MILWAUKEE — After Chad Kuhl lasted just 3⅓ innings during Saturday’s loss, Pirates manager Derek Shelton demanded more out of his starting pitchers.
“We’ve got to get deeper into games with our starters,” Shelton said.
A day later, the biggest impediment to a starter eating more innings was Shelton himself, as the manager made a controversial decision that will be the primary talking point coming out of the Pirates’ 5-2 loss to the Brewers on Sunday at American Family Field.
Wil Crowe had retired 15 in a row entering the sixth. But when he walked the first batter of the inning, Tim Lopes, Shelton turned things over to the bullpen with Crowe at just 82 pitches and having not allowed a hit since the first inning.
It was, evaluated without any context whatsoever, a curious decision. But zoom out a little, and it’s even more confusing. The inning before, with the Pirates looking to add to a one-run lead, Shelton allowed Crowe to hit with the bases loaded and two outs.
If Crowe was so close to reaching his pitch count or workload limit, why not turn to a better hitter there? And if you’d rather sacrifice offense to stick with an effective starter, OK. But pulling the guy after one walk seems a little harsh.
In predictable fashion, the Pirates’ slim lead quickly evaporated. Milwaukee scored three runs in the sixth, one more in the seventh and finished off a sweep of the Pirates, who have now lost a season-high seven in a row to fall to 23-41. This three-game set also marks the seventh time they’ve been swept in a series this season.
The decision wasn’t the only thing that hurt, either. Colin Moran left the game in the second inning with lower-back tightness. He had been out in the short-term with a right hand issues and missed a month before that with a left groin strain. The Pirates said he’s receiving treatment, being evaluated and is considered day-to-day.
The Brewers tied the game with a triple from Luis Urias while facing David Bednar, who came on in relief of Crowe. Urias pounced on a first-pitch curveball, a hanger, and sent it on a line out to center field.
After Bednar got first baseman Daniel Vogelbach to tap back to the mound, Brewers right fielder Avisail Garcia put Milwaukee in front, 4-2, with a two-run homer, this one coming on a first-pitch splitter that Bednar left up in the zone. Garcia drove it the opposite way, over Gregory Polanco’s head in right.
Milwaukee added to its lead in the seventh off Sam Howard. Catcher Manny Pina led off with a double, advanced to third on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s grounder to second and scored on a laser of a sacrifice fly from Christian Yelich, who drew an ovation when announced as the pinch-hitter.
It was a shame the Pirates’ 2-1 lead disappeared within a stretch of three batters because Crowe was really good during the middle part of this one, regrouping nicely after a slow start and lasting until his leadoff walk in the sixth.
During that 15-out run, not a single play was made by an outfielder. Crowe also struck out eight, two of those looking, and he fired a couple of tremendous sliders, the command of his breaking stuff much better than his last outing.
Overall, Crowe worked five innings and allowed two earned runs on two hits with those eight strikeouts. The right-hander generated 12 whiffs and did an excellent of attacking the zone, throwing 53 of his 82 pitches for strikes.
One of the only pieces of loud contact against Crowe came in the first, as Vogelbach laced a changeup at the bottom of the zone over Bryan Reynolds’ head in center. It wasn’t a terrible pitch, but it scored Urias and gave the Brewers a 1-0 edge.
The Pirates answered in the top of the second, loading the bases on three singles and picking up a run on Kevin Newman’s grounder to third. They took the lead with a solo homer from Jacob Stallings in the sixth.
It was a solid swing from the Pirates catcher, too. Stallings sat on a first-pitch slider and deposited it over the wall in left-center field for his fifth of the season.
