CHICAGO – Joe Musgrove has been close to perfect in the early part of the season.
The big right-hander has yet to allow an earned run in 15 1/3 innings in two starts and one relief appearance.
Yet despite the 0.00 ERA, Musgrove’s record is just 1-1. Such is life pitching for the Pirates, who aren’t especially good at hitting or catching the ball.
Musgrove gave up just two unearned runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings Thursday night, but the Pirates lost to the Cubs 2-0 at Wrigley Field. The Pirates dropped two of three in the series and their record fell to 6-5.
“It’s frustrating to lose a game like this," Musgrove said. “Not so much for me. You just want to see someone get a W next to their name, whether it’s me or someone else, and, most importantly, you want to see the team get the win.”
Musgrove did his part, keeping the Cubs off balance despite not having his usual pinpoint control. He threw just 55 of 87 pitches for strikes but struck out six and walked two.
While it was indeed a frustrating loss for the Pirates, Musgrove admitted he has gotten quite a bit of satisfaction from his early-season success.
He pitched two scoreless innings in relief against the Reds on March 31 in his season debut at Cincinnati. A rainout the previous day threw the Pirates’ rotation into disarray and Musgrove volunteered to have his start skipped and pitch out of the bullpen so everyone else could stay on their normal turn.
Musgrove then pitched seven shutout innings to beat the Reds five days later at PNC Park. He followed that with another fine outing against a Cubs team that has scored in double digits in five of their 12 games this season.
“Personally, it’s great to get off to a start like this,” Musgrove told me as the remolded visitors’ clubhouse began to empty. “This is kind of how everyone ideally would like to start a season and carry it all the way through to the end. You build yourself a little confidence by establishing yourself against teams in your division this early in the season. It’s important.”
Musgrove went 6-9 with a 4.06 ERA in 19 starts last season, his first with the Pirates after being acquired from the Astros as part of the Gerrit Cole trade. Musgrove spent nearly the first two months on the injured list because of a strained shoulder then missed his last two starts because of a stress reaction in a pelvic bone and a hernia.
The Pirates were confident Musgrove was much better than his record indicated. So were managers and scouts from opposing teams.
Most importantly, Musgrove believed he would be better. He has been, even though he believes the quality of his pitches has not been as good this year.
“I really do feel I’m taking my game up another notch,” Musgrove said. “It’s not necessarily because my stuff is better. Actually, I’m pitching with less stuff than I did last year. My fastball has been in the low-90s compared to the mid-90s, so I feel like I’ve lost a weapon.”
Yet Musgrove has adapted, and you can sense his pride in that when he discusses it.
“I’m learning how to pitch and (Francisco) Cervelli is kind of coaching me through that,” Musgrove said. “He’s challenging me at certain times in the game when I need to be challenged. When he challenges me to execute and I follow through with it, then it’s an extra layer of confidence for me.
“I’m happy with how I’m pitching but the key is to keep adding to what I’m doing in my work between starts and continue to get better.”
Musgrove also showed he can battle on a night when he was a little out of sorts. The key to Musgrove’s success is usually the ability to pound the strike zone. He threw first-pitch strikes to just 11 of the 25 batters he faced but still took a shutout into the seventh inning.
“He would get right back into the count, 1-1, 1-2,” Clint Hurdle said. “He did a great job of that.”
Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough as the Cubs pushed across the two unearned runs in the seventh.
Jason Heyward reached second on Erik Gonzalez’s one-out error (more on that later) and scored on Daniel Descalso’s single to left. Hurdle then called on Francisco Liriano and he gave up an RBI double to Victor Caratini.
Down 2-0, the Pirates were sunk. They managed only five hits and put just two runners in scoring position. They also struck out 11 times against winner Jose Quintana during the left-hander’s seven-inning stint.
And Musgrove ended up the hard-luck loser.
“He pitched great,” Hurdle said. “You’ve got to score runs to win, though, and we didn’t do that.”
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
THE GOOD
Melky Cabrera doesn't cover much ground in the outfield anymore as a 34-year-old who is in his 15th major-league season.
However, Cabrera did make an outstanding catch in the fourth inning, a diving and tumbling grab in the right-field corner to rob Kris Bryant of extra bases. Cabrera was on the ground for a few moments after the catch — he had the wind knocked out of him — but remained in the game.
THE BAD
On the flip side, the Pirates seem to make a defensive gaffe in every game, and the one on Heyward's pop fly in the seventh was huge.
Gonzalez and Jung Ho Kang both went out to attempt to make the catch near the left-field foul line while left fielder Pablo Reyes came charging in. Gonzalez dropped the ball while nearly colliding with both players.
"That ball has to be caught," Hurdle said.
Gonzalez told me he called for the ball but Kang apparently didn't hear him.
"It was loud there near the crowd," Gonzalez said. "I feel bad. That was a big play in the game."
It was Gonzalez's third error, tying him with Colin Moran and Kevin Newman for the team lead. The Pirates have 14 in 11 games.
THE OTHER SIDE
Quintana (1-1) made quite a turnaround from his previous start when the Brewers blasted him for eight runs and eight hits in three innings.
The Pirates' only threat against Quintana came in the third inning when they put runners on the corners with one out. However, he struck out Starling Marte then got Cervelli to ground into an inning-ending force out.
"That's as good as we've seen him," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That was dominant. Strikeouts, strike throwing. Everything was working. He was outstanding, and we needed that."
THE DATA
• The starters' ERA is 1.73 as the rotation has surrendered 12 earned runs in 62 1/3 innings through the first 11 games.
• Musgrove is 2-2 against the Cubs in four career starts despite a 1.37 ERA.
• The Pirates lost a game without allowing an earned run for the first time since dropping a 1-0 decision to the Cubs last April 25 at PNC Park.
• Adam Frazier went 2-for-4 and has reached base in all 11 games.
• Josh Bell is 10-for-26 (,385) in his last seven games.
THE INJURIES
• Kevin Newman, infielder, was placed on the injured list Thursday with a lacerated right ring finger and there is no timetable for his return.
• Elias Diaz, catcher, is recovering from a virus and has had his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Indianapolis from Bradenton. He is 3-for-7 with two doubles and two RBIs in two games for Indy. In two games with Bradenton, Diaz was 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs, one stolen base, two walks and one strikeout.
• Gregory Polanco, outfielder, is recovering from left shoulder surgery and is on a rehab assignment with high-A Bradenton. He is 2-for-13 with two RBIs, four walks and two strikeouts in three games.
• Dovydas Neverauskas, right-handed reliever, is recovering from a strained left oblique and has had his rehab assignment moved to Indianapolis from Bradenton. He pitched a scoreless inning in both his appearances with the Marauders.
• Corey Dickerson, outfielder, has a strained right shoulder. The expectation is for him to be back in late April/early May.
• Lonnie Chisenhall, outfielder is out with a broken right hand and is taking batting practice without restriction.
• Kyle Crick, right-handed reliever, is out with a right triceps tightness and played catch for the first time Wednesday.
• Jose Osuna, first baseman/outfielder, is in extended spring training and is participating in all baseball activities. He is expected to begin playing in simulated games next week.
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates open a three-game series against the Nationals in Washington tomorrow night with Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.25) facing left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-0, 3.75). Dale Lolley will be providing the coverage throughout the weekend and I'll be back Tuesday in Detroit.
THE COVERAGE
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