Pittsburgh Pirates Swept By Dodgers Now A Season High Six Games Under .500

For the fourth time this season the Pittsburgh Pirates have been swept in a series

The 4th of July was not a happy one for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following their 6-4 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday the team will finish their nine-game road trip with a 4-5 record. This loss also knocks the team to a season-high six games under .500 at 40-46.

When the Pirates sat at 26-17 on May 17th they appeared to be flying high. Since then the team is a Major League worst 14-29 which has caused them to plummet to six games under the break even mark.

Clay Holmes made his first Major League start, and third appearance, on Wednesday. Holmes issued back-to-back walks to start the inning, but after a groundout and a pop out he had an opportunity to wiggle off the hook.

However, Holmes would hang a two-strike breaking pitch to Yasmani Grandal that Grandal blooped into left field to plate a run. With the Dodgers ahead 1-0, Holmes issued another walk to load the bases and found himself in a 3-2 count against Kike Hernandez. To his credit, Holmes took a risk throwing a 3-2 breaking ball. Holmes was able to freeze Hernandez with the pitch to end the inning.

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The bottom of the 1st inning was a struggle for Holmes. He walked three batters, threw 35 pitches, only 15 of these pitches were strikes, and he still got off the hook only trailing 1-0.

After Holmes bounced back to pitch a 1-2-3 bottom of the 2nd inning, the Pirate offense went to work against Rich Hill.

Leading off the top of the 3rd inning Jordy Mercer doubled and Max Moroff walked. After a poor bunt by Holmes led to Mercer being erased at third base Austin Meadows struck out and things looked bleak. In his return to the lineup after three days off Starling Marte picked up Meadows by ripping a two-run double down the left field line to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, this lead would not last long.

After a Max Muncy single and a Cody Bellinger double the Dodgers found themselves with runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom of the third inning. Grandal then ripped a double down the right field line to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.

After Holmes uncorked a wild pitch, Chris Taylor smoked a base hit to left field. Taylor’s hit scored Grandal to make the score 4-2 Pirates and ended Holmes’ day.

Richard Rodriguez replaced Holmes on the mound and got the final two outs of the inning. In 2 1/3 innings pitched Holmes was tagged for four runs on five hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. However, he did not allow a home run which, after the last two nights, is front page news.

The wild pitch has been an issue for the Pirates all season. Entering play on Wednesday the team led the Majors in wild pitches thrown this season. After Hill reached on a bunt single to start the bottom of the 4th inning a pair of wild pitches by Rodriguez allowed Hill to get to third base.

Pirate pitchers have now thrown 56 wild pitches this season. The next closest staff in MLB is the Phillies with 42.

Rodriguez was able to get off the hook though when the Dodgers made the inexplicable decision to send Hill from third on a medium depth fly ball to Marte to proceeded to throw Hill out easily. What made this decision even more baffling, other than Hill being a 38-year-old injury prone pitcher, is that one of the Dodgers’ best hitters – Justin Turner – was waiting in the on deck circle.

The Pirates threatened in the top of the 5th inning but were victimized by some awful luck.

After a one-out single from Moroff, Josh Bell pinch hit for Rodriguez and ripped a ball down the third base line that had double written all over it. But Turner made an excellent pick to hold Bell to an infield hit.

Turner’s robbery of Bell was followed by Meadows hitting a screamer that resulted as a lineout to second base. Marte was then retired on a sharply hit groundball to third base to end the inning with the Dodgers still ahead 4-2.

After Rodriguez pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings it was Tyler Glasnow‘s turn on the mound. On the first pitch he threw he hit Turner in the shoulder with a 99.3 mph fastball, and, unfortunately, this would be a sign of things to come.

After issuing back-to-back walks Glasnow found himself in a bases loaded with no one out jam. After allowing a two-run single that made the score 6-2 Dodgers it was plenty clear Glasnow had nothing on this tonight.

To Clint Hurdle‘s credit, instead of letting Glasnow rot out there he went and removed him after just 16 pitches. Edgar Santana was summoned to clean up Glasnow’s mess and he did just that with a double play and groundout. Santana would prove to be one of the few bright spots on the night for the Pirates as he continued his strong season by tossing a pair of scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

After Kyle Crick pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th inning, the Bucs cut the Dodger lead to 6-4 in the top of the 8th inning. This came when Gregory Polanco hit his 12th home run of the season. Polanco’s home run was a 2-run blast that plated Marte.

The past seven weeks have been an utter train wreck for the Pirates. This series against the Dodgers was arguably the worst yet. The Pirates were not just swept, but they were outscored 31-8 and were not even competitive in the series.

Following Polanco’s blast the Dodgers went to closer Kenley Jansen. Jansen would strikeout Elias Diaz and get Colin Moran to groundout allowing him to work around a David Freese single to end the inning.

In his return to the Majors Josh Smoker pitched a scoreless bottom of the 8th inning, sending the game to the 9th with the Pirates trailing 6-4.  With two outs in the top of the 9th Corey Dickerson recorded a pinch hit single off of Jansen. Jansen then responded by striking out Meadows to end the game.

Following this 14-29 stretch, and especially this past series, the Pirates need a long hard look in the mirror.

Giving Hurdle a four-year extension after last season is starting to look like a major mistake as the Bucs appear to be well on their way to a third consecutive losing season. It’s not even just the record as the team is currently playing bad, fundamentally poor, and often times uninspired baseball. Those issues fall at the feet of Hurdle and his coaching staff.

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After a day off on Thursday the Pittsburgh Pirates will return home to PNC Park to start an 11-game homestand that will take the team up to the All-Star Break. This homestand will begin with a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend. Trevor Williams is scheduled to start for the Pirates on Friday as the Phillies plan to send Nick Pivetta to the mound.