The Pittsburgh Pirates had high hopes in their series against the Philadelphia Phillies after winning the first two of a four-game series. Instead, they will fly into Chicago on a two-game losing streak after a 4-2 loss Thursday afternoon.
“We had a chance to win a series and we were unable do that. We’ve got work to do,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’ve got to work on consistency.”
Vance Worley [2-3] made his second career start against the Phillies, his former team and did not make it into the fifth inning. Worley threw four innings allowing three runs [one earned] on eight hits while walking a batter. Worley threw 81 pitches in the loss, 47 of which were for strikes.
“He was just missing the spots, the execution isn’t what we’ve seen in the past,” said Hurdle. “He’s got 80 after four innings, and if you’ve seen Vance pitch, that’s not Vance.”
Worley has now gone two consecutive outings without striking out a batter. This is the second time in his career this has happened.
“Mechanically I was a little off, and I wasn’t allowing myself to pitch,” Worley said. “I was just a little out of sync.”
Radhames Liz relieved Worley in the fifth inning and Ryan Howard greeted him with a first-pitch home run over the right field wall. The home run was Howard’s seventh of the season and seventh of his career against the Pirates.
Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Harang [4-3] was tested early with a 27 pitch first inning however the Pirates left two runners on base.
Both Ben Revere and Freddy Galvis reached base to start the first inning. With Howard’s single loading the bases, Worley walked Cesar Hernandez bringing a run home. A second run came home on a first pitch Grady Sizemore single.
“We had a shot we weren’t able to convert, they got a shot, they did,” said Hurdle.
A third run crossed home for the Phillies in the third inning when Sizemore reached first base because of a Jordy Mercer error, his second of the season and one of two on the day for the Pirates.
The Pirate were unable to get runners in scoring position after Marte’s first-inning double until Josh Harrison advanced on a passed ball following a single, a span of 24 at-bats, all against Harang. He pitched eight shutout innings allowing five hits and one walk while striking out six batters. Harang threw 112 pitches, 80 of which were strikes. His 112 were the most this season and his highest total since September 22 also against the Pirates.
Liz pitched three innings against the Phillies allowing two hits and one run on the Howard home run. Bobby LaFromboise made his first appearance of the season in the bottom of the eighth inning. He threw a shutout inning.
Following Harrison’s single and advance to second on the passed ball, he moved to third on a Neil Walker ground out. Starling Marte then hit a double his second of the game and fifth of the season. These hits were off reliever Ken Giles.
Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg removed Giles from the game following the hit going with his closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Though Papelbon allowed an RBI ground out to Pedro Alvarez, he was able to get the final two outs, good for his eighth save of the season.
Harrison and Marte each led the team with three of the Pirates seven hits.
The Pirates will begin a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs Friday. Jeff Locke [2-2 4.71 ERA] will pitch for the Pirates against Kyle Hendricks [0-1 4.65 ERA]. Locke is 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA in seven career starts and 37 total innings against the Cubs. Hendricks is making his third career start against the Pirates, all of which have come this season. Hendricks is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA against the Pirates.
Of note:
Jameson Taillon made an 11 pitch return to live pitching throwing an inning in extended Spring Training against the Phillies. Nine of his pitches were for strikes and he gave up a run on two hits while striking out two batters.
“Worked my tail off this past year, and it felt so good to pitch in a game again,” Taillon said on Twitter. “Missed the competition so much. Hungry for more.”
“It was short, but it was very enlightening,” assistant pitching coordinator Tom Filer said to Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects. “I thought the way he threw the ball, there was a lot of ease to it. There was little labor to it. The angle was there, that we’re looking for. And of course he showed the ability to spin the ball, which was incredible.”
Assistant General Manager Kyle Stark also said following the game in Philadelphia that the outing went well.
Photo courtesy: Gene J. Puskar
