PIRATES

It was another loss that didn't, and very much shouldn't have ended in one here tonight at PNC Park. 

The Pirates took a six-run lead into the third inning and led 8-3 after six before seeing things spiral in the latter stages, collapsing en route to perhaps the most disheartening loss of the season by an 11-9 final score at the hands of the Phillies in 10 innings. 

"It's a tough loss," Don Kelly said afterwards. "Any loss is tough, especially when you have a lead like that. It's going to happen throughout the season and again, talking about bouncing back, we need to find a way to put this one behind us."

Bullpen struggles were once again at the forefront of this latest defeat, but it wasn't the usual suspects failing to preserve a lead. Instead it was two of the bullpen's more reliable arms who helped give the game away. Gregory Soto suffered the team's 10th blown save of the season, the third-highest total in Major League Baseball, by allowing three ninth-inning runs thanks in part to an error, two walks and two hits, including a game-tying RBI double by Bryce Harper in the ninth, one that almost left the yard for a go-ahead homer: 

Soto managed to keep the score even, but after the Pirates failed to win it in the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies had no issues hitting anything that Dennis Santana sent their way in the 10th. Four straight hits, including an RBI double by Brandon Marsh and a two-run single by Rafael Marchan ended up doing enough damage, as the Phillies took their first lead of the game, one they wouldn't relinquish. 

"There’s games that you feel like you lose and there’s games you feel like you get beat," said Braxton Ashcraft, who allowed four runs over 6 2/3 innings tonight. "This is definitely one that we lost." 

The bullpen, one that has now allowed 43 hits (tied for the fifth-most in MLB) and has compiled a 1.49 WHIP (ninth-worst) in late/close games, has struggled to execute in more than a few games already this season. Here are a few notable instances: 

• Loss to Padres (8-2) on April 8: Justin Lawrence and José Urquidy each allow four runs after Mitch Keller throws six scoreless

• Loss to Cubs (7-6) on April 12: Hunter Barco, Lawrence and Urquidy combine to allow four runs after 5 1/3 innings from Bubba Chandler

• Loss to Nationals (8-7 in 10 innings) on April 16: Yohan Ramirez gives up a run in the seventh and Santana allows winning run in the 10th after Ashcraft goes 5 2/3 innings

• Loss to Rays (8-7 in 13 innings) on April 18: Ramirez allows three extra-inning runs

• Loss to Cardinals (11-7) on April 28: Barco allows five earned runs in relief of Ashcraft

Those were some of the more brutal losses this team has experienced this season, but believe it or not, this was only the second time the Pirates have lost when leading after eight innings. They entered tonight with a 20-1 record with a lead intact entering the ninth. 

That's part of the reason why one could realistically argue that this was the worst loss of the season. You can also couple that with the fact that the two reliable high-leverage arms in the back end of the bullpen were the ones who failed to deliver when their number was called. It sure seems like they both might be heading in the opposite direction, too. 

Over Soto's last two appearances, he's now allowed four runs (three earned) with two walks against the Rockies and Cardinals. Meanwhile Santana has been hit hard over his last five appearances, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits with one walk. He hasn't posted a strikeout in seven straight appearances dating back to April 25 and has seen his ERA swell from 0.69 to 4.42 over that span. His WHIP has gone from 0.85 to 1.47. 

Despite the fact that now Soto and Santana are contributing to the bullpen's overall woes, there doesn't seem to be anyone in the Pirates clubhouse who intends to dwell on this latest loss, even if the magnitude of it seems heightened given the blown lead and late-game collapse. 

Brandon Lowe, a veteran who produced his third multi-homer game of the season tonight, said it's always a "punch in the gut" when a loss like this occurs. But positives need to be taken when and where they can be found, and there has to be an understanding of what could have been done differently. From there, they move on and be prepared for another game less than 24 hours away. 

Santana, even in the midst of his own individual struggles, is embracing that same approach. 

"It's really tough when we go to the ninth winning, but it's baseball," Santana said. "Even Mariano Rivera, the best closer in the world, he lost a World Series. It's even bigger than this game today. This is a game. We're supposed to make mistakes, but the good thing is we've always got a new opportunity, and tomorrow is a new day, and tomorrow is going to be better for us. Soto has been so good the whole year, he got some scramble today, but tomorrow we don't doubt him. We're going to be better."