Pirates shut down by Angels bullpen, drop series finale
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After five innings Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked to be sitting pretty, having taken a two-run lead over the Los Angeles Angels and chasing starter Jose Soriano.
But that advantage evaporated almost instantly, with starter Martin Perez and reliever Luis Ortiz imploding in the sixth to allow three runs.
The Pirates (17-21) failed to produce a single baserunner after the fifth, with seven of the club’s final 13 batters striking out against the Los Angeles bullpen in a 5-4 series-ending defeat.
The Angels’ Adam Cimber, Matt Moore, Luis Garcia and Carlos Estevez combined for 4 1/3 perfect innings.
“Their bullpen threw the ball well,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We have to create our own opportunities. … We just have to have better at-bats late in the game.”
Most of Wednesday’s offensive action transpired in the fifth and sixth innings.
After Jo Adell opened the scoring with a solo homer off Perez in the second inning, the Angels added another run in the fifth on Adell’s RBI single.
But the Pirates responded in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 4-2 lead.
Joey Bart hit a one-out double into left field, and Alika Williams moved him to third on a groundout.
With two outs, Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds both drew walks off Soriano, bringing Oneil Cruz to the plate with the bases loaded.
On a 1-1 pitch, he lifted a splitter into the right-center field gap, clearing the bases before scoring on a Connor Joe RBI single.
Cruz finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. He and Joe (2 for 4, RBI) were the only Pirates with multiple hits.
“It felt good,” Cruz said through translator Stephen Morales. “I went out there really aggressive, just trying to do what happened. Trying to give our team the lead, and that’s what I did.”
Perez’s start unraveled in the top of the sixth, leading to his removal after back-to-back singles by Taylor Ward and Kevin Pillar with no outs.
Shelton turned to Ortiz, who quickly allowed a single to Logan O’Hoppe, followed by a bases-loaded double to Brandon Drury that scored two to make it 4-4.
Willie Calhoun then drove home the winning run on a sacrifice fly to center field that drove in O’Hoppe.
From there, neither team managed another hit, with Taylor Ward’s walk in the seventh off Aroldis Chapman the only baserunner either club got aboard after the sixth.
Perez (1-2, 3.60 ERA) lasted five innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Ortiz (2-2, 3.20 ERA) took the loss. Colin Holderman and Hunter Stratton pitched scoreless innings for the Pirates.
“With the exception of really the one inning, I thought we threw the ball pretty well,” Shelton said. “Unfortunately, the one inning was the inning that ended up being the difference in the game.”
Chapman, who erased Colorado’s Ryan McMahon with a pickoff move in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 5-3 win over the Rockies, did the same to Ward on Wednesday to end the frame.
“It’s really deceptive for as big as he is,” Shelton said. “It’s just a good, clean left-handed move.”
The Pirates are off Thursday before beginning a three-game series at home against the Chicago Cubs.