Pirates' bullpen blows another lead, resulting in crucial loss to Diamondbacks

PITTSBURGH — As Joc Pederson rounded the bases, Colin Holderman of the Pittsburgh Pirates shook his head in disbelief and then bent over in frustration.

Called upon to keep his team in the lead of a pivotal, series-deciding contest, the right-hander put himself in a jam by walking two of the first three batters he faced. After getting a huge strikeout against Ketel Marte, Holderman needed just one more out to escape the jam. But instead, Pederson tagged a 99.8 mph sinker located belt-high on the outer half of the plate for a three-run homer, ultimately putting the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead for good in their 6-5 victory Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.

"It started a little rough, we made some pitches and we were one pitch away, which I executed down and away at 100 mph,” Holderman said following the loss. “Normally that works, but he made a better swing, put it backside, to deepest part of the yard. Tip the cap."

Holderman’s outing continues what has been a worrisome trend over the past week. He has now surrendered at least one earned run in each of his last four outings. After surrendering just one home run in the first three months of the season, he has served up four long balls in his last 3 1/3 innings pitched. He has been the losing pitcher in each of the Pirates’ last three losses.

"It seems like it's been a lot of that lately,” Holderman said. “That's kind of the spot that we're in. I've been executing pitches and the outcome hasn't been what I liked. We're going to take it one day at a time and we're going to get out of this. Had a good two months to start the season, rough patch here and now we're going to have another two great months to finish it. Not worrying too much."

"Not finishing,” Shelton said. “I think that's the story of the two games we lost in this series. We did not execute pitches with two strikes, and we have to. If you leave the ball on the plate — I mean, this is one of the best offenses in baseball — you leave the ball on the plate with two strikes, they're going to do damage. And we saw that."

As Pederson stepped into the left-handed batter’s box to face Holderman, warming in the Pirates’ bullpen was fellow southpaw Jalen Beeks. Seemingly acquired for situations similar to what was unfolding, Derek Shelton instead chose to stick with Holderman, a right-hander.

“Beeks had thrown two days in a row,” Shelton said. “I mean we end up having to go to him. [Pederson] had a 100 mph fastball away. Holdy's got to be better. He's got to make a pitch. He's pitched in that spot for us all year and it didn't work."

Beeks came on to pitch the following inning, getting a pair of outs and allowing a pair of base runners before handing the ball over to Jake Woodford, who finished the shutout frame with a strikeout. Woodford allowed a solo homer to Marte in the ninth, making the score 6-4.

On the mound

Paul Skenes was strong, but not his typical dominant self Sunday, allowing a pair of runs in 5 1/3 innings. Skenes threw five shutout frames to begin his start, but struggled with efficiency, building up a high pitch count. Nonetheless, his efforts were enough to allow his team to build a comfortable 4-0 lead with him on the mound.

Corbin Carroll tagged Skenes for a lead-off triple to start the sixth, and was then brought home on a ground out to second by Marte. Skenes then surrendered a single to Pederson and walked Josh Bell, which led to his exit. Hunter Stratton relieved Skenes, allowing Pederson to score on a single from Jake McCarthy to make the score 4-2.

“They definitely didn’t help,” Skenes said. “They got a good lineup. They are not going to let me, or anybody else, get away with just not throwing strikes. They are going to grind it out. It was one of those days.”

At the plate

Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off the bottom of the first inning with a double. Three at-bats later, he was singled home on a single to left field from fellow newcomer Bryan De La Cruz, scoring the game’s first run.

"Good at-bats,” Shelton said. “I mean, they're going to be a big part of what we're doing over the next two months."

The tally put the Pirates ahead 1-0, but Kiner-Falefa’s biggest impact on the contest came the following inning, when he plated a pair of runs with a triple to right field. His hit followed an RBI double from Yasmani Grandal, who finished the day 3 for 4 with an RBI and run scored.

But after building a 4-0 lead, the Pirates offense fell flat. Rather than chasing Ryne Nelson from the game, the Diamondbacks starter hung around to throw three more scoreless frames. Arizona’s bullpen kept that momentum going until the bottom of the ninth, when Andrew McCutchen led things off with a pinch-hit walk. Grandal followed with an infield single, putting the tying run on base.

Kiner-Falefa stepped to the plate with no outs and the tying run on first base. Despite having already tallied a pair of extra-base hits in the game, the Pirates decided to have Kiner-Falefa bunt. The play resulted in an easy pop up to the pitcher, giving Arizona it’s first out of the frame.

"Play for the tie and then get Bednar in the game and see where we could go there,” Shelton said when asked about the decision to have Kiner-Falefa bunt. “I mean, [Thompson], he's a tough at-bat. … [Kiner-Falefa] has done a pretty good job bunting throughout his career and it was a tough pitch."

One at-bat after the failed bunt, Bryan Reynolds singled home McCutchen and advanced Michael A. Taylor, a pinch-runner for Grandal, to third base. With two men on and one out, Arizona called upon left-hander AJ Puk, a deadline acquisition similar to the move the Pirates made by acquiring Beeks, to face Oneil Cruz. The decision worked in the Diamondbacks’ favor, as Puk retired Cruz and De La Cruz to secure the victory.

They said it

"I don't know, we're going to have to figure [that] out,” Shelton said when asked if he plans to use Holderman in lower leverage spots moving forward. “I'm a little pissed about how this game went to begin with. So, try to figure that out during the off day."

Up next

Monday: Off

Tuesday: Pirates vs. Padres, 6:40 p.m. ET, PNC Park

Probable pitchers: TBA for Padres; LHP Bailey Falter (5-7, 3.95) for Pirates.

Key matchup: Falter looked strong in his last outing, which was his first since returning from the injured list, allowing two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Hidden stat: Skenes’ successful pickoff against McCarthy in the second inning marked his third of the season. He has only surrendered two stolen bases.

Wednesday: Pirates vs. Padres, 6:40 p.m., PNC Park

Probable pitchers: TBA for Padres; LHP Marco Gonzales (1-1, 3.72) for Pirates.

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