Bubba Chandler’s biggest problem showed up again at the worst possible time

The Pittsburgh Pirates had plenty of reasons to be frustrated after Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The offense went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, but that also shouldn't distract from the uncomfortable reality that Bubba Chandler's biggest issue reared its ugly head yet again.

For six innings, Chandler looked like the ace Pittsburgh believes he can become. The 23-year-old dominated one of baseball's best lineups, retiring 13 consecutive hitters and striking out seven. He allowed just one hit through 5 1/3 innings.

It was arguably the best Chandler has looked all season. Until it wasn't. A throwing error by Tyler Callihan opened the door in the seventh inning, and Chandler followed by issuing back-to-back walks on just eight pitches. Suddenly, the bases were loaded and his day was over. Moments later, Evan Sisk surrendered the three-run double that ultimately decided the game.

The box score will show Chandler was charged with all three runs. Some fans will point to the error. Others will point to the bullpen. But neither explanation tells the whole story.

For much of the season, Chandler's struggles haven't come from being overmatched or from a lack of stuff. They've come when something goes wrong. Whether it's a bad call, an error behind him, a walk, a baserunner, or a moment where he loses command of the game — too often, one mistake snowballs into another.

The Pirates can work on mechanics, tweak pitch usage, and refine sequencing. But what they can't easily teach is the ability to immediately reset when chaos enters the equation.

Bubba Chandler's command issues come back to haunt him in loss to Braves

The frustrating part is that Chandler showed exactly how dominant he can be before the seventh inning. HIs velocity was up, his command was sharp, and Atlanta didn't seem to have any answers. Then one defensive mistake happened, and suddenly the inning belonged to the Braves.

If Chandler had gotten knocked around in the fourth inning, everyone would be talking about another rough start. Because it happened in the seventh after six dominant innings, there's a temptation to view it differently. But you can't put lipstick on this pig.

The underlying problem is exactly the same. When Chandler loses command, he often loses control of the game itself.

The good news is that this is a fixable problem. Many young pitchers have learned how to slow the game down, trust their stuff and avoid letting one bad moment become three. The bad news is that Chandler keeps encountering the exact same roadblock.

On Sunday, one defensive mistake became two walks, a pitching change and a three-run deficit. And what should have been one of the best starts of Chandler's season instead became another reminder of the biggest hurdle standing between him and becoming the frontline starter Pittsburgh believes he can be.

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