Pirates Suffer Second Shutout Loss to Mariners

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates struggled from the plate all night long and wasted a strong team pitching performance in a 1-0 defeat to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

This makes it back-to-back shutout losses to the Mariners, as they dropped a 6-0 contest in the series opener on July 4. It also makes it four straight road series that they Pirates have lost.

Pittsburgh drops to 38-52 overall and 12-31 on the road, while Seattle improves to 46-42 overall and 23-21 at home.

Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows faced a strong Mariners lineup in his eighth start of the season and tough situations.

Burrows and the Pirates deployed a strategy early on of intentionally walking Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the MLB with 35 home runs and hit two in the series opener win on July 4.

He intentionally walked Raleigh in the first inning, but got out of it with no problem, but also did so in the third inning, after previously allowing a ground rule double to Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford in the bottom of the third inning.

Burrows would strikeout Seattle left fielder Randy Arozarena, thanks to a third strike call on a slider far outside and away, keeping it scoreless.

He allowed a double to Mariners right fielder Dominic Canzone with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but got third baseman Ben Williamson to fly out and ended that scoring opportunity.

Burrows also gave up back-to-back walks to Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez and Raleigh after nine pitches, not intentionally walking him.

Rodríguez stole third base, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Burrows struck Arozarena out for the third time, shutting out the Mariners again.

Burrows finished his outing after five scorless innings and 85 pitches thrown, with three hits and four walks allowed, but posting six strikeouts, giving him a 2.30 ERA over his last seven starts.

Mariners right-handed starting pitcher Luis Castillo provided problems for the Pirates throughtout his outing, allowing just two hits to Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz and posting eight strikeouts over seven innings.

Left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson took over for the Pirates in the bottom of the sixth inning and gave up a leadoff double to Mariners designated hitter Jorge Polanco.

He forced both Mariners right fielder Luke Raley and pinch hitter Donovan Solano into groundouts, moving Polanco to third base, but gave up a double to Williamson, scoring Polanco as the home team took a 1-0 lead.

Ferguson then loaded the bases for Seattle as he hit second baseman Cole Young with a pitch and then walked Crawford.

Pirates manager Don Kelly brought in right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson came in and struckout Rodríguez, ending the inning.

Mattson posted two more strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh inning and then right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana threw a scoreless eighth inning.

The Pirates finished with a season-low two hits, previously doing so in a 4-0 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark on April 13.

This marks the first time the Pirates have suffered back-to-back shutouts since they lost both 8-0 and 4-0, June 19-20, 2023, respectively, to the Chicago Cubs. It is also the 12th shutout defeat of the season for the Pirates, the most in the MLB.

The Pirates will try and avoid the sweep against the Mariners in the series finale on July 6. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. (EST).