The Pittsburgh Pirates seven game losing streak came to an end against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday evening.
In unexpected fashion a pitching duel broke out through the first five innings. In the end neither starting pitcher got past the first out in the sixth.
Bryse Wilson didn’t miss many bats but he did throw 68% of his pitches for strikes and induced eight groundouts to four flyouts. He was cruising for the most part until the Brewers teed off for three solo HR’s in the sixth, of which all three came off his curveball. Wilson threw his curveball for 28% of his pitches, which would be the highest percentage he’s thrown the pitch in a start all season (per Baseball Savant).
Colin Holderman made his Pirates debut by relieving Wilson in the sixth and held the Brewers scoreless on way to earning the win in his first appearance. He wasn’t very efficient throwing 10 of his 23 pitches for strikes while allowing two hits and a walk in one inning of work that covered the final two outs of the sixth and first out of the seventh.
Following the Brewers breaking through for three runs in the sixth, the Pirates decided to top that with five runs of their own. After getting Ben Gamel to groundout, Brewers starter Corbin Burnes then walked the next two batters before Oneil Cruz took a pitch about six inches off the outside of the plate to dead center for a three-run HR.
Oneil Cruz might be good. And very strong.
From there the Pirates bullpen shutdown the Brewers offense the rest of the way. Holderman was pulled in the seventh for Manny Banuelos after putting runners on second and third with one out. Banuelos loaded the bases after hitting the first batter he face and then proceeded to get the next two hitters out by way of an Andrew McCutchen flyout and then a strikeout.
Yerry De Los Santos and Wil Crowe made quick work over the eight and ninth innings throwing only 26 pitches between the two of them while racking up a combined five strikeouts to the one hit given up by Crowe.
If the Pirates plan on adding to the win column much over the last stretch of the season then this is likely to be the blueprint they’ll have to follow. Pushing across a few runs with a couple timely hits and the bullpen holding on to the lead. Ben Cherington made three trades that all included bringing back a reliever so he may very well be betting on this blueprint moving forward.
Brewers @ Pirates
Time: 7:05 PM EST
Pirates Starter: Tyler Beede (1-1, 3.12)
Brewers Starter: Freddy Peralta (3-2, 4.42)
Beede Notes: This will be Tyler Beede’s first start for the Pirates and his first MLB start since 2019. Tyler threw a season high three innings on Sunday while throwing only 34 pitches. He’ll be pitching on two days rest so it’s likely he won’t stay in long and will depend mostly on his efficiency. Over the course of 17 appearances and 30.2 IP since coming over to the Pirates he’s carried a 2.64 ERA. He’s had a sub 2.00 ERA in each of June and July.
LINEUPS:
Pirates
Our Wednesday night lineup.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/9fhEbJa9tG
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 3, 2022
Brewers
1. C. Yelich (L) LF
2. Willy Adames (R) SS
3. Rowdy Tellez (L) 1B
4. A. McCutchen (R) DH
5. Kolten Wong (L) 2B
6. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF
7. Luis Urias (R) 3B
8. Omar Narvaez (L) C
9. Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
So I guess they have to add a catcher now?
Brewers just released Severino…..
So first Tellez gets in the way of Chavis and almost takes him out then steps on Newmans’s hand. And that was why Newman went out of the game.
LOL David Stearn! Trade Hader to save money (take notes BC) while in first place, and now you have the Cardinals closing in the rear view mirror. Would love to check out a Brew Crew blog tonite!
What made sense to me about the deal was:
I’m sure part of my take is based on the Brewers always seeming to do something smart. Last night didn’t go their way but Taylor did his job and Williams gave up his first run in 31 appearances, so I’d write it off as a fluky thing. Still a big risk, though, as it sends mixed messages to the rest of the team about what the FO thinks of their chances this year.
“Williams is better than Hader”
Not sure I’m ready to jump to that conclusion. I’m also not sure there was any dissension with Williams asking or wanting to be closer…..maybe that’s out there
and I’m just unaware. Pitching the 9th is quite a bit different responsibility than pitching the 8th. It takes the right guy who is wired to be a good closer. Williams may be able to make the transition, but I see some risk there with Williams having to throw his best pitch, a changeup, all the time when the game is literally on the line. Yeah, it’s a great changeup, but…….in the 9th inning can he keep throwing it effectively with all the chips on the line?
