Back end of Astros bullpen blows an early lead and spoils superb opening on an Astros bullpen day
As everyone knows by now, the starter scheduled for tonight’s game was scratched just before game time. What happened next overshadows the unfortunate outcome of this game.
Although little is expected from now-departed Jake Bloss on any given day, with his trade to the Blue Jays for Yusei Kikuchi during tonight’s game, even less was expected from the openers that replaced him in the rotation.
However, Tay Scott started with three perfect innings, striking out four. He was followed by Caleb Ort, just up from AAA, who added 2.2 more innings, allowing only one run on a homer by Yasmani Grandal in the fifth. These two left the game with the Astros in the lead and in the hands of the bullpen big three.
Meanwhile, the Astros scored two runs, one unearned in the fifth after an error on a Jose Altuve fielder’s choice. Otherwise, Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes came as advertised, allowing only the two runs on five hits with six Ks, although two Astros tootblans might have kept the score total lower than otherwise.
The Pirates tied the score at two against Ryan Pressly in the eighth. But the Pirates iced the game in the ninth, as the home run bug bit “super-closer” Josh Hader yet again, this one a three run job by Michael Taylor. It was Hader’s sixth loss this year and tenth homer surrendered in 46 IP. His ERA is 4.16.
The Astros managed a meaningless run in the ninth, and on a day when TCB lauded Yainer Diaz, he ended the game stranding the bases loaded by popping out on a pitch high above the strike zone.
This was a game the Astros should have won if one of the ostensible strengths of the team, backend relief, hadn’t failed yet again.
Even Yusei Kikuchi couldn’t have won this game.