PHOENIX — It was one of the Pirates' finer offensive performances in the past six weeks. They chased Diamondbacks starter Clay Buchholz after a six-run fourth inning and pushed two more runs across against one of the best bullpens in the National League to nearly overcome an eight-run deficit.
It still wasn't enough for a win. The Pirates trailed by six runs after the first inning and their bullpen, one of the worst in the majors over the past six weeks, allowed five runs, as they lost to the Diamondbacks, 13-8, Tuesday night at Chase Field. Trevor Williams shouldered the blame for the loss, particularly the disastrous first inning.
Williams wasn't the only one at fault, though. The Pirates' infield defense, a strength during the club's three consecutive playoff appearances, was responsible for two errors in the first and has been one of the team's weaknesses in 2018.
"There have been [some issues]," Hurdle said of his defense. "We’ve got work to do. We’re not playing at the level we’re capable of playing at."
TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE, STANDINGS, VIDEOThe Pirates, now 32-35 and eight games back in the Central Division, have lost 18 of their last 24 games and have now lost eight series in a row. Williams, their most consistent starter for the better part of a calendar year, has a 6.28 ERA in his past eight starts and lasted only three innings for a second consecutive start.
However, he received little help from his defense in the first inning. It began when Colin Moran was slow to react to a ground ball, resulting in a leadoff single for Jon Jay. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a line drive single to center. Williams, whose ground-ball rate has improved by five percent over his past eight starts, got Jake Lamb to roll over on a changeup out of the zone.
The ball got to Josh Bell, who proceeded to do this:
"Yeah, it’s just tough to make so many strides forward," Bell said. "You see a play like that and it kind of reminds me of how I looked a couple years ago. You have to stick to the fundamentals and continue to work."
The failed double-play attempt allowed Jay to score from second base, and John Ryan Murphy followed with a ground-ball single to left to give the Diamondbacks another run. Williams got two quick outs before he threw a hanging changeup that Ketel Marte hit to deep right-center for a two-run triple and a 4-0 Diamondbacks lead.
Opponents were batting .286 with a .783 OPS against Williams in the first inning this season. It was also his fourth consecutive start allowing four or more runs. In addition to the four hits he allowed, Williams also made one of the three errors. The Pirates chose to intentionally walk Jarrod Dyson to face Buchholz, and Williams decided to attempt a quick pickoff to try to catch Dyson off guard.
It didn't go as planned:
"It’s one of those where I short-armed it, it went through and they have a lot of foul territory," Williams said. "He kept running, and he’s fast. It was unfortunate."
Marte scored easily and Dyson reached third base before sprinting home when Josh Harrison's throw to Moran bounced off Dyson into foul territory.
Williams needed 37 pitches to finish the inning and was pulled after allowing two more runs in the third. He's now given up 47 hits in his last 38 2/3 innings, and the Pirates have lost in three of his last four starts. Despite the bullpen's issues and the defensive lapses, Williams blamed himself.
"You just hate doing that," Williams said. "It takes a toll on you mentally, but you know your teammates have your back."
They did at the plate, but not so much in the field. It's become a trend for the Pirates. Entering Tuesday, their negative-30 defensive runs saved were the fourth-fewest in the majors, according to Sports Info Solutions. Their 40 errors are tied for the fifth-most in the National League, and their defensive efficiency rating ranks eighth in the NL.
The Pirates ranked sixth or better in defensive runs saved from 2013 through 2015. The Pirates' four starting infielders — Bell, Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Moran — are rated below-average defenders according to the statistic. Bell ranks 19th among qualified first basemen in the majors and Mercer is 17th among shortstops at negative-8 runs saved.
Meanwhile, the Pirates' negative-1 defensive runs saved by shifting is the second-fewest in the majors. Bell, who saved six runs last season, worked with Kevin Young, a special assistant with the club, before the game on double-play throws to second base.
However, he short-armed his attempt in the first inning and hasn't looked as comfortable at first base as he did last season.
"It’s tough, especially with KY here," Bell said. "It was exactly what we talked about pregame in the work day today. I lost sight of that and let the game speed up a little bit. It happens."
Hurdle said: "Unfortunately we weren’t able to execute defensively the way we need to execute defensively. It started earlier on the double-play ground ball, so the combination of some balls that found some grass in the outfield and our inability to put outs away when we needed to led to six runs early."
The Pirates have now committed at least one error in three consecutive games, yet they nearly overcame the myriad of mistakes. They broke the shutout with a hit-by-pitch and walk with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Harrison then drove in another run with a sacrifice fly before Starling Marte cut the deficit to two runs with a three-run opposite-field home run.
The bullpen couldn't keep the deficit at two, though. Steven Brault walked two and gave up two hits in a two-run fourth inning. The Pirates scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, but Dovydas Neverauskas gave up a three-run homer to Jay in the seventh.
