The Pittsburgh Pirates Were Embarrassed on Monday Afternoon

Unlike most games that end in a 7-0 score, Monday afternoon’s game was not one that the Pittsburgh Pirates should just forget. Instead, it’s one that should light a fire under them moving forward.

“Shower it off” is one of Pirate manager Clint Hurdle‘s go to lines following a bad loss. Usually, in the game of baseball, this is a good motto to have. After all, you play 162 games a season so dwelling too much on one loss is typically not a good thing.

However, Monday afternoon’s loss is not one that the Pittsburgh Pirates should just “shower off.” Monday saw the Pirates start a three-game series at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs did not just beat the Pirates 7-0, they flat out embarrassed the Pirates in more ways than one.

It all started with what unfolded in the stands. It was Memorial Day, the weather was beautiful, the Pirates entered the game with a 28-24 record, and they were hosting a divisional rival. You would expect a close to a sellout crowd at PNC Park. Instead, there was less than 20,000 people in attendance and, on T.V. at least, it sounded like there were more Cub fans in attendance than Pirate fans.

While this is nothing the team has done wrong, but rather a reflection on how angry much of the fanbase still is over the trades of Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole in the offseason, it is embarrassing nonetheless.

As for what happened on the field, to be blunt, the Pirates got their asses kicked.

The Cubs played on Sunday Night Baseball, had to go to their bullpen in the 3rd inning of that game, did not get into Pittsburgh until 3 a.m. Monday, and started a reliever – Mike Montgomery – on Monday afternoon. Well, the Pirates looked more like the team that was dealing with all of this.

Pittsburgh’s offense was completely shut down. The team recorded just two hits, one of which was an infield hit, and did not work a walk. In the field, the Pirates committed a pair of throwing errors and the bullpen had a second consecutive rough day allowing 6 runs.

The team looked completely listless on Monday afternoon, and that is inexcusable.

What was most embarrassing on Monday afternoon is what unfolded in the 8th and 9th innings. In the top of the 8th inning with the bases loaded and no one out, Chris Gimenez bounced back to Kyle Crick who fired to the plate to retire Anthony Rizzo for the first out of the inning.

Pirate catcher Elias Diaz then attempted to throw to first base to turn a double play. His throw, however, sailed wildly into the outfield allowing Gimenez to advance to second base and two more Chicago runs to score.

Diaz’s throw was wild due to a dirty slide by Rizzo. With Diaz no longer on the plate, Rizzo still whipped Diaz’s knee with his left leg and appeared to injure the Pirate catcher on the play. Both Rizzo and the Cubs as a whole have a reputation of being dirty players, so, this play should have come as no surprise.

Hurdle would challenge the play, but the ruling on the field, which should have been overturned, was upheld and interference was not called on Rizzo. This led to Hurdle arguing the call and getting thrown out of the game. Oh, and don’t forget that Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon argued the call too despite it going in his team’s favor. Why? Well, because he’s an arrogant ass. That’s why.

In the top of the 9th inning Rizzo stepped to the plate again. The Cubs owned a 5-0 lead and two men on base with one out in the inning. Even though it would have loaded the bases, Richard Rodriguez should have plunked Rizzo.

The Pirates needed to stick up for Diaz and defend themselves. Instead, they did what they have done so many times under Hurdle and let it go. Rodriguez would instead pitch to Rizzo who delivered a two-run single to make the score 7-0 Cubs.

Not sticking up for Diaz was embarrassing and inexcusable. The past two seasons the Cubs have manhandled and bullied the Pirates. Today the Bucs could have put a foot down and stood up to the Cubs, but they once again backed down to the bully and did not stand up for themselves.

Until the Pirates do something about it, the Cubs will continue to walk all over them.

Next: The Bucs & Their Colin Moran Problem

The final nail in the embarrassment coffin came when the game was over. As the television broadcast went off the air cameras caught third base coach Joey Cora and David Freese getting into a verbal altercation in the dugout that required multiple players to pull them away from each other.

Remember in spring training when Freese said the Pirates could not let teams walk all over them and not take them seriously the way they have the past two seasons? Well, this is the exact type of thing he was talking about.