After three days at Coors Field, the Pirates called up Clay Holmes to
make one start and provide extra rest for their rotation. But their decision
backfired on Friday night as the rookie right-hander struggled in his
abbreviated return to the big leagues.
Holmes allowed seven runs on eight hits and four walks over
2 2/3 innings in the Pirates' 13-10 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park.
Pittsburgh lost ground in the National League Central and Wild Card races,
falling to eight games behind the Cubs and five games out of a Wild Card spot.
Holmes had trouble with inconsistency of his stuff -- it
just didn't show up very well tonight it was an unusual move for the Pirates to
call up Holmes from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his third Major League start
in the middle of a postseason race. The plan had been in the works for weeks,
and Holmes knew after his last start -- before Hurdle's unexpected announcement
on Thursday afternoon -- that he was bound for another big league start.
Holmes showed promise in his last outing, working six
scoreless innings against the Brewers on July 14, but he is unproven compared
to the Bucs' current five-man rotation. And pitching has been the least of
Pittsburgh's problems lately, as the Pirates entered the night with an NL-best
3.05 ERA since July 7.
Right-hander Trevor
Williams, who has allowed two runs over his last four starts,
could have started Friday's game on regular rest. Instead, the Pirates pushed
their five starters back a day -- mostly to benefit those who pitched earlier
this week at Coors Field -- and inserted Holmes into their rotation.
Holmes struggled from the start, lacking the stuff and
command he displayed against the Brewers. His sinker averaged 93.3 mph on
Friday night compared to 95.6 mph in his last big league start; catcher Francisco
Cervelli said the velocity drop may have been the result of
Holmes trying too hard to throw perfect pitches. Holmes threw only 33 of his 63
pitches for strikes, and the Giants swung and missed only twice against him.
When you’re a pitcher in the Majors you have to be ready
when your name's called. Holmes just didn't make enough quality pitches tonight
and I wasn't my best tonight. There's really no excuses."
Andrew
McCutchen hit a leadoff home run before Austin Slater and Alen Hanson each
drove in a run in Holmes' 25-pitch first inning. After a quiet second inning, the
Giants loaded the bases with two outs in the third before Holmes walked
McCutchen to bring home a run. Buster Posey then
smacked a two-run single to center, ending Holmes' night.
Perhaps the Pirates' decision to temporarily carry six
starters will benefit Joe Musgrove, Taillon
and Chris Archer when
they pitch over the next week. But it also left them with a six-man bullpen:
their five high-leverage relievers and long reliever Casey Sadler. So when
Holmes exited early, Sadler had to bear the brunt of the remaining workload --
and bat twice with runners in scoring position -- as he allowed four runs over
3 1/3 innings.
The Pirates felt comfortable going into the game against the
Giants with in six relievers. That was the decision
the Pirates made
before the game started beforehand, understanding that sometimes it the game
plan that you strt the game with can change as the game goes on.
Hanson led off the fourth with a single against Sadler,
then Joe Panik and Steven Duggar hit
back-to-back doubles to give the Giants a 9-2 lead. Posey punctuated the rally
with his fourth hit in as many innings, an RBI single to center. Brandon
Crawford led off the fifth with a double to deep center and
scored on Hanson's groundout to second base.
The Pirates managed to rack up 10 hits against Giants
left-hander Derek Holland,
and Cervelli's seventh-inning grand slam off reliever Pierce Johnson cut
their deficit to four runs. Colin Moran hit
an RBI triple off Tony Watson and
scored on a single by Cervelli in the eighth, and Adeiny
Hechavarria homered in the ninth to make it a three-run
game. But the early hole proved to be too much for Pittsburgh overcome.
MOMENTS THAT
MATTERED
No relief: After Holmes and Sadler pitched and Cervelli made it a
four-run game in the seventh, the Pirates turned to the back end of their
bullpen. Kyle Crick,
pitching in his former home ballpark for the first time, hit Evan Longoria with
a 97-mph fastball, then gave up an RBI double to Hanson in the seventh. The
Pirates then cut the Giants' lead to three runs, but Richard
Rodriguez walked the bases loaded before giving up an RBI
single to Slater.
SOUND SMART
Cervelli's fourth career grand slam gave him 46 RBIs on the year, a
single-season high mark for the catcher. He drove in 43 runs in 130 games for
the Pirates in 2015.
Moran's eighth-inning triple snapped his streak of 20
straight singles. It was Moran's first extra-base hit since July 9 and his
second career triple.
HIGH HEAT
Giants third baseman Evan Longoria was hit in the back by a
97 mph fastball by Pirates reliever Kyle Crick in the bottom of the seventh.
Longoria initially stayed in the game but was pulled in the top of the eighth.
Longoria said he felt fine after the game, but wasn’t certain about his playing
status for Saturday’s game.
OFF DAYS
Pirates OF Gregory Polanco struck out as a pinch-hitter.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Polanco will get another rest day in Sunday’s series
finale.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (hyperextended right knee) will
start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, manager Bruce
Bochy said. If all goes well, Belt could join the team for next week’s series
against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, which starts Monday. … RHP Johnny Cueto,
who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month, was moved to the 60-day
DL. RHP Casey Kelly was selected to the Giants’ Major League roster in a
corresponding move before Friday’s game. … RHP Derek Law was optioned to
Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
RHP Trevor Williams (9-8, 3.88 ERA) will pitch Saturday for
the Pirates. He has a 2.25 ERA without a decision in two career starts against
the Giants. LHP Ty Blach (6-6, 4.28) will pitch for the Giants.
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