Pittsburgh Pirates: Grading the Series Loss in Kansas City
By Marty Leap
![KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 11: Adalberto Mondesi #27 of the Kansas City Royals rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the 1st inning of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Kauffman Stadium on September 11, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 11: Adalberto Mondesi #27 of the Kansas City Royals rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the 1st inning of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Kauffman Stadium on September 11, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Frumbunter-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1272017069-850x560-1b6d243bb4d1ebe3792ba657f4b20348.jpg)
Pirate Starting Pitchers
Friday night Steven Brault toed the rubber for the Pittsburgh Pirates to kick off the series. Brault lasted just 4 innings and threw 97 pitches in these 4 innings of work. In addition to an ungodly high pitch count for 4 innings, Brault also allowed 3 runs on five hits, three walks, a home run, and a wild pitch.
While allowing 3 runs does not constitute a poor start for a starting pitcher, only going 4 innings does. Brault continued to battle control issues in the start, which is what led to a spike in pitch count and a short outing.
The second game of the series saw Trevor Williams take the mound for the Pirates. In this start, the collapse of Williams continued. In 5 innings of work, Williams allowed 6 runs on 10 hits, three walks, and he allowed two home runs. Williams now owns a 6.35 ERA this season and is quickly becoming a non-tender candidate this off-season.
Sunday afternoon Chad Kuhl started for the Pirates and turned in possibly the worst start of his MLB career. In 2.1 innings pitched, Kuhl allowed 9 runs on four hits, a home run, he walked six, and struck out five. Not good!
The Verdict
The 2020 season has not been a good one for Pirate starting pitchers. This continued over the weekend in Kansas City. In fact, the starting pitching performance over the weekend was a complete disaster
Grade: F