Pirates struggle at plate again, 6-run 5th powers Yankees to win

Frequent defensive mishaps and mental mistakes on the basepaths by the Pittsburgh Pirates have contributed to their poor start to the season.

But those struggles are of a secondary nature when compared to an inability to score runs.

Following Saturday’s 10-4 loss to the Yankees at PNC Park in front of 30,570 fans, the Pirates (2-7) have still not managed to plate more than four runs in a game.

New York will go for a sweep Sunday afternoon, with the Pirates now losers of their first three series of the season.

“Obviously, not thrilled about it,” manager Derek Shelton said about his club’s start.

The Pirates did manage some sustained offense in the fourth inning Saturday, working New York starter Marcus Stroman for 30 pitches and scoring four runs to retake the lead after falling behind early.

“Offensively, it was good to see us have a big inning today and actually work some counts,” Shelton said.

But after the fourth, the Pirates managed only three runners for the remainder of the game via two walks and a single.

Meanwhile, the Yankees (6-2) beat up on starter Bailey Falter (0-1, 8.10 ERA), Saturday’s losing pitcher, as well as Colin Holderman.

After the Pirates went up 4-2 in the fourth, the Yankees got to Falter and his relief, Holderman, in the fifth, scoring six runs to create a new lead they did not relinquish.

Five of Falter’s seven earned runs came in the fifth, three via a Trent Grisham homer, Grisham’s second of the day off Falter, and two with Holderman, who allowed a bases-clearing double to Anthony Volpe, on the mound.

Falter threw 88 pitches (48 for strikes), allowing seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

“Just (a) horrendous job by me in the fifth,” Falter said. “Team takes the lead, does everything they can to get the lead for me, and then I go out there for the next inning and I can’t get one out. Just can’t happen. It’s unfortunate.”

The Yankees went up 1-0 in the second when Jazz Chisholm, whom Falter hit with a pitch before Chisholm stole second base, was scored with an RBI single by Austin Wells.

In the third, Grisham went yard, lifting a solo shot over the Clemente Wall to hand his club a 2-0 lead.

The Pirates responded in the fourth, though, as Ke’Bryan Hayes ripped an RBI double into left field, scoring Bryan Reynolds, who walked, while advancing Oneil Cruz (walk) to third.

After Jack Suwinski also walked, Enmanuel Valdez came up big with a two-run double, making it 3-2 Pirates.

Endy Rodriguez put the Pirates up 4-2 with an RBI groundout.

But from there, the Pirates’ offense fizzled out and New York soon took control.

The fifth-inning jam Falter found himself in came as a result of a leadoff double by Jasson Dominguez and a single from Oswald Peraza, which preceded Grisham’s three-run shot.

From there, Falter walked Paul Goldschmidt before Ben Rice singled, still with no outs, leading to Holderman taking over.

On his first pitch, Holderman plunked Aaron Judge before recovering to strike out Chisholm.

But Volpe busted the game open with a bases-clearing double to give the Yankees an 8-4 lead.

The rough outing spiked Holderman’s ERA to 9.84.

“I’ve been through these stretches before,” he said after the loss. “Last year I had a rough stretch there at the end in August, and I’ve gotten through that. I don’t think that it’s something I can’t get through. I’ll be just fine. I’m taking it one day at a time.”

After the fifth, the Pirates failed to get anything going offensively while New York added runs in the eighth and ninth off of Ryan Borucki and Dennis Santana.

Hayes (2 for 3, RBI, run) was the only Pirate to record multiple hits.

Stroman lasted four innings, allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

The Yankees’ Mark Leiter (1-1, 6.23 ERA), who tossed a scoreless sixth, was the winning pitcher.