Mercer had a similar line to last night, and him getting on base is always a good thing:

2 AB | 0 R | 1 H | 0 RBI | 2 BB | 0 SO

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Long ball hurts #Pirates as they fall to the #Reds 7-2. Who was your Player of the Game?

— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) May 4, 2017

Up Next

Fresh off his NL Pitcher of the Month, Ivan Nova will take the mound for the Pirates tomorrow in the final game of the series against the Reds. Tim Asleman