PITTSBURGH — What Luis Ortiz did Sunday during his first PNC Park start was outstanding. His velocity overpowered Cubs hitters. That snappy slider produced some goofy swings, too. In the second inning, Ortiz came a foul ball short of an Immaculate Inning.
For anyone sketching out how Pittsburgh’s rotation might look in 2023, the utensil used may have shifted from pencil to permanent marker. The problem, of course, was everything else.
Pittsburgh suffered an 8-3 loss to the Cubs on Sunday because the offense couldn’t score enough runs and the bullpen once again faltered when trying to prevent them. It’s become an all-too-familiar theme of late.
