The Pirates went into the bottom of the sixth Friday ahead 2-1.
They left it down 7-2, which would end up being the final score of the second game of their doubleheader at PNC Park, of which they were considered the visiting team so they could remake a missed game from their postponed series from August.
The journey to get there included three fielding errors, a mental one and a “blatant,” “unacceptable” call.
It was the type of inning that showcased why this team is a league-worst 15-36.
“Everything kind of snowballed,” manager Derek Shelton said. “It was an ugly inning.”
Well, let’s go through it.
We’ll start with the one that was out of their control, the missed call from umpire Jeremie Rehak. Or at least the call Chad Kuhl was sure was strike three, rather than ball four, to Tommy Edman to open the inning.
“It was just a blatant missed call,” Kuhl said. “Just kind of unacceptable. Especially the slider – we talk about this all the time as pitchers – the ones that are never a ball and never end up a ball. Just unacceptable.”
Not that he appeared to need any help to get a call there, but Jacob Stallings, a very good pitch framer, was receiving there, and was obviously not happy either. Things continued to escalate in the top of the seventh when he took a 3-2 pitch in the same spot and was called out on strikes.
He and Rehak had what appeared to be a tense, but civil, exchange before he went back to the dugout. The first pitch of the following at-bat was in the same location again, this time called a ball. Stallings appeared to yell the word “same” from the dugout after the call.
Whatever he said, it was enough to get him tossed for the first time of his career.
“On that one with Kuhl, we asked from the dugout if that was out. He had it down,” Shelton said. “Jake thought that pitch was very similar height to the one we wanted from Kuhl.”
Stallings would end up making the first error of the inning the following at-bat, getting nicked with Paul Goldscmidt’s bat and being charged with catcher’s interference.
“You don’t blame Stalls for that,” Kuhl said. “He’s trying to make a play on the guy running.”
Kuhl then walked the bases loaded, sending Shelton out to replace him with Chris Stratton.
And to Stratton’s credit, he did get some weak contact and should have gotten out of the inning several times, but the defense made three straight miscues.
The first wasn’t charged as an error, but it was arguably the most damaging. Paul DeJong lifted a lazy fly ball to right, but it was plenty deep to score the tying run. However, Gregory Polanco decided to go home with the throw anyway, allowing Brad Miller, the runner on first, to move up a base and take away the potential double play.
And that scenario would play out immediately the next at-bat. Tyler O’Neill bounced a ball right to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who had to now go home with the throw. Goldschmidt, breaking towards the plate, ran on the pitcher’s mound side of the line, not giving Hayes a clean throw lane.
He would end up throwing wide of Stallings for his first big-league error, and the Pirates’ second of the inning:
But had he had that force at second base…
“He’s just got to hit the cut-off man so we can keep the double play in order,” Shelton said on Polanco’s decision to go home. “Then Ke has a double-play ball and we’re out of the inning there.”
And of course, error number three would follow immediately after, when Josh Bell tried to start an inning-ending double play, but ended up throwing it wide of the shortstop, Erik Gonzalez:
“On that play right there, we just made the wrong decision on where we should have thrown the ball,” Shelton said, signaling he wanted Bell to go home with it.
At this point, Stratton had gotten what should have been four or five outs already, but only had one to show for it. So it’s no surprise that Dylan Carlson put the game out of reach with a home run to right center after back-to-back errors, capping the damage at six unearned runs.
“Stratton actually executed,” Shelton said. “He got the two ground balls we were looking for, did his job. And we just didn’t make the plays.”
After losing a one-run game in the matinee Friday, this winnable game quickly turned on the Pirates, who have now committed 44 errors, the most in baseball.
So what comes after an inning like this?
“We got a lot of teachable moments from tonight,” Shelton said. “We got a bunch of teachable moments from the sixth inning. We have to address them.”
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Jacob Stallings argues a strike call in the seventh inning Friday.
• Despite the sour ending, Kuhl had a good bounce back start after allowing nine runs against the Royals Sunday, striking out six and allowing just one earned runs in his five-plus innings.
The difference from those two outings was his right index finger did not act up again. Kuhl has been dealing with on and off cuticle and blister problems on his right index finger throughout the season, affecting how he is able to throw his fastball.
He has been searching for a way to curb those problems, and athletic trainer Ben Potenziano suggested an odd one: Soaking his finger in lime juice.
"I had a cup full of limes waiting for me at the Cincinnati hotel, so for the past few days, I’ve been soaking it in lime juice," Kuhl said. "It’s worked.”
• Shelton wanted to have a lefty at the top of the order for the second game since Adam Frazier was getting the day off, so he turned to Bryan Reynolds, who went 2-for-3.
He would end up providing the Pirates' offense for the night, turning on a high Daniel Ponce de Leon fastball and putting it in the river for the first time in his career:
It's been a struggle to get Reynolds going this season, and the Pirates have had a hard time finding a productive leadoff hitter. So could the Pirates kill two birds with one stone?
"I'm open for whatever," Reynold said on the prospect. "I've done it probably a handful of times in my career. I don't know exactly how many, but I'm relatively comfortable there. I'm open to whatever."
• Bell has been limited to 258 2/3 innings at first base this year, receiving a large portion of his at-bats as the designated hitter, but his five errors are tied with Joey Votto and Jose Abreu for the most in baseball among first basemen. His -3 defensive runs saved is tied for the fourth worst at that position, too.
Bell worked hard this offseason and during the shutdown to adopt a submarine throwing motion, but so far, he has made four throwing errors. But Shelton didn't think the new motion was the reason for the error Friday.
"On that play right there, we just made the wrong decision on where we should have thrown the ball,” Shelton said, reaffirming his previous belief.
• Hayes is the only player in this lineup that has a season OPS of at least .800, sitting at .914. The offense hasn't had much bite to it all year.
• Factoid of the night: This was the 17th game this season where the Pirates allowed an unearned run. The only team with more such games are the Blue Jays (20), Marlins (18) and Orioles (18).
More to come.