Pirates wasted epic Henry Davis moment in gut-wrenching blown loss to Astros

The Pittsburgh Pirates got a rare moment of offensive brilliance from catcher Henry Davis on Wednesday night. Davis, who essentially serves as Paul Skenes' personal catcher these days, hit a grand slam deep into the Houston night to extend Pittsburgh's lead. It was a no-doubter, and a blast that ought to have served as a jumping-off point not just for Davis, but the Pirates on a brutally-tough road trip.

Instead, the Pirates blew a late lead to an Astros team likely to sell at the MLB trade deadline. It was the Pirates 11th blown save of the season, which is tied for third in all of baseball.

Pirates ruined a signature moment from Henry Davis

Even with his grand slam on Wednesday, Davis is hitting well below the Mendoza line. He entered the night batting just .143 with a .533 OPS. Pirates fans have been calling for Davis to be demoted for weeks. Endy Rodriguez is playing well offensively, and while there is a dropoff behind the plate (one Paul Skenes might not be too happy about), he's a better option than Davis, who's been a guaranteed out this year...up until Wednesday night.

Davis was a former No. 1 overall pick for a reason. At Louisville, he was known for his bat and raw power. He even hit quite well coming up through the minor-league ranks. For some reason, as soon as Davis faces major-league pitching, he's unable to make the necessary adjustments. That's what makes Wednesday's loss all the more frustrating. The Pirates got a huge contribution from a player who not only needs to see the ball leave the yard, but also may not offer a repeat performance.

To make matters worse for Pittsburgh, they're now at risk of losing a series they ought to have already won, and then they head to Atlanta to take on the best team in MLB at their house. The games don't get any easier from here on out.

Pirates know they wasted a golden opportunity

Whether it be Don Kelly or Paul Skenes, the Pirates were as frustrated as the fanbase following a gut-wrenching loss in Houston. Kelly spoke to how big this moment was, not just for Davis but the team as a whole. It's inexcusable that such a pivotal home run came in a game the Pirates couldn't hold onto.

“It was a big moment in that game being down 2-0,” Kelly said, per MLB.com. “For him to hit the grannie, I thought we had great at-bats throughout the lineup, continued to add on runs and we need to continue to do that as we go through the season.”

Kelly has routinely come to Davis' defense, and the Pirates face a tough decision as to whether they should keep him or Joey Bart on the roster when he returns from injury. But for now, all the Pirates can focus on is the tough road trip ahead of them, and bouncing back on Friday night.

“We can’t lose this one today,” Skenes said. “It stings a little bit. Putting up nine runs, you should win that game every time. It doesn’t feel good for me. I know it doesn’t feel good for the other pitchers who threw today. There are times when we will pick up the offense, and there are times where we won’t. Tonight was one of those nights. It’s a little unfortunate, but it’s why they give us 162 [games].”

Davis had his moment. The Pirates can pick him up again on Thursday in Houston.

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