MILWAUKEE — The Pirates saw a one-run lead dissolve Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers without allowing an earned run.
Most of their issues, at least the game-deciding ones, in a 6-1 defeat were defensive.
The first issue came in the fifth inning, with the Pirates up by a run. Left-hander Manny Banuelos was on the mound and had already given up a one-out walk. The next batter, Christian Yelich, grounded into what looked like an inning-ending double play. Shifted toward second base, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes ranged to his left with plenty of time to step on second and double off Yelich. The only problem was Hayes forgot the ball and both runners reached safely. He said after the game that he rushed it trying to get to second to step on the bag and took his eye off the ball.
A Willy Adames double scored the Brewers’ first run of the game to tie it.
In the sixth, it was shortstop Oneil Cruz’s turn to make a mistake. The first batter of the inning, Keston Hiura, grounded an easy one to Cruz, who scooped it and fired a ball way wide of first for a two-base error. Pitcher Miguel Yajure got two groundouts after that, but both were to the right side of the infield, allowing Hiura to scamper home without a play.
The Brewers scored their remaining runs in somewhat more conventional fashion. In the seventh, they just blitzed Yajure with a one-out single and walk. Their next single was a line drive smoked at Cruz. The more critical viewers will say he could have had it, and maybe that’s true, but the 103.4 mph frozen rope skipped off the ground, then Cruz’s glove and into center for an RBI single.
That’s when the pitching wheels fell completely off the Pirates’ wagon. Yajure gave up one more RBI single before making way for Yohan Ramirez, who proceeded to walk the bases loaded, then walk in a pair of runs. Ramirez eventually got out of the inning but not before the Brewers had made it a 6-1 game, the eventual final score.
“Our margin for error is not very big,” manager Derek Shelton said. “When we don’t field the ball and we put extra guys on base, we’re going to put ourselves in a hole that’s hard to dig out of.”
All of that, in quick succession, is how the Pirates saw a one-run lead melt into another disappointing loss, but it isn’t the only thing to be blamed. The Pirates’ offense went nearly dormant against Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta. The only damage any Brewers pitcher incurred on the afternoon, in fact, came on a solo homer from Pirates outfielder Ben Gamel in the fourth, which gave the Pirates’ their eventually squandered 1-0 lead.
In total, Peralta lasted just five innings but allowed just two hits. With that, his career ERA dropped to 2.84 against the Pirates, by far his lowest for any opponent he’s thrown 20 or more innings against.
“We didn’t get much offense going at all, and that’s the other part of it,” Shelton said. “We can talk about not making a couple of plays defensively and walking guys, but if we don’t get anything going offensively, it really doesn’t matter. ... We have to be more consistent offensively, too.”
What is perhaps most notable about all of this is, with the Pirates trying to cobble starting innings together at the moment with right-hander JT Brubaker only just returning from the paternity list, they were forced to start right-hander Zach Thompson, who threw four scoreless innings.
Thompson was named the starter late Tuesday night about an hour after the game. He knew he was pitching Wednesday, but didn’t know if it would be in a starting role or out of the bullpen. That uncertainty, Thompson thinks, may have helped him.
“Thankfully, I’ve done this before, so it’s not that new to me,” Thompson said. “Honestly, it’s kind of nice not to think, just be in a spot where you’re on your toes and can just do whatever with your day and there’s no superstition or anything involved. Just be yourself. It’s something that I think has benefitted me so far.”
Unfortunately for him and the Pirates, those efforts were erased by defensive miscues and a near-silent offense.
Roster moves
Prior to the game, Yajure was recalled and Brubaker was reactivated. With that, the Pirates had to clear some roster space, so they optioned left-handed relievers Cam Vieaux and Eric Stout back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Injury updates
— Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Pirates closer David Bednar is expected to throw a side bullpen session in the coming days with a live batting practice session coming sometime next week.
— Left-hander Dillon Peters, meanwhile, is a bit ahead of schedule, with the hope being he could throw a live BP at the end of this week.
— Still unexpected to return this season, catcher Roberto Perez is back playing catch, hitting but not yet running.
— Meanwhile, right-hander Colin Holderman, out with right shoulder soreness, is “relatively asymptomatic,” Tomczyk said, but has not yet picked up a baseball.
— The Pirates’ No. 8 prospect on MLB Pipeline, right-hander Mike Burrows, was placed on the 7-day injured list Wednesday, though the designation came after Tomczyk’s media availability and it is not presently known the nature or severity of the injury.
