MIAMI -- It was a day of missed opportunities for the Pirates. On the base paths. With runners in scoring position. With their starter giving another lengthy, quality start.
And to win a series. After taking the first two games at loanDepot park this week to push their winning streak to four games -- their longest since 2019 -- they dropped their second-straight extra-inning game to the Marlins Thursday, this time 3-2 in 11 innings.
And when Brian Anderson drove Wil Crowe's final slider into the right-center gap to end it, there were plenty of moments that stood out on how such an outcome could have been prevented.
The most obvious came in the seventh. After back-to-back singles by Jake Marisnick and then Oneil Cruz put runners on the corners with nobody out, the Pirates would end up not swinging at another pitch that inning. After pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach struck out looking, Cruz was thrown out trying to steal second with Kevin Newman at the dish.
"It was my decision," Derek Shelton said about the attempt. "We were trying to create something, and it ended up not working out."
Cruz would also be thrown out trying to steal another base in the ninth inning.
The bigger base running blunder would come shortly after. With a full count, Newman checked his swing on an Anthony Bass slider in the dirt. Marisnick broke towards home because he thought he saw home plate umpire Alex MacKay signal strike three. It wasn't until he neared home that he realized catcher Nick Fortes didn't have to throw to first base, and the backstop applied a quick tag to kill the rally:
"I was telling myself to be aggressive on a ball in the dirt," Marisnick said. "On a ball in the dirt swinging or something, just put some pressure on him, be in the [catcher's] peripherals. I thought it was strike three. I saw the ump give the [point] motion. It looked like it was strike three, the catcher went to tag him, and in my head, I was like, 'It's strike three.' I got stuck in no man's land. It's a mistake you can't make in a one-run baseball game."
Mistakes piled on there. Wasted was Zach Thompson's longest, and possibly best, outing as a Pirate, 6 2/3 innings of one run ball. Wasted almost entirely was their opportunities with runners in scoring position, going just 1-for-15, that one hit being a Ben Gamel double in 11th when the Pirates were spotted a runner on second to start the extra frame.
Wasted were 41 pitches that Pirate batters watched as a called strike, leading to 16 strikeouts as a team.
"If it's that many," Shelton said after qualifying that Baseball Savant's count of called strikes seemed high, "then yeah, we have to be a little more aggressive."
Mix it all in, and the Pirates leave Miami with just a split in the four-game series, missing out at an opportunity for a quality road series win.
"It was a grind," Shelton said. "We just didn't really get anything going offensively."
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Like Mitch Keller and JT Brubaker earlier this series, Thompson delivered one of his best, longest starts of the season, going 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
While erratic early, walking a couple batters in the first and working a couple three ball counts, he settled in nicely for the second trip through the order, relying primarily on his sinker and cutter. He finished with four hits and three walks on his ledger, striking out two.
"I talked with [pitching coach] Oscar [Marin], I think after the second inning," Thompson said. "We just figured some stuff out. Was just telling me, 'you have to go out there and throw strikes. Go out there and do your thing. Don't worry about mechanics, don't worry about results. Just throw strikes.' We were able to calm me down a little bit and just be a lot more efficient."
It was the first time Thompson has faced his former team, coming from the Marlins as part of the Jacob Stallings trade in November.
It was also one of the first times Shelton has given him a bit more leash as far as length goes.
"I've been wanting to do that for a while," Thompson said. "It was nice. I'm glad Shelty trusted me to do that. It felt really good. Hopefully I can keep doing it."
• Even in a game where he had two caught stealings and didn't contribute much on offense, Cruz found a way to do something incredible.
That third inning throw had a recorded velocity of 97.8 mph, the hardest for any infielder in the Statcast era (since 2015).
"I need to ask him how he throws that," Thompson said, smiling. "See if he can help me."
• Yoshi Tsutsugo went 1-for-5 with an infield single, stranding runners on third in both the first and 10th innings.
Entering the game, his .474 OPS as a cleanup hitter was the lowest in all of baseball among hitters with at least 50 plate appearances in that role. His .208 slugging percentage over 95 plate appearances as a cleanup hitter is the lowest since at least 1901 in Pirates franchise history.
After the game, I asked Shelton why he continues to get opportunities in the middle of the order.
"I think as we continue to run out our lineup, we'll have to make that decision. We have to get him going."
• After the game, Jack Suwinski was seen receiving a lot of hugs from his teammates. He will be optioned to Class AAA Indianapolis Friday.
Mired in an 0-for-28 streak, which included a groundout in his only at-bat Thursday, optioning him back to the minors could give him a chance to regain his timing.
No word who the Pirates will replace Suwinski with, but outfielder Greg Allen recently had his rehab transferred to Indianapolis and will need to rejoin the team soon.
• Transaction news: Lefty Aaron Fletcher was claimed off waivers by the Giants and southpaw Cam Vieaux cleared waivers and was outrighted to Class AAA Indianapolis.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: OF Bryan Reynolds (right oblique)
• 60-day injured list: OF Canaan Njigba-Smith (wrist), OF Greg Allen (hamstring), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery) RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Kevin Newman, 2B
2. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
3. Michael Chavis, 1B
4. Yoshi Tsutsugo, DH
5. Diego Castillo, RF
6. Ben Gamel, LF
7. Jake Marisnick, CF
8. Oneil Cruz, SS
9. Jason Delay, C
And for Don Mattingly's Marlins:
1. Jon Berti, 2B
2. Miguel Rojas, SS
3. Jesús Aguilar, 1B
4. Avisaíl García, DH
5. Brian Anderson, 3B
6. Nick Fortes, C
7. Bryan De La Cruz, RF
8. Luke Williams, LF
9. Billy Hamilton, CF
THE SCHEDULE
One more series before the All-Star break. José Quintana (2-4, 3.59) will take on German Márquez (5-7, 5.66) in Denver, with first pitch coming at 8:40 p.m. Eastern. DK has you covered there while I prepare for the draft and All-Star game.
THE CONTENT
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