The Pirates dropped the 3rd game of their four-game set against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday night, 10-4. The Cubs snapped their 10-game losing streak as they battered the Pirates arms all game. The pitching was ugly from the start, with Bubba Chandler struggling again to get outs without giving up runs. The Pirates clawed their way back to tie the game at 4-4 before the 7th inning, where the Cubs scored six runs and put the game firmly out of reach. Watch DiNardo and I break down this embarrassing loss to the Cubs here:
It is Groundhog Day with Bubba Chandler
Bubba Chandler had yet another start where he showed flashes of ace-level stuff combined with an inability to get out of his own way. He was visibly shaken up after a mere two batters in the first inning, where the Pirates had to waste a mound visit to calm him down. Two walks proved costly as Ian Happ singled home two runs and put the Pirates behind early.
Bubba was granted a second lifeline, as Brandon Lowe‘s three-run bomb tied the game back up. Unfortunately, Bubba handed the lead back to the Cubs by giving up back-to-back two-out doubles. He became more efficient as the game went on and grew into the game mentally as well. It hurts to watch him pitch right now because he is oozing with talent and has yet to truly put it all together. Until he can get the mental game down, we are going to continue to see the same issues every single game. I feel like we have now watched the same Bubba start no less than five times so far, and it is still May.
My Kingdom for a Right Handed Reliever
The Pirates employ a plethora of right-handed arms in their bullpen, and so far none of them have established themselves as good candidates to help win baseball games. Wednesday, Yohan Ramirez and Justin Lawrence combined for two innings and surrendered six runs in between them. They join the list of righty relievers who have actively tanked the Pirates record by blowing games in the month of May. Dennis Santana was supposed to be the Pirates’ best reliever and shut-down guy, and his ERA has ballooned to 4.97. Lawrence was promising last year before injury and has everyone groaning when he starts to warm up in the bullpen. Outside of Dotel and Bidois, two rookies with shaky numbers in AAA, there is no right-handed option Don Kelly can turn to to reliably plug gaps. Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto can’t pitch every day, and Ben Cherington must address this major hole in the squad or playoff hopes could slip away.
Brandon Lowe: The Best Offseason Acquisition in Baseball
Brandon Lowe dragged the Pirates kicking and screaming into contending for a win tonight. The 2nd baseman hit his 14th home run of the year to tie the game at three and continued his hot streak versus the Cubs pitching staff. By WAR, Lowe is the 10th best position player in baseball and none of the players above him switched teams before the season. His OPS is 11th in baseball, and has consistently excellent for the Pirates offense. Lowe has also passed the eye test and the stat test with his defense, both grading out to some of the top defense in the league at 2nd. The Pirates would be a sub .500 team without Lowe, and I will continue to bang the drum that he shouldn’t be allowed to test free agency. The Pirates must extend him and give Lowe whatever money he wants to stay because he will be worth it.
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