I thought teams would go out and get a shutdown closer at the deadline. Is this some new strategy the Brooz have discovered? I think they may have done it wrong.
It’s a smartest guy in the room move…..idk.
Who knows, it might work out, but that was a head scratcher of a head scratcher, it was a salary dump in a middle of a pennant race that you are leading……
Big big gamble for sure. It’s not like they have a 10 game lead like the Dodgers. Could be a defining moment for Stearn if they miss the WC altogether, which is possible. Phillies seem to be the better bet.
Serious wishcasting there.
I guess you missed the Phillies 4-game sweep last week. Both Cards and Phillies are better teams, even more so after the deadline. Both are within 1.5 GB Brewers.
Far from wishcasting…….it’s definitely plausible Brewers miss the playoffs. It’s going to be a good race.
Kuhl’s ERA approaching 5…..
Wait i thought he was the latest ace to leave the staff?
Chad Kuhl is a start…oh shit not again.
Comfortably over 5 now!
Welcome to the Closer Life Mr. Williams! — Your friend Bryan Reynolds
I’m enjoying this current domination of the Brewers, even if is only for 5-6 games.
Good to see the stash back for Reynolds. Oddly felt like he struggled with the clean shave.
Can you believe it, lol?
Brown said Gamel will bat second if necessary …
Oh baby! Reynolds is back!
Raise it! Reynolds bomb!
I’ll say it again, Reynolds hitting is a good thing!
Reynolds mashed that thing.
And……..BOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!!
I do not understand why Shelton has to wait for the bridge to collapse before he does anything. It was time to get him out of there after the walk, but nooooo.
It’s always Shelton’s fault here. Good god, he got two guys out then fell apart. How is that Sheltons fault and not the plauer?
I’m gonna guess it’ll be described as a “learning moment”
If yerry is going to be a high leverage guy for us well into the future, it isn’t at all a bad thing to give him a batter or two to work out of his jams imo
Happy Crowe Day Y’all!!!!
![]
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Thaaaaaat was too close for comfort
Yups! After I freaking jinxed Yerry, I was afraid to post it…..
I’m now convinced that Derek Shelton is either seriously incompetent or is suffering from some form of psychological fear which causes him to freeze up and NOT TAKING THE FUCKING PITCHER OUT!!!
Sad for yerry, hes been strong overall so hope he shakes it off for next time
Happens to every reliever. He’ll be fine.
No, Yerry. No 😔
And now the Hayes baserunning blunder looms larger. That play was so elementary, how does that happen at the MLB level??
The answer once again……..is Brock not doing any coaching. But Key still should know better.
Is Brock telling him to stop and Hayes simply over running? Should have made it back ok but he took a horrible angle and never got to the bag and he over slid the bag because he was way too wide.
I’d like to know the answer too. Clearly Key went too far. IMO Brock is a quiet spectator rather than vocal like he needs to be. He needs to be shouting Hold hold hold until that ball gets past the cutoff to home plate.
Yoshi would’ve had that.
<ducks>
I’ll do you one better, Volgy would’ve had that.
Hell, Moran would have had that.
Hardly ever easy, time to pull Yerry.
The way Shelty’s used pen, Thompson is gonna have to go deep tomorrow. Might need Crowe to have a 3 inning save.
Well scratch that Crowe thought now.
Tomorrow’s pen is Bunny, Holderman, and Ramirez. And VanMeter.
Cruz and his heater?
Love 8th inning Yerry time!!
And……. I jinxed him……..My Bad…….
Cruz is just unreal. Have never seen a player like him, and he hasn’t really even started.
Just bein realistic, Cruz hit a mistake. Suter doesn’t know the book on how to pitch Cruz. That’s on the Brewers. Cruz made him pay on a flat FB center cut.
Most home runs are mistake pitches.
He has so many holes in his swing and approach…….just sayin, let’s keep that in mind.
Yeah it doesn’t count. Too many holes.
When Cruz makes something happen, it happens loudly.
BC might start getting nervous about the service time manipulation plan for Cruz
They already accomplished that mission already. The only way he would have gone down would have been if his slump kept going after the All Star game.
