Rob Scahill’s luck following a walk and an error ran out when Derek Norris, previously 0-for-4 with four strikeouts hit a grand slam to center field. This secured a 6-2 win for the San Diego Padres and ended the Pittsburgh Pirates seven game losing streak.
“You’ve got to finish innings and we didn’t help ourselves late,” manager Clint Hurdle said to assembled media following the game.
The Pirates wasted an outing from Francisco Liriano in which he allowed no runs on three hits in six innings while striking out 11 batters, his second consecutive outing with double digit strikeouts. This outing also gave him consecutive outings with a double digit strikeout total for the fourth time in his career.
“I’m just going as deep as I can and help my team win the game,” said Liriano.
Pedro Alvarez came into the game a .314 career hitter with the bases loaded and padded his average with a two-run single to score the lone Pirate runs in the third inning.
This remained the score until the bottom of the seventh inning. Jared Hughes entered the game replacing Liriano and allowed a walk and a single before allowing an RBI double for Abraham Almonte which tied the game. Almonte attempted to give himself up earlier in the at-bat with a bunt but after Hughes fell behind in the count 2-0, a pitch that was up and just off the middle of the plate resulted in the double.
After a sacrifice bunt, Hughes was removed in favor of Arquimedes Caminero who surrendered a base runner but did not allow an additional runner to score. Tony Watson pitched the eighth inning and extended his scoreless inning streak to 18.
The Pirates offense was held to three players on base after the two-run third inning.
Scahill [1-3] has allowed walk-off hits in each of his three losses. He had the chance to escape the ninth inning jam when manager Clint Hurdle removed Gregory Polanco and put in Sean Rodriguez who became a fifth infielder.
At this point Scahill walked Jedd Gyorko, committed a throwing error on an Almonte bunt and intentionally walked Cory Spangenberg.
With all five infielders in, Alexi Amarista grounded out to Neil Walker who threw home to record the first out. Yangervis Solarte met a similar fate grounding out to Mercer who threw against his body on the run to get the force out at home plate. Scahill’s 86 mile-per-hour slider to Norris was the last pitch of the game.
“It was a bad pitch, he hit it but that was not what cost us the game,” Scahill said. “It was the throw to first. I messed it up and nobody feels worse about it than me.”
This is the seventh all-time walk-off grand slam against the Pirates since 1914.
The win went to Padres closer Craig Kimbrel [1-1] who struck out two in the top of the ninth inning. After the loss, the Pirates fall to 25-23 on the season and 22-3 when leading after six innings.
“The game’s full of irony,” said Hurdle. “The kid [Norris] struck out how many times before this. That’s why you keep playing the game.”
This series continues Saturday night when Charlie Morton [1-0 2.57 ERA] takes on Tyson Ross [2-4 3.84 ERA]. Morton is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts against the Padres.
Of note: Jung Ho Kang saw his hitting streak end at 10 games… The Pirates got their first bunt base hit of the season in the third inning [Polanco]… Alvarez had two of the team’s six hits in the contest… Josh Harrison did not see action in this game, the first time he was inactive since May 11.
Photo courtesy: @Pirates on Twitter
