Pittsburgh Pirates Fall In Game Two Of Series Against The Brewers

After a loss on Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers will play a rubber match at PNC Park on Wednesday night

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Game two of a crucial three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers took place at PNC Park on Tuesday night. In the middle game of the series the Pirates were defeated by the Brewers by a score of 3-2. With the loss, the Pirates have fallen back under the .500 mark on the season at 36-37.

Jameson Taillon was looking to continue his recent run of success when he took the mound for the Pirates on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, he was countered by Milwaukee rookie Freddy Peralta who was making just his third Major League start.

Taillon was victimized by some bad luck in the top of the 1st and 3rd innings. In each of these innings Lorenzo Cain would reach on an infield hit. The first time he would come around to score on a two-run home run by Jesus Aguilar, Cain would then score on an Aguilar double after his second infield hit.

Outside of a terrible 3-2 pitch to Aguilar on the home run, Taillon pitched well on Tuesday night. However, one missed location and Cain’s infield hits would do him in. Taillon also did a nice job of pitching out of trouble in the top of the 2nd inning when he got back-to-back strikeouts after a ball hit by Manny Pina deflected off of Starling Marte‘s wrist of a one-out triple, and he also stranded a pair of base runners in the top of the 5th inning.

Due to an escalated pitch count Taillon lasted just 5 innings on Tuesday night. He allowed three runs on seven hits, he walked just one, and he struck out seven.

While Taillon did a good job of keeping his team in the game on Tuesday, Peralta was lights out for the Brewers.

The lone Pirate threat against Peralta came in the bottom of the 4th inning. Corey Dickerson singled to start the inning and Colin Moran reached on an infield single with one out. Francisco Cervelli then worked a 3-0 count before popping out to center field.

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These two hits were the only two hits that Peralta allowed.

While there is no issue with swinging when ahead in the count 3-0, the pitch Cervelli swung at is one that should not be swung at in a 3-0 count. While it was indeed a strike, it was in the bottom half of the zone and all Cervelli could do with it is exactly what he did – pop out. Peralta then struck out Josh Bell in what was a poor at bat by Bell to end the inning.

While Peralta got some help via poor at bats from the Pirates, he allowed just a pair of singles, did not walk a batter, and struck out seven in 6 scoreless innings of work on Tuesday night. Three starts into his Major League career he now owns a 2.35 ERA and a 2.24 FIP.

After Taillon exited the game, Tyler Glasnow took over on the mound for the Pirates. Glasnow would pitch the 6th and 7th inning for the Pirates. In his 2 innings of work he allowed two hits, he did not walk a batter, and he struck out four. The emergence of Glasnow as a dominant reliever continues to be one of the bright spots of the season for the Pirates.

With Peralta out of the game the Pirates finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the 7th inning.

Dan Jennings retired the first two batters of the inning before Josh Bell worked an excellent 11-pitch at bat that resulted in a walk. Gregory Polanco then had afine at bat of his own ending in a base hit to put two men on with two outs.

Jennings was then lifted for Jeremy Jeffress. Jordy Mercer promptly greeted Jeffress with a run-scoring double. Mercer’s double cut the Brewer lead to 3-1 and put a pair of men in scoring position for the pinch hitting Austin Meadows. After battling Jeffress for eight pitches, Meadows struck out to end the inning.

After Edgar Santana fired a 1-2-3 top of the 8th inning, Jeffress would take the mound again in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs in the inning, Starling Marte launched a solo home run off of Jeffress. Marte’s 9th home run of the season cut the Brewer lead to 3-2. It was also the first run allowed by Jeffress since May 30th.

Kyle Crick pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 9th inning, sending the game to the bottom of the 9th with the Pirates trailing 3-2.

Facing Corey Knebel, Polanco worked a two-out walk to put the tying run on base. Representing the winning run, Mercer stepped to the plate looking for yet another clutch hit against the Brewers. Unfortunately, he would strikeout against Knebel to end the Pirate rally.

The third final game of this series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday. Chad Kuhl will toe the rubber for the Pirates, while the Brewers plan to send Brent Suter to the mound. Kuhl will be looking to pitch the Pirates to their second consecutive series victory.

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