Bucs drop series as Perez shines, should Taylor dive, Jones update

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Series and game tied at one, the Pirates turned to Dennis Santana in the 10th inning and after getting a ground ball out, he gave up a line-drive double to center and a bloop single as the Cardinals beat the Bucs 3-2 Thursday afternoon.

The loss adds a game to the Bucs deficit in the Wild Card race, now at 4 as St. Louis takes two of three in the series including splitting the pair of extra-inning games.

Picked up off waivers from the Yankees, Santana has now made six appearances with the Pirates, four of them scoreless, this was his first decision and first loss of the season.

Pirates made it interesting in the extra frame, with Michael A. Taylor gifted second base, Nick Gonzales hit one to the North Side Notch and after making a 405-foot catch, the Cardinals left fielder just held onto the ball and Taylor tagged and started jogging to third base, seeing the ball wasn’t thrown in, Taylor scored from second on a sacrifice fly. Following a fly out by Ke’Bryan Hayes , Jared Triolo and Joey Bart singled in their first appearances and Andrew McCutchen ripped one down the left field line that would have tied the game, but it was just foul. McCutchen would ground into a force out to end the game on the next pitch.

“We hit two balls 409 feet and they stayed in the yard,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “Nick Gonzales hits a ball about as well as he could hit it and I would bet, and you guys could research this, that's a homer in about 27 ballparks, so there's nothing we can do. The ball Jack hit and bounced out was in the same spot. That's a homer in every other place. We had some good at-bats and we hit two balls to the wrong part of the park.”

Perez masterful

Without a win in three months, Martin Perez left the game with one out in the eighth to a loud ovation and deservedly so. The 33-year-old gave up only an unearned run in 7.1 innings on six hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. He threw 59 of his 92 pitches for strikes, recording 11 ground ball outs including a pair of double plays behind him.

The unearned run scored based on Perez’s lone mistake. On a ball to the right of first baseman Rowdy Tellez , the throw to Perez covering was a little low and the Bucs pitcher just missed the bag on what would have been the third out of the second inning. Next batter Dylan Carlson ripped one down the line, Bryan Reynolds played the ball as if it would carom off the stands, but it stayed straight down the line and by the time Reynolds got it, Brendan Donovan was able to score from first base.

“Yeah, good rebound start,” Shelton said. “He executed all of his pitches. I think he gave us 90-plus and did a good job, was able to go out in the eighth and keep the matchup that we liked. But overall, I thought he was really good.”

“Good, was looking to have an outing like this one for a long time,” Perez said. “That’s good. Everything was working today. I was working on a couple things in the bullpen with my release point and everything was there today. I was able to move the ball where I wanted and make some pitches.”

“It was a great game. We played good. That’s what happens, they were just lucky at the end, but that’s part of the game. We have to come back tomorrow and try to win tomorrow.”

Perez’s first start off the injured list, he gave up six runs in four innings at Atlanta on June 28.

Make the catch or don’t

In the 10 ^th inning with a runner at third and one out centerfielder Michael A. Taylor tried to make a diving catch of Pedro Pagas liner in the left-center. The ball got by him leading to a double. Likely the run would have scored even if he made the catch, but leaving his feet could have turned a single into a double and Pagas would score what proved to be the game-winner on a single with two outs.

"Obviously after the play you have some time to think about it,” Taylor said. “With the situation, where we were playing, where I started, we were looking to cut the run off at home. I was playing pretty shallow so I felt like that was my only shot to cut the ball off. I would do it over again."

Taylor said he will always error on the side of aggressiveness.

“I think you gotta trust an outfielder that's won a Gold Glove and is leading baseball in defensive runs saved,” Shelton said. “I mean he made a very similar play the other day in Atlanta and dove. But once he goes and commits, you trust him in the player.”

Reynolds stays hot

The Bucs centerfielder now with hits in 27 of his last 29 games and five home runs in his last 13 games as his 427-foot shot to center tied the game in the fourth inning. Even when Reynolds strikeouts out, it took St. Louis reliever Andrew Kittredge 11 pitches to retire him in the eighth inning.

Jones on IL

Before the game, the Bucs recalled outfielder Joshua Palacios and put starting pitcher Jared Jones on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain.

“We're still re-evaluating where he's at,” Shelton said. “I think everyone knows what he means to us and where we're at, so, out of precaution he's still being evaluated. I think we'll probably have more information in the next day or two.”

Pirates will move Mitch Keller back a day to start Monday and have a hole in the rotation currently on Sunday afternoon.

Up Next

The Pirates open up a four-game series at home against the Mets with Paul Skenes (4-0, 2.06 ERA) against RHP Luis Severino (5-2, 3.42 ERA) with the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show with Dan Zangrilli starting at 5:40 on Friday.