As Jameson Taillon stepped back on to the mound in the seventh inning, he saw a reliever already warming in the Pirates' bullpen. Taillon had allowed only two baserunners — neither reached scoring position — and he had thrown only 68 pitches to hold a first-place opponent scoreless through six.
"I know I haven’t been pitching the greatest, so I understand maybe the trust isn’t there," Taillon said afterwards. Taillon, who has emerged as the ace of the rotation, wanted to snap the Pirates' recent skid — a negative-35 run differential over their past four games — and rest a bullpen taxed as the result of short starts.
He was removed only 12 pitches into the inning. Taillon was replaced after his 77th pitch was hit to center by Scott Kingery for a game-tying RBI single, and reliever Edgar Santana allowed a go-ahead RBI double to Jorge Alfaro one pitch later.
It resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Phillies Saturday afternoon at PNC Park. The Pirates, now eight games under .500 at 40-48, have lost five in a row, and the man who nearly pitched them out of that skid wasn't pleased with the decision to not allow him to finish what he started.
“That’s a tough one," Taillon said. "I was really excited and looking forward to being the guy to put an end to our tough streak here. I had my good stuff. I was being aggressive. Put us in a good spot there going into the seventh, and we came out with the loss. This one hurts.”
TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE, STANDINGS, VIDEOTaillon allowed three earned runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings to take his seventh loss of the season. However, he struck out six with no walks, throwing 78 percent of his pitches for strikes. He had command of each of his five pitches, producing 11 swinging strikes, six from his slider alone.
The 26-year-old retired the first nine batters he faced, 12 of 24 on three pitches or less, and his only two hits allowed through six innings were singles. This, Taillon said, was one of his "better total-package games," as he was able to throw his slider, curveball and changeup for strikes, thus making both of his fastballs more effective.
He needed only four pitches to get through the sixth inning, positioning himself to possibly save the bullpen from having to pitch in the second game of an 11-in-10 stretch. Clint Hurdle had other plans, much to the surprise of the man told to warm up in the bullpen.
"I said to [Richard Rodriguez], 'This guy's at like 63 pitches, so why do they want me to warm up?'" Santana said. "They know what they want to do. It wasn't long until they asked me to come into the game." Taillon, who had pitched through the sixth inning in five of his previous eight starts, got Rhys Hoskins to fly out to left to lead off the seventh.
Taillon added: "It's pretty unfortunate. That's the human element of it, pitching looking over your shoulder, feeling — at 68 pitches without a guy touching second base, and someone's warming up, that's tough."
As Taillon walked back to the mound, he noticed someone was throwing in the bullpen. Odubel Herrera then reached safely on a weakly-hit ground ball to Jordy Mercer, and Taillon elevated a fastball to Nick Williams that turned into this line drive to right:
With help from Gregory Polanco, Herrera scored easily and Altherr was able to reach third for the triple. When Ray Searage walked to the mound moments later, Taillon knew he didn't have room for error. Kingery hit the very next pitch, a slider low and away, to center field to score Williams and tie the game:
Hurdle then pulled Taillon in favor of Santana, who owned a 5.06 ERA in his previous 11 relief appearances. His first pitch to Alfaro was launched into the gap in right-center:
None of the 18 balls put in play against Taillon had an exit velocity over 96.4 mph. Alfaro's double traveled at a speed of 110.5.
"Possibly," Hurdle said when asked if Taillon could have faced Alfaro. "At that point in time, I gave him a chance to finish the last guy and keep him off the plate. Felt good about how he commanded the ball, executed the ball. Ball to strike ratio, all the numbers across the board. Once the tying run was in, I felt that was enough."
Hurdle turned to a bullpen that allowed 12 earned runs on 13 hits with eight walks in a 17-5 loss one night earlier. It owned a 5.02 ERA since June 1st — the fourth-worst mark in the National League during that span — and was without two of its more reliable relievers: Steven Brault and Tyler Glasnow. Additionally, it had allowed 34 percent of inherited runners to score — the fourth-worst mark in the NL this season.
The rotation's second consecutive start of 2 1/3 innings Friday forced them to recall Alex McRae, a right-handed starter with a .290 opponents' batting average at Triple-A, from Indianapolis. The Pirates don't have a setup man and even their closer blew four of six saves earlier this season.
Meanwhile, Taillon has emerged as the Pirates' best starting pitcher over the past six weeks. He had a 3.43 ERA over his previous seven starts and had struck out Alfaro in each of his first two plate appearances. Still, Hurdle was staunch with his position.
"It’s one of those games you look back and you think your starter deserved a better fate," he said. "Unfortunately he didn’t get a better fate. I wanted to give him the opportunity to be on the mound to face that last guy."