The bullpen has a combined 6.09 ERA since May 18 — the second-worst mark in the majors — and thwarted another comeback attempt. The offense had the leadoff batter reach base for six of the final seven innings, and it finished with 12 hits, including three from both Bell and Marte.
"I feel like the team did a really good job of picking me up there and giving ourselves a fighting chance, but when you spot a team six runs, especially a team as good as they are over there, six runs in the first is tough to come back from," Bell said.
1. Williams unsure of what's wrong.
Hurdle didn't say much when asked about Williams' struggles. He simply told reporters Williams has studied video and is working diligently with Ray Searage to correct the issue. Williams, though, didn't seem to know what's wrong, or at least he's keeping it quiet.
"No. Today was a missed changeup to one of the guys that he hit for a triple," he said. "It’s a tough pickoff. That’s really it. Other than that, I thought my stuff was fine. I thought my location was fine. Just a few tough bounces."
He was only charged with three earned runs, yet was hit hard for an eighth consecutive start. The 26-year-old right-hander has pitched four or fewer innings in three of his last four starts. His 80 pitches resulted in only four swinging strikes and just five ground-ball outs.
WIlliams' 2.29 ERA at the end of April was the best on the Pirates' staff, but it's since inflated to 4.38. He's also allowed a team-high 36 earned runs.
"The pitch total got pushed because of our defense," Hurdle said. "To finish up with 80 pitches in three innings is challenging. He’s always going to battle, he’s always going to fight. I don’t think his weapons were as sharp as he wanted them to be."
Williams struck out two with two walks. His struggles may not be all that surprising. Although opponents batted .187 against Williams during his first six starts, he had 17 walks in 35 1/3 innings and a 35.1 percent ground-ball rate.
His home run to fly ball ratio has spiked to 15.9 percent over the past month, and his hard-contact rate is also up.
"You have to go in every day and look to get better," he said. "It’s obviously disappointing. You hate to let the team down with all the fight they’ve shown my past few starts."
2. It's time to add to the bullpen.
The Pirates will need relief help if they're to actually contend in this division. Michael Feliz, the reliever acquired in the Gerrit Cole trade, had pitched only twice this month before his scoreless eighth inning Tuesday night. He had a 19.06 ERA in his previous six appearances, allowing 12 earned runs in that span.
Neither Edgar Santana nor Kyle Crick were available to pitch Tuesday. Neverauskas has a 1.94 WHIP in 10 1/3 major-league innings this season. Brault has a team-high 27 walks in 49 1/3 innings. Heck, Tyler Glasnow has the highest ground-ball rate among Pirates relievers but Hurdle had to conserve him in case Jameson Taillon also has a short start Wednesday. Oh, and their closer can't stop tipping his pitches.
Together, the group has allowed 51 earned runs in 75 1/3 innings since May 18, and the Pirates can't afford to keep using the same personnel. The front office chose not to sign any major-league free agents this past offseason, despite it being a deep market of affordable relievers.
Neal Huntington did an outstanding job acquiring Corey Dickerson, but there should have been a push to sign at least one veteran reliever. Relief help is more affordable than you would think. Jared Hughes, who signed a two-year, $2.1 million contract with the Reds this offseason, has a 0.93 WHIP in 35 1/3 innings this season. The Pirates saved roughly $695,000 by releasing Hughes in March 2017.
It's time to supplement the bullpen through a trade. The Pirates have the prospects to execute such a deal, and there are always arms available.
3. Yeah, that outfield rotation is working.
Austin Meadows doesn't mind the four-man outfield rotation. He's just thrilled to be in the major leagues. Don't take that the wrong way. He wants to play every day, but he also understands the importance of rest. After all, he dealt with various injuries the past two seasons.
"It's made a difference," Meadows said before the game. "It probably has for all four of us. I'm just excited to be here, really. I'm happy I can contribute."
Plus, the four outfielders know the plan is working. Although the effect isn't always measurable, it's allowing Marte and Dickerson enough rest to have a greater impact. Hurdle hinted Monday that Marte could still be dealing with lingering effects from his right oblique strain. That's not uncommon. Such injuries can bother players for an entire season.
So, Marte was given Monday off and returned Tuesday, when he delivered a well-timed three-run homer to the opposite field. It was only his second home run since coming off the disabled list May 26. Additionally, Dickerson had two impressive at-bats to start the game.
Dickerson, batting second for the first time this season, singled with one out in the first, and hit a fly ball 404 feet to dead center in the fourth inning that would have been a two-run homer at many other ballparks.
This outfield rotation is no longer designed to reignite Polanco. It is about conserving the three starting outfielders: Meadows, Dickerson and Marte. Meadows has started 19 of 24 games since he's been recalled, and he's appeared in 23 of 24. Yeah, he's not your typical backup and all involved are benefitting from the unorthodox plan. But, it wasn’t enough on this night.
"We put up eight," Hurdle said. "We had double-digit hits. Bell had a three-hit night. Harrison had a three-hit night and Marte. We have to keep working. We have to play better."