PITTSBURGH — Rich Hill was livid with a rarely-called first-inning balk. Turns out, his wouldn’t be the only one of the game.
Both he and reliever Jose Hernandez were called for balks that allowed Rangers runners to score from third as Texas went on to win Tuesday night’s game at PNC Park by a 6-1 tally. Hill found himself in trouble in the first inning after Jack Suwinski got a late break on a line drive to center by leadoff man Marcus Semien.
Suwinski made a delayed charge, perhaps due to momentarily losing the ball in the sun, and it rolled all the way to the center-field wall. Hill was on the verge of being able to limit the damage to just one run on Corey Seager’s subsequent single. But after recording two quick outs, Hill appeared to pitch too quickly to Jonah Heim and was called for a balk, in turn plating the Rangers’ second run.
Hill immediately threw up his hands, seemingly in disagreement with home plate umpire Adam Beck, before turning his attention to first base umpire and crew chief Dan Iassogna. Manager Derek Shelton emerged from the dugout soon after, but Carlos Santana prevented him from reaching Iassogna as Hill retreated to the mound.
Hill navigated his way through the next four innings unscathed before a troublesome sixth led to his departure and Hernandez’s arrival. Upon entry, the left-handed Hernandez tried to pick off Robbie Grossman, who had just singled and forced Hill out of the game. Hernandez was called for a balk, once again bringing home a Rangers run in a three-run sixth inning.
A two-out double by Bryan Reynolds in the third brought the Bucs within one run, but that was all the Pirates’ offense could muster against Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who produced a complete game. A pair of baserunning blunders by Ji Hwan Bae, who was picked off at first and gunned down at second after taking a wide turn following an Andrew McCutchen single, certainly didn’t help the Pirates’ cause.
Of course, Evoladi permitted just six hits and the one run in his nine efficient innings of work that necessitated just 104 pitches. The Pirates, who have yet to win a series this month, will have another chance to do so Wednesday. But to do so, they’ll have to be smarter on the basepaths, better in the batter’s box and more deliberate at the rubber.
ON THE MOUND
Despite the four earned runs yielded, Hill certainly had some excellent stuff against the Rangers’ daunted lineup. He produced a season-high nine strikeouts, which were his most since recording as many against the Baltimore Orioles in six shutout innings last September. With nine strikeouts, Hill became the 12th pitcher in the Modern Era to record nine or more strikeouts at the age of 43 years old or older.
Hill’s fastball topped out at 90.9 mph, which was as hard as he averaged during the 2016 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Baseball Savant. His average four-seam fastball velocity of 89.3 mph was up on his season average as well.
Though he didn’t generate many whiffs on the evening, Hill stole a number of strikes with his curveball, spinning in 10 benders for called strikes. In the end, though, Hill’s first and sixth innings proved insurmountable despite some excellent results in his middle four frames.
AT THE PLATE
Batting leadoff for the fifth game in a row, McCutchen continued his success in that role. He entered the evening six for his past 16 — all singles — with a pair of walks. He finally broke through with an extra-base hit Tuesday evening, a leadoff double in the bottom of the first.
McCutchen also walked in the third and singled in the seventh as part of his 2-for-3 evening.
Following Tuesday night’s game, McCutchen’s season batting average is up to .274 and his OPS at .833, both figures the highest they’ve been this decade. Prior to the game, Shelton was noncommittal about how long McCutchen will stay in his current role but commended him on his efforts there thus far.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Johan Oviedo will look to keep his good run of starts for the Pirates going in Wednesday’s matinee series finale. Rangers left-hander Martin Perez, who will get the ball, is fresh off his best start of the season, having dealt seven innings of two-run ball in a win against the Colorado Rockies last Friday.
