CHICAGO — After concluding a 6-3 homestand by earning a series victory against the Mets, one with seemingly some get-right vibes attached to it, the Pirates set out on a six-game road trip against a couple division foes feeling pretty good.
Like they might have a chance to create even more positive momentum against the Cubs and Brewers, teams they’ll need to handle if they actually want to compete in the NL Central this season.
If what happened at Wrigley Field is any indication, the Pirates should hope they didn’t show their true colors. In what followed a familiar script as the past two nights, the Pirates pitching staff struggled to get outs, a big inning tilted this one in Chicago’s favor, and the Cubs rolled to a 7-2 victory.
Pirates pitchers coughed up 28 runs in the past three days. The bullpen was tagged for 18 earned runs after allowing just 16 over the previous 11 contests.
They lost Colin Holderman to injury and Roansy Contreras to ineffectiveness, and legitimate questions swirl up and down the pitching staff. What happens if there’s another injury to a starter? Can Luis Ortiz and Osvaldo Bido stick? Who the heck is going to get the ball to David Bednar?
Leave some of those for another day.
Given what happened Thursday while facing Cubs starter Marcus Stroman, who won his sixth consecutive start after warding off an early challenge for the Pirates, manager Derek Shelton’s team has plenty on its plate.
After the Cubs battled back to tie the game at 2, first baseman Cody Bellinger pushed the Cubs in front by ripping a flat slider from Jose Hernandez past a diving Carlos Santana and into the right-field corner for a double.
Next came designated hitter Christopher Morel, who lined another two-strike slider off the outstretched glove of Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base. Cubs, 4-2.
Chicago took a gamble to plate its next run, electing to have Nick Madrigal bunt, and the Cubs third baseman did the job. Hernandez fielded the ball and had only a play at first, as Bellinger scored.
The next run was easily the most painful. After a pair of walks from Hernandez to catcher Tucker Barnhart and center fielder Mike Tauchman, Yerry De Los Santos entered the game and got a ground ball to shortstop that should’ve been the final out of the inning.
Instead, Tucupita Marcano couldn’t handle the routine ground ball, and the Cubs grabbed a 6-2 lead. Happ would triple in the sixth and score on a sacrifice fly for Chicago’s seventh run.
The Cubs’ five-run fifth was their sixth inning this series where they scored three or more runs.
ON THE MOUND
Despite an ugly final line, Oviedo actually did pitch well for a well, racking up eight striking through four innings and missing a lot of bats, although he did have to work around a decent amount of traffic.
Oviedo finished with 17 whiffs and 14 called strikes. He also topped out velocity-wise at 99.1 mph. Strikeouts at key times saved Oviedo, but seems to tire in the fifth.
In allowing hits to three of the four Cubs he faced, Oviedo’s fastball velocity was down. Happ, who singled home a run in the third, brought home another when he doubled into the left-field corner on what was actually a decently located four-seamer from Oviedo.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson’s single a batter later knocked Oviedo out of the game, and Hernandez really didn’t fare much better.
AT THE PLATE
Things actually looked promising for the Pirates early, because of their offense. Ji Hwan Bae, Jason Delay and Tucupita Marcano all stroked singles in the third inning. Marcano connected on a cutter from Stroman and went the other way to left.
Santana’s grounder to first brought in another run and gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. But from there, that was pretty much it. Stroman, who had a 1.26 ERA in his five previous starts and continues to lead the major leagues with 13 quality starts, locked it in.
Only Connor Joe had an extra-base hit, while Jason Delay (2) was the only one with multiple hits. Stroman allowed two earned runs over six frames, walking two and striking out five.
UP NEXT
Rich Hill will start the first game in Milwaukee. The left-hander has allowed a total of three runs in 13 2/3 innings while winning each of his past two starts.
