PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Diamondbacks DH Joc Pederson hit a 1-2 pitch with two-outs in the seventh inning into the left field seats as the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead for Paul Skenes , Arizona wins 6-5 Sunday. The win moves the D-backs 3.5 games ahead of the Bucs in the Wild Card race.
A home run by Ketel Marte in the ninth proved to be the game-winner as the Bucs scored one in the ninth and left pinch-runner Michael A. Taylor 90 feet away with one out.
Pederson has over a thousand OPS in his career at PNC Park with nine home runs, 22 RBI in 28 games in Pittsburgh. Manager Derek Shelton decided to let struggling right-handed reliever Colin Holderman face Pederson instead of lefty Jalen Beeks who was warming in the bullpen.
"Holdy's got to be better," Shelton said. "He's got to make a pitch. He's pitched in that spot for us all year and it didn't work."
On June 22, Holderman had a 0.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and opponents were hitting .147 against him. July was a struggle and August has been a disaster in two outings, two losses. There was a time where Holderman was a legit contender to be the Pirates All-Star representative, Sunday the righty walked both of the runners before the home run.
Skenes start
Before the game Pirates GM Ben Cherington said he wanted to try and find a spot where Skenes could have a low pitch count game, it was looking good early after four quick runs, but didn’t happen. Skenes threw over 100 pitches for the third straight game and five of the last six. Sunday it was 57 strikes over 101 pitches, his lowest strike total since 54 in 84 pitches in his first MLB game. He would give up a pair of runs on a career-high tying three walks and four strikeouts with five hits allowed over 5.1 innings.
"They got a good lineup," Skenes said. "They are not going to let me, or anybody else, get away with just not throwing strikes. They are going to grind it out. It was one of those days.”
Skenes has walked six batters in his last two starts after walking five in five starts in June.
Overall Pirates pitchers walked six on Sunday.
How the Bucs scored
The trade deadline provided the first runs of the game as Bryan De La Cruz ’s two-out single drove in Isiah Kiner-Falefa , who had led off the bottom of the first with a rocket double.
The bottom of the second started with gifts. Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson hit DH Joey Bart , walked Ji Hwan Bae (Bae got down 0-2 and worked an eight-pitch BB). After a Jared Triolo flyout, catcher Yasmani Grandal doubled to right scoring Bart. Kiner-Falefa cleared the bases with a triple for a 4-0 lead.
The Pirates got the first two hitters on in the ninth as pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen walked and Grandal followed with a single. Kiner-Falefa popped up a bunt to the pitcher and Reynolds lined a single to right to make it 6-5. Cruz struck out aoff AJ Pukfter fouling off six straight pitches and De La Cruz flew out to end it.
AAA newcomers
Traded for High A pitcher Patrick Reilly , left-fielder Billy Cook hit his 12 th home run of the year driving in three with three total hits. Coming over in the Quinn Priester trade, Nick Yorke has hits in all five of his game with AAA Indianapolis, doubling, scoring a run and walking as well Sunday.
Free agent, left-handed hitting first baseman Seth Beer had 2 RBI and is hitting .316 at AAA. In his first AAA start, Thomas Harrington gave up five runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four in 5.2 innings.
Up Next
Monday is an off day with the Padres coming to town for three games, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:40 and then Thursday at 12:35p. LHP Bailey Falter (5-7, 3.95 ERA), LHP Marco Gonzales (1-1, 3.72 ERA), RHP Luis Ortiz (5-2, 3.21 ERA) are the Pirates starters with San Diego yet to name its three pitchers.
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