Cody Ponce was looking to keep the slider low and out of the zone, and put it where he wanted.
Joc Pederson got a hold of it anyway:
"It was the right pitch that we wanted to go to,” Ponce said. “It was set up right where we wanted it. I think it just came out of my hand a little bit wrong. Backed up a little on me.”
That two-run blast and a two-out RBI base hit by Anthony Rizzo later in the inning were the difference makers Tuesday, resulting in a 4-3 Pirates loss to the Cubs at PNC Park.
The pitch to Rizzo was also a slider where Ponce wanted it, and it was hardly tagged. But the four-hopper beat the shift, getting just past Cole Tucker.
That inning undermined what had been a good first start of the season for the righty. While Ponce allowed nine hits over his five innings, and all four runs, he only walked one and was on the plate all night.
“He did a nice job,” Derek Shelton said of Ponce’s night. “He competed, he threw the ball on the plate, no nerves at all, which was good, it's just we ended up not executing a couple of pitches.
“The way it's been lately, when we don't execute pitches, they're getting hit out of the ballpark.”
They have been flying out. Ponce allowed a pair of homers to Pederson, the other coming off a hung changeup in the third. Dating back to the weekend series against the Braves, the Pirates have now allowed 17 homers over their last five games, and the offense hasn’t been able to keep up.
Tuesday’s loss dropped the Pirates to 18-29, putting them on pace for a 62-100 record on the year. It was their 18th loss over their last 24 games.
At least Tuesday’s loss was with Ponce, someone who could be in the team’s pitching plans going forward. It’s an example of why there’s a very strong case to just play the kids. There isn’t much to lose and potentially something to gain.
That was part of the reason why Ponce made the start Tuesday. With an off-day Monday, the Pirates could have theoretically just skipped a spot in the rotation and kept everyone at full rest. But they want to get pitchers like him and Miguel Yajure looks in the majors, even though there isn’t a full-time spot available.
“We felt today was a good opportunity to integrate Cody in there,” Shelton said before the game.
But those opportunities come with the understanding that there are going to be some ups and downs. Playing the kids comes with growing pains.
Case and point, Tucker. He went into spring training as one of three contenders for the starting shortstop job. He was sidelined for a bit, which more or less killed his chances of earning the job.
Once spring ended, Tucker did not join the Major-League team or the alternate site players heading north. Instead, he stayed in Bradenton, Fla. to work on his hitting.
Tucker went 1-for-4 on the night with a pair of strikeouts. While he whiffed just once out of his six swings, he looked at four strikes, three of which were fastballs.
And he was almost the hero in the ninth, lining a double into the gap to open the inning and moving up to third on a short Will Craig fly ball to right. He wouldn’t advance another base.
While Tucker’s results in his first three at-bats weren’t good, Shelton saw signs of improvement.
“I thought, from the things we've been working on with Tuck, he was in a better spot,” Shelton said. “We didn't see the results of it, but in terms of how he looked in the box, how his set-up was, how his load was, definitely signs of encouragement.”
Another example: David Bednar. With two on and one out in the seventh, Shelton turned to him to try to keep it a one-run game. He succeeded, and struck out Javier Báez before getting Rizzo to lift a lazy fly ball to left.
After earning a job out of spring training, Bednar is finding himself pitching in bigger spots as the season progresses.
“We continue to see him make strides, and it's why he's getting leverage innings,” Shelton said.
It hasn’t just been Bednar. While his results have been mixed, Wil Crowe has shown flashes in his first extended look in the rotation. So has Yajure in his cameos. While he is no longer a top prospect, Craig has held his own in his second taste of the majors, and barrelled up a double Tuesday. Some positive takeaways to even out for when an Anthony Alford or Dustin Fowler doesn’t pan out.
There will be more cycling and more opportunities for players to come. A chance for them to show they can be part of the team once that big wave of talent that’s in the lower levels of the system is ready.
But expect bumps on the road along the way.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• The Pirates jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead against Jake Arrieta off a passed ball and run-scoring base hits from Jacob Stallings and Ben Gamel, but couldn't push another run across after the second inning.
They did have opportunities late, though. After a Wilmer Difo pinch-hit double put two runners in scoring position and two out, Bryan Reynolds struck out for the third time on the night, unable to hold up against Andrew Chafin's pitch in the dirt.
In the ninth, Tucker got to third with one out, but Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel got Ildemaro Vargas to fan and then Adam Frazier to bounce out to shortstop to end it.
The Pirates went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position on the night.
• Frazier did extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a base hit on the first pitch of Arrieta's night. He also walked and was hit by a pitch in his five trips to the plate Tuesday.
"He’s been fun to watch," Gamel said. "It’s my third week here now and there hasn’t been a game yet where he hasn't barreled up three or four balls. It’s just been absolutely incredible to watch. I love watching that guy go to work every day, It’s been awesome to see."
• Gamel had himself a good, albeit abbreviated game, going 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in his three plate appearances out of the No. 2 spot. He was lifted for Difo when the Cubs turned to the lefty Chafin.
" I definitely saw the ball well tonight," Gamel said. "I'm just happy to be in the lineup, no matter where — two, three, four … all the way to nine."
• The bullpen did its part to pick up Ponce, going four scoreless innings. The only pitcher to have some trouble was Sam Howard, who walked the leadoff batter before Kris Bryant popped a ball straight up, but just beating the Pirates' shift.
Bednar picked him up to close out the frame.
Howard was checked out by the medical staff in the middle of his outing, and while he was removed after just three batters, Shelton said that was a strategical move, not one based on an injury.
Clay Holmes tossed a scoreless sixth, and hasn't allowed a run since April 21. Chasen Shreve tossed a clean eighth, and Richard Rodriguez worked around a hit in the ninth.
• Ponce isn't new to the spot start routine. Three of his five outings in his first season in the majors last year were one-and-done starts.
Whether it's Class AAA or the majors, Ponce knows "the mound is still 60 feet, six inches" away.
"I think my job is every five days, I go out there and take the baseball whenever they tell me," he said.
While with Indianapolis, he and Joel Hanrahan had been working on pounding the bottom of the zone, but also having the ability to throw the fastball high. That way he could pitch to his strengths low, but still have leverage against hitters who have more of an uppercut, launch angle-focused swing that usually does better lower in the zone.
"It's just a little Tom and Jerry game, back and forth and learning how to go both up and down," Ponce said.
• Factoid of the night: Reynolds swung and missed eight times Tuesday. Six were on sliders, two on curves.
His eight whiffs are a new single-game career high for him. His previous high was six, most recently done April 14. The only other player to whiff eight times against breaking pitches in a single game this year is Miguel Sano on May 22, 2021.
THE ESSENTIALS
Box score
Video Highlights
Scoreboard
Standings
Statistics
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
Adam Frazier, 2B
Ben Gamel, LF
Bryan Reynolds, CF
Jacob Stallings, C
Gregory Polanco, RF
Erik Gonzalez, 3B
Cole Tucker, SS
Will Craig, 1B
Mitch Keller, P
And for David Ross' Cubs:
Joc Pederson, LF
Kris Bryant, RF
Javier Baez, SS
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
Ian Happ, CF
Nico Hoerner, 2B
David Bote, 3B
PJ Higgins, C
Jake Arrieta, P
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirate keep the series going against the Cubs at PNC Park on Wednesday. Crowe is in line to start against former Pirate right-hander Trevor Williams. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Gerard and I will have you covered for that one.
THE CONTENT
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