CHICAGO -- The Pirates completed their series of pitching ineptitude in a 16-6 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field Sunday, and they made a little history along the way.
The Pirates allowed 47 runs in this three game series: 17 Friday, 14 Saturday and 16 Sunday. It was the first time since 1908 where they allowed at least 14 runs in three straight games. Since 1913, the farthest back we can safely go for series results, there was only one other three-game series where the Pirates allowed that many runs: June 23-25, 1950.
And, in what has been a noted countdown on the site, it was the 29th time the Pirates allowed double-digit runs in a game this season. That set the record in the franchise's modern history, and it was only the 25th time since 1908 where any MLB team has allowed 10 or more runs in a game that many times.
The Cubs' most recent onslaught began when Kris Bryant homered off Trevor Williams to put them up three, just three batters into the game. Jonathan Lucroy capped it with a solo shot in the eighth against Alex McRae.
Those were just two of the 14 home runs the Cubs hit this series. Perhaps this is a separate can of worms, but the Pirates, conversely, hit none.
Perhaps the most memorable of those 47 runs came in the third inning Sunday. After pinch-hitter Tony Kemp broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run triple, Michael Feliz was instructed to appeal the play at third to see if Jason Heyward missed the bag. And, well:
It effectively turned Kemp's triple into a little league home run. A de facto 15th homer allowed this series.
The Pirates lost the appeal, too, for what it's worth, along with the series.
"I think we need to keep it in perspective," Clint Hurdle said of the series. "Look at the individuals that are involved, review the video tape of the guys on the mound."
Well, we may not have the same access to video, but we can take a look at the individuals that were involved. Here are the results for the 13 pitchers the Pirates used this weekend:
• Steven Brault: 2.2 IP, 10 R
• Trevor Williams: 2.1 IP, 7 R
• James Marvel: 4 IP, 7 R
• Yefry Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 6 R
• Yacksel Rios: 1.2 IP, 4 R
• Wei-Chung Wang: 0.2 IP, 3 R
• Clay Holmes: 1.1 IP, 3 R
• Geoff Hartlieb: 3.1 IP, 3 R
• Michael Feliz: 0.2 IP, 1 R
• Williams Jerez: 1 IP, 1 R
• Parker Markel: 2 IP, 1 R
• Alex McRae: 2.1 IP, 1 R
• Richard Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 0 R
With the exception of Richard Rodriguez, who faced only one batter and, to his credit, got him out, twelve Pirates pitchers used this weekend allowed at least one run. 24 runs were allowed by the starting pitchers in nine combined innings pitched.
"It's hard to find positives in a three-game series like this," Williams said. "However, we have to search for those and we have to glorify those, and also be real with the mistakes that we made and understand that changes need to be made. We only have two weeks left in the season, but I think we can make great strides in cutting back on our negatives and simplifying our positives."
Well, maybe they will make strides. It would be hard to get much worse.
• If you are at all intrigued by the other time the Pirates allowed 47 runs in a seres, the boxscores for those games against the Brooklyn Dodgers are available on Baseball-Reference. Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider had a pretty good series.
This was the fifth streak since 1908 where a team allowed 14 or more runs in three straight games. Once again, that gem was from the handy dandy Play Index. I definitely got my money out of that this weekend.
• After falling behind early, the Pirates' Sunday lineup struck for five runs in the top of the third and chased Jose Quintana after 2.1 innings. The Cubs tied the game in the home half, which is why Feliz was the first man out of the bullpen.
“At the end of the day, we couldn’t get to the right side of our bullpen,” Hurdle said. “We actually tried to get there as early as the third inning and still couldn’t pull it off. They swung the bats as well as I’ve seen them swing the bats. Unfortunately I think we played a big part in that.”
Rios was the next reliever used. He got five outs and allowed four runs.
• Bryan Reynolds broke Paul Waner's club record for most doubles in a rookie season. Waner established the record of 35 in 1926. Reynolds doubled for the 36th and 37th time Sunday.
He also made another pretty snazzy catch in center field in the fifth:
• Erik Gonzalez also doubled, which started the third inning rally. It was his first extra-base hit since Apr. 13. While he spent most of that time on the injured list, he did record 47 plate appearances and 43 at-bats since his return without an XBH.
• Reynolds (and Newman) Watch: A 2-for-5 day raised Reynolds' average to .322. Newman went 1 for 4, which dropped his average to .318.
Reynolds is now fourth in the league in batting and Newman sixth. Ahead of them are Anthony Rendon (.332), Christian Yelich (.329), Ketel Marte (.327) and Jeff McNeil (.318).
• Anthony Rizzo needed helped off the field with a right ankle injury trying to field Williams' bunt in the third. Initial X-Rays indicated it was a sprain, not a fracture.
• Neal Huntington told reporters Sunday that Chris Archer will not return to pitch again this season. Archer, who has been out with a right shoulder injury since being pulled on Aug. 20, had been rehabbing and making progress, but said he "just ran out of time."
“There’s still a little bit of soreness in there," Archer said. "As opposed to continuing to throw through it, we might as well continue to rest it."
• On the injury front, Josh Bell (left groin) and Starling Marte (left wrist) will be reexamined when they return to Pittsburgh Tuesday. Neither played Sunday.
• In non-game related news, the Parks and Rec fan in me really enjoyed seeing Ron and Tammy 2 singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Yo, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally. #DKPS #Pirates pic.twitter.com/8coiWViovm
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) September 15, 2019
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
THE INJURIES
• Chris Archer (10-day IL, shoulder)
• Chris Stratton (10-day IL, right side inflammation)
• Gregory Polanco (60-day IL, shoulder)
• Lonnie Chisenhall (60-day IL, Bueller? Bueller?)
Here’s the most recent full report.
THE SCHEDULE
There is no game Monday as the Pirates head back to Pittsburgh for a three-game series with the Mariners. Mitch Keller (1-4, 8.29) will make the start Tuesday against Marco Gonzales (15-11, 4.30) with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m..
THE COVERAGE
All our baseball content, including Mound Visit by Jason Rollison, can be found on our Pirates page.