Pirates cough up lead, allow Twins to walk to victory - TribLIVE

sisilihya.blogspot.com

When the baseball rocketed off Max Kepler’s bat in the sixth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Cole Tucker made an instinctive move forward.

It was move he quickly regretted.

All it took was one second – one step — for Tucker, the novice center fielder, to be out of position. The hit that should have been the third out of the inning, preserving a 4-1 lead, sailed over his outstretched glove, two runs scored and the Pirates (2-8) were on their way to their fifth consecutive defeat Monday night at Target Field.

There was more to the loss, of course.

The bats awakened early, sparked by Tucker’s home run on the first pitch of the game. The Pirates took a 4-0 lead in the fifth.

But with their hottest hitter, Colin Moran, on the bench, they had one hit and no runs over the final four innings.

The bullpen also failed.

Miguel Del Pozo walked three consecutive batters in relief of starter Derek Holland, who was in command for five innings before walking two and allowing two big hits, including Kepler’s, in the sixth.

The Twins tied it, 4-4, in the sixth and won it in the ninth on Nelson’s Cruz’s RBI double.

“We had the lead and did a couple things to give the lead back,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Because of our lack of execution, a good team took advantage of that.”

Holland walked no one for five innings, but he teamed with Del Pozo and Chris Stratton to walk six of the next 12 batters while the team lost momentum from their 4-0 lead.

Shelton, who has been open about his desire to try different lineups, put Tucker in center field for only the second time, moved Kevin Newman from shortstop to second base and kept Moran and Adam Frazier out of the lineup, with the intent to possibly use them as pinch-hitters.

“There’s a chance you would have seen them if we got to the 10th,” Shelton said.

The Pirates never got there.

After using seven relief pitchers against the Chicago Cubs and losing a fourth reliever (Michael Feliz) to an injury or covid-19 (closer Keone Kela), Shelton said his options were limited.

Nik Turley was not available and Geoff Hartlieb would have been used only if the game went into the 12th, Shelton said.

So, the call went to Del Pozo, who pitched in his third game in the past four days.

“We had the matchups we wanted with the guys (the Twins’ Marwin Gonzalez and Jake Cave) we wanted with Miggy coming into the game,” Shelton said. “It was something we outlined before the game.

“With where we are with our bullpen with who’s available on certain nights, we have to pick what we think is the best matchup.”

Nik Turley was not available at all. Geoff Hartlieb would have been, but only if the game had gone into the 12th inning, Shelton said.

Del Pozo has walked eight of 14 batters this season, including all three Monday that the new MLB rule demands that he face. In any other season, he might have been out after two walks.

Perhaps those walks would have been less impactful, if Tucker, who is playing outfield for the first time in his life, caught Kepler’s line drive.

“I think it is a teaching moment,” Shelton said. “Any outfielder who’s ever played will tell you that the line drive hit right at him is the hardest play to make because of the read off it.

“When you freeze, you don’t know if it’s right at you or it’s the fact that you have to drop-step and go. It’s something he’ll get better at.”

Tucker went from elation over his home run to despair in a span of about five innings.

“I was pretty upset about the play in center field,” he said. “I’ve been out there not that long, but you (reporters) know me. I’m not one to make excuses. That’s a play that should be made.

“My first step, I broke in one step and then I realized I have to go back. My left foot was in front of my right and I just slipped a little bit and didn’t get back as fast as I could.

“If I don’t make that false step forward, I probably make the play and coast to it pretty easily.”

Between innings, Tucker received encouragement from regular center fielder, 35-year-old Jarrod Dyson. Tucker, 24, vowed to get better.

“It’s a play I can make,” Tucker said. “It’s a play I will make.”

Love baseball? Stay up-to-date with the latest Pittsburgh Pirates news.

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Pirates/MLB | Sports