The Pirates couldn’t hold the lead against the Brewers on Thursday, dropping the final game 7-5 to split a four game series.
Milwaukee got on the board immediately against Mitch Keller with a solo homer in the top of the first. The Pirates responded in the bottom half of the inning with a home run of their own, this time a three run shot by Joey Bart.
The Brewers added two more runs in the third, tying the score. They took the lead in the fifth inning on a Rhys Hoskins double. The Pirates once again answered in the bottom half, picking up an RBI double from Jack Suwinski, and a sac fly RBI by Jared Triolo to take a 5-4 lead.
That lead looked safe until the 8th inning, when Gary Sanchez hit a two run homer off Aroldis Chapman, giving the Brewers a lead they would not relinquish. They added an insurance run in the ninth for good measure.
The loss for the Pirates continues an early trend of the bullpen losing leads late in games. The Pirates have won some games in this manner, but the bullpen was expected to be a strength, so the losses stand out.
STATCAST HEROES
The minor league Statcast Heroes can be found in the nightly Pirates Prospect Watch.
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
Joey Bart hits his third home run with the Pirates.
https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1783539599672803804
Ji Hwan Bae homered in Indianapolis.
https://twitter.com/indyindians/status/1783644295083213183
Jack Brannigan hit his third homer of the year for Greensboro.
Jack Brannigan DESTROYED this ball 😳
He’s now homered in back-to-back games! pic.twitter.com/rlknlG0fvR
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) April 26, 2024
PROSPECT WATCH
As seen above, Jack Brannigan homered for the second day in a row. He also hit a double tonight in an 11-1 Greensboro victory. I recapped Brannigan’s performance, along with all of the other highlights, in the nightly Pirates Prospect Watch.
ROSTER MOVES
- RHP Ryder Ryan was optioned to Indianapolis after the game. The Pirates will call up another player on Friday before the game.
- RHP Brad Case was sent up to Indianapolis from Altoona, after putting up a 3.18 ERA in 11.1 innings, with a 9:2 K/BB ratio.
- LHP Dominic Perachi was promoted from Greensboro to Altoona. Perachi pitched 10.1 shutout innings in Greensboro, with seven strikeouts and four walks. He allowed three runs in three innings during his Altoona debut.
- The Pirates released outfielder Jack Herman. The outfielder was batting .176/.236/.216 with 26 strikeouts in 51 at-bats in Single-A.
TODAY: PIRATES (13-13) AT GIANTS (12-14)
Game Time: 10:15 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
Pirates Starter: Quinn Priester, RHP (0-1, 8.31)
Giants Starter: Kyle Harrison, LHP (2-1, 5.00)
In the Minors…
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 7:35 PM – LHP Michael Plassmeyer (1-3, 6.86)
- Double-A: Altoona, 6:00 PM – RHP Braxton Ashcraft (0-0, 6.75)
- High-A: Greensboro, 7:05 PM – RHP J.P. Massey (1-1, 4.00)
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – RHP Carlson Reed (0-1, 2.45)
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
The Pirates have two catchers taken at the top of the draft in 2021 first overall pick Henry Davis, and 2018 second overall pick Joey Bart. The Pirates got Bart after he struggled in San Francisco. Davis is struggling in the same way, and the Pirates aren’t doing him any favors with the usage. I wrote about the comparison of the two catchers, and how the Pirates are expecting too much right away from Davis.
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THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
This week’s premium article drop for Patreon subscribers looks at players in Single-A with the Bradenton Marauders. Like every other level, this group is highlighted by interesting pitchers. There are also some hitters to follow on the position player side, which I broke down in my premium column.
**Williams: Pirates Prospects Sleepers to Follow in Single-A
Michael Kennedy was an over-slot prep pick in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The lefty is in his first full-season league in pro ball, and showed promise this past weekend with an eight strikeout performance.
**Michael Kennedy Shows Path to Big Leagues With Eight Strikeout Performance
Khristian Curtis has a six pitch mix, despite not having a lot of time on the mound in his pitching career. The Pirates gave him an over-slot bonus as a 12th rounder last year, giving them the chance to develop his arsenal.
**Khristian Curtis Features Big Stuff From a Six Pitch Mix
Carlson Reed is showing promise in his early results with Bradenton. The West Virginia draftee has a 2.45 ERA in his first three starts this year, after being taken in the fourth round last year.
**West Virginia Pitcher Carlson Reed is Off to a Great Start With the Pirates
Relievers aren’t usually prospects in the lower levels, but Magdiel Cotto is a lefty who can get his fastball up to 95. The Pirates went over-slot on him in the 11th round last year, and he’s showing good results as a reliever in the 2024 season.
**Magdiel Cotto is an Over-Slot Lefty With a Fastball That Gets Up to 95
The Pirates traded for Connor Oliver at the start of the season, getting something in return for Colin Selby. This marks his sixth different organization since the start of 2020, with hopes that the Pirates can develop the lefty into an MLB option.
**Connor Oliver Remains on the Move With Trade to Pirates
SONG OF THE DAY