Top 2 in ROY voting given full year now, no?
Why?
Cruz is a beast.
Well then
See Shelty. This is what happens when you play guys with potential.
Cruz has been playing….
Tucu et al.
Well, the young guys have been playing. Tuva played when he was last up and back today and starting. He played Suwinski even when he quit hitting. He has been playing Madris and Mitchell.
BOMBS AWAY
Gamel is turning into VanMeter before our eyes.
Look I like Ben Gamel but it’s simply time for him to go. Suwinski or Swaggerty need to play here and now.
Reynolds hitting is a good thing!
Tucu flashing the leather. I think there is a reason Ben targeted him. And it’s starting to show. Speed, glove in multiple spots, and bat is starting to show up in a big way (AAA mostly admittedly). I really like the kid.
This might be the slowest games of the season. 2.5 hours and not through 6 yet.
It definitely feels that way
Shelton rarely backs up his players on those strike calls. I could stand to see a little more fire in him.
He barks. Have seen him tossed this year for arguing the calls
Tucu! Making his statement vs BNP!!
Tucu!
Chavis!! Hits and strips the defense all on the same play! Love that. Telez, you need to get your arse out of the freaking base path!
tucu should be playing first base also
Bring on the robo umps
This crew is the poster boys to bring in Robo Ump……they suck…..
A ton of way outside balls called strikes today
Carter Bins time
Wha hapn ta Heinie?
Looked like a pulled groin running to 1b.
Aw, hell. He’s not much but I kinda like him.
I wouldn’t think so. You don’t want to add Bins to 40 man unless you absolutely have to, because you’re gonna want to take him off. So probably Taylor Davis as nobody’s going to claim him once you take him off 40 man.
Sabol SZN!!!!
Would be a good time to move Sabol to AAA and Endy to AA.
Good start. I’m gonna need more of that out of Marcano to warm up to him.
He mustve heard you!
Glad to see Tucu back! Stinging the ball in Indy and keeping it up so far tonight.
Marcano our lead off hitter!
should get a shot at first base
Neal never showed up in the booth wearing jeans and a pullover. Professionalism has left the building!
I’ve been wearing T-shirts for my corporate job for like 7 years. He looked down right presidential compared to a lot of office now. It’s a better way to live.
Are those folks in tees regularly on camera as a face of their company?
Constantly, yea. Your dislike of casual wear on exes scream “old man yelling at clouds.”
It’s fine for some businesses that espouse a culture of anything goes. As someone who had a corner office in a VC funded tech startup, we never went on camera or spoke at conferences wearing tees. Sure, we’d wear logo’d button downs, no ties, no jackets, but we didn’t look like slobs. Our market wouldn’t take that well, nor would our backers. None of our competitors dressed low-rent either.
My initial comment was tongue-in-cheek. But since you want to argue and insult, game on.
That’s on you if you took it as an insult. If you honestly think a team sweatshirt and jeans is dressing like a slob, you are indeed a relic of a bygone era. Just ridiculous to me that you care enough about how Ben was dressed to comment on it on a game thread.
My, you are a humorless dolt.
Of course I don’t mean that as an insult!
Roansy pitching in Indy and Pirates starting a RP. Pirates sure do know how to alienate their fan base. It’s not like they couldn’t foresee the trade of Q and need for a SP tonight, and save Roansy to start tonight.
I don’t have an issue on how they’re handling Roansy. Dude didn’t pitch in 2020, threw 75 innings last year. So watching his innings/workload is justified.
If you’re concerned about his arm being fragile due to what happened last year, why risk him pitching in AAA? They can monitor his innings in Pittsburgh just as easily.
The demotion isn’t about workload management, it’s about Super 2.
Because innings at AAA aren’t as stressful as MLB innings, and it’s not like he’s going 6 innings down there right now. If you’re going to bring him back into the rotation you’d need to re-build him up just like in spring training. He got a few weeks off and now he’s building up again. Doing that in AAA keeps him from feeling like he NEEDS to get hitters out at all costs and reduces the stress level on that arm.
Plus spent time on the IL with an arm issue last year too.
Agreed.
At least Van Meter is available to pitch….
And now he’s our backup catcher.
This is a long boring inning, half inning. Come on dude!
Shades of Charlie Morton……