Kyle Crick pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Felipe Vazquez escaped a jam in the ninth when he had two in scoring position with no outs.
Taillon didn't receive much of an explanation for the quick hook, but he planned on having a conversation with Hurdle and Searage:
The offense didn't give Taillon much help, either. It scored one run in the first when Starling Marte singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Colin Moran. Marte then hit his 10th home run of the season — a solo shot 392 feet to left off Jake Arrieta — in the third for a 2-0 lead.
Marte went 3 for 4 with an outfield assist; however, the rest of the lineup went a combined 5 for 31, including 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position. Corey Dickerson led off the ninth with a bloop base hit down the left-field line and earned a double by sliding around the tag at second.
Phillies reliever Victor Arano recorded three consecutive outs, as the Pirates lost a second consecutive series. And it left the new ace of the staff wondering what could have been.
"It was one of those days where everything was rolling together,” Taillon said.
1. Vazquez finally bears down.
It appeared Vazquez was on the verge of imploding. He walked Carlos Santana to lead off the ninth inning and Altherr followed with a double down the left-field line. With two in scoring position and no outs, Vazquez got Kingery to roll over on a changeup on a ground out to David Freese at third base.
The Pirates' closer then struck out Alfaro with a slider on the hands to bring Maikel Franco to the plate. Once Vazquez fell behind 2-0 to Franco, Hurdle called for an intentional walk. Three pitches later, Vazquez struck out Andrew Knapp with a sweeping slider low and inside to strand the bases loaded.
"Couple strikes that were close, but I guess they weren’t that close," Vazquez said. "I worked my work around. I got out of it."
Hurdle was quick to defend Vazquez afterwards, adding that the hard-throwing lefty has been much better as of late. Vazquez has pitched 9 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts and two walks. That success doesn't mean much when the rest of the bullpen can't protect a lead, yet Vazquez is vital to the Pirates' success in the future.
He's now a foundational piece of the franchise, and it appears he's found an answer to what ailed him earlier this season.
"Lately this guy has been pitching really well and he showed what he can do," Hurdle said. "He got painted into a corner. Second and third, no outs, and he was able to go take care of it."
2. Marte, Cervelli key to any possible turnaround.
It's no coincidence the Pirates have not been the same offense since May 15. That's when Marte suffered a strained right oblique and Francisco Cervelli was hit by a pitch. Although the latter avoided serious injury, that date began the club's tumble down the Central Division standings.
The Pirates were seven games over .500 when Marte's injury occurred, and they've gone 16-30 ever since. If this club is to turn this around — which is increasingly unlikely — it will need both players to return to form.
Marte was batting .303 with a .869 OPS, six home runs and 19 RBIs through May 15, while Cervelli batted .302 with a .981 OPS, six home runs and 24 RBIs during that span.
Marte has batted just .218 with a .624 OPS and 18 RBIs in 34 games since returning from the disabled list on May 26. Cervelli, meanwhile, has batted .188 with a .715 OPS and 12 RBIs. The two-time Gold Glove-winning center fielder seems to be returning to form, with seven hits in 12 at-bats over his past three games, as he went 3 for 4 with two runs, two singles and the home run.
"You see nothing but good signs," Hurdle said of Marte. "The last game in LA, the two games here. The work off the breaking ball machine. He hit a breaking ball today. Quick fire. Seeing some balls early in counts. … I think he’s worked himself into a much more convicted spot in the batter’s box."
Cervelli is expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to first pitch Sunday, although he could be traded by the end of the month. He's the Pirates' highest-paid player and there are several contenders in need of a starting catcher. While Diaz has performed above external expectations, the Pirates need Cervelli to return to his All-Star pace, although it's likely too late.
3. Predicament with Meadows.
Neither the Pirates nor Austin Meadows are benefitting from this current four-man outfield. Sure, the plan has given additional time off to the three starters — Dickerson, Marte and Polanco — however, Hurdle can't reasonably take any of the three out of the starting lineup right now.
If off-days are the goal, then a backup role would be better for a young player such as Jordan Luplow, although he can't play center field. Meadows sat for a second consecutive game Saturday and is mired in a 10-game-long slump that includes a .173 average and 13 strikeouts to only two walks.
The 23-year-old former top prospect is batting .235 with a .588 OPS and only five RBIs in 23 games over the past 30 days. He needs regular at-bats, as much as fans would like to see him remain in the lineup. Dickerson is arguably the Pirates' most valuable commodity on the trade market, so he could very well be gone by the end of the month.
It would make sense to send Meadows down following the Triple-A All-Star break next week and to bring him back once the deadline selling begins.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Pirates vs. Phillies, PNC Park, July 7, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS