This may be the oldest story this season, but the Pirates are absolutely awful on the road. With only one win in the past for games, it would be really surprising if the Pirates do not just pack it in for the year.
The Bucos made the trip from St. Louis to Florida for one final four game road series to close out the season. And as tired and exhausted as they must be after 62 road losses they somehow the Pirates find ways to show that they are trying and they do still care.
Thursday night’s loss, an 11-9 hard fought loss, was one part horrible fielding and one trying to make a futile comeback.
The game started out poorly for Zack Duke who went four innings allowing 9 runs, only 4 of which were earned, on 8 hits. Duke was charged with the four earned runs all coming in the first inning. And with just the four run in the first the Pirates comeback and take a win. But the other five runs were a product of bad fielding in the second and fourth innings.
Mistakes in the field were a big factor in the loss as the Pirates had three errors in the first four innings. A big two error, four run, fourth inning was the major difference in tonight’s score.
Shortstop Ronny Cedeno and Pedro Alvarez were both charged with key fielding errors that allowed the inning to continue far longer than it should have.
9 runs will sink any ball club, but the Pirates tried to mount a come from behind win, though it was obvious that would be nearly impossible. And Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, and Pedro Alvarez did all that they could to try and make the impossible possible.
Between the three of them they accounted for 9 of the Pirates 13 hits and 7 of 9 runs. The three Bucos made what should have been a blowout, a somewhat respectable final score.
A big three run homer in the top of the ninth gave the Pirates a glimmer of hope after narrowing the lead from 11-6.
The Pirates continue the series Friday evening.
