PIRATES

It was a tale of three entirely different performances by Pirates pitchers in the team's 4-3 loss to the Rockies, Major League Baseball's worst team, here tonight at Coors Field. 

Bubba Chandler made it through six innings for his second quality start of the season in what Don Kelly described as the "best outing he’s had.” Yohan Ramirez followed by retiring all four batters he faced, including the Rockies' No. 3 hitter, Hunter Goodman, after the Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the top half of the eighth inning. Then, Kelly elected to go to Mason Montgomery to face the power-hitting left hander TJ Rumfield. Montgomery got him to ground out to first and was one out away from preserving a one-run lead and turning it to Gregory Soto for the ninth. That's when things began to spiral. 

Montgomery allowed three straight hits, including back-to-back singles on balls that snuck past infielders and into the outfield. The third was a two-run, go-ahead double by Braxton Fulford on a 3-1 fastball that Montgomery left over the middle of the plate: 

"A couple of singles got through, and then just kind of got behind the last guy and gave him an opportunity," Montgomery said afterwards. "I felt good. I think I can get picky and say you know on (Cole) Carrigg, maybe execute a little bit more out of zone with two strikes, and then I think the one at-bat that I really didn't love was the last one -- obviously it was a double, but I think I've just got to get ahead of that guy."

Kelly agreed. 

"We just have to find a way to get ahead there," he said. "Even with how hard Mason throws, it puts us in a tough spot.” 

Montgomery was unable to get outs on an 0-1 fastball up and out of the zone to Tyler Freeman and a 2-2 slider located in the middle of the plate to Carrig, adding on to the struggles the bullpen has experienced in terms of preserving late leads. 

But credit should be given to Ramirez for doing his job out of the bullpen, recording all four of his outs on just six pitches, and to Chandler for competing over a six-inning effort in which he allowed just two runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout. 

Chandler said he didn't feel great stuff-wise, but he was proud of the efficiency he showed in throwing just 74 pitches and getting ahead with first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 26 batters he faced. He was at just 16 pitches after two innings, and Kelly even said that consideration was given toward potentially letting Chandler pitch the seventh. 

"First time pitching in Colorado, you see some of the balls hit just kind of stay up, even the ones that are weakly hit," Chandler said. "I think it was just the thought was keep the ball on the ground. I think we did a good job of that. The execution getting to two strikes was probably the best I've ever been in pro ball, but the execution with two strikes wasn't as good as it could have been. But yeah, it was good." 

Chandler's overall numbers, which include a 2-7 record, a 4.62 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 15 starts, aren't going to jump out at anyone. He's learned along the way in his first full big-league season and has had to do so while experiencing plenty of ups and downs. 

But he's felt a lot better, he says, over the last month and a half. That's translated, at least over his last three starts, to some more encouraging performances than he's put forth in the past. Chandler has now gone five-plus innings and allowed two or fewer runs while walking two or fewer batters in each of his last three starts, showing that he's capable of finding progress as the season rolls on and he gets more experience starting at the major-league level. 

"We want to go out there and throw a perfect game every time, but it's not going to happen," Chandler said. "Keeping your team in it, that's kind of what our job is, and I think I've done a decent job of that. Probably the last month and a half, it's been trending upward. It's a testament to Bill (Murphy), a testament to guys in here helping me out, letting me learn, and give me pointers here and there, because a lot of guys in here have had success hitting and pitching. Pitchers do a lot for each guy, but talking to hitters, talking to (Ryan) O'Hearn, talking to (Brandon) Lowe about stuff, how they see it play. If you can get guys like O'Hearn and Lowe out, and Bryan (Reynolds), go down the list, and you can get anybody else out. I think everybody's just been helping me. It's nice."