The Pittsburgh Pirates currently hold a 16-15 record and sit in fifth place in the NL Central. The club lost to the Cardinals 5-4 on Wednesday night. This defeat extended their losing streak to a season-high four games.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates fell just short. Cardinals rookie Nathan Church robbed Nick Gonzales of a potential walk-off, two-run home run in the ninth inning. Starter Bubba Chandler took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks over 5.0 innings while striking out six (85 pitches, 53 strikes). The bullpen saw debutant Chris Devenski and Evan Sisk each charged with a run in the seventh. However, Yohan Ramírez and Dennis Santana later provided scoreless relief. They kept the deficit at one.
Pinch-hitter Nick Yorke provided a late-inning spark, finishing the night 1-for-2 with two RBI. He hit a clutch two-run single to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning. This hit trimmed the Cardinals’ lead to 5-3. It also ignited a rally. Yorke’s performance kept the Pirates within reach late. However, the team ultimately finished the night just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made several roster moves. They selected the contract of Chris Devenski from Triple-A Indianapolis. They also optioned Hunter Barco. Additionally, the team designated Ryan Harbin for assignment. Nick Gonzales extended his career-best hitting streak to 10 games with an eighth-inning single. Catcher Joey Bart also recorded his first multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-3. Manager Don Kelly was frustrated in the seventh inning. A questionable check-swing call led to a critical strikeout with the bases loaded.
The Pirates look to avoid a four-game series sweep today at 12:35 p.m. ET with reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes (4-1, 2.48 ERA) on the mound. He will face St. Louis Hunter Dobbins, who is slated to make his season debut.
Losing on a walk-off robbery is the ultimate “baseball being baseball” moment. However, seeing Jared Jones hit 99 mph in a rehab start is the silver lining this city needs. What do you think?
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