PITTSBURGH — Vince Velasquez had an early opportunity to show his former team why he’s deserving of a rotating spot. The brain trust of his previous employer, the Chicago White Sox, likely didn’t feel it had let one get away Saturday night.
The mercurial right-hander and offseason signing labored through his second start with the Pirates, lasting 2 2/3 innings and giving up five runs on six hits and four walks in an 11-5 loss to the White Sox at PNC Park.
Velasquez tight-roped out of the first two innings with only one run allowed on an Oscar Colas single. Velasquez’s third and final frame wouldn’t serve him quite as well.
The White Sox batted around for the first of two times in the third, an offensive surge kick-started by a Tim Anderson double to left. Andrew Benintendi drove him home on an RBI single shortly after.
Then, the wheels fell off.
Velasquez first walked Andrew Vaughn on five pitches, which prompted a mound visit. Gavin Sheets accepted a free pass in the ensuing at bat on four straight balls. Another trip to the bump by manager Derek Shelton ensued, this one due to an injury delay.
Once the Pirates’ starter was cleared to go, he threw a wild pitch that allowed Benintendi to score from third. Yasmani Grandal singled up the middle to drive in another, Colas walked and Velasquez’s night was over, as were the Pirates’ hopes of getting a comeback win in their second home game of the year.
The White Sox continued to tack on runs long after Velasquez’s night was over, due in part to the Pirates’ bullpen having to work 6 1/3 innings in relief due to his early exit. Birthday boy Carlos Santana, who turned 37 years old on Saturday, did his best solo act to keep the Pirates competitive, going 3 for 4 with two runs batted in and a walk.
His efforts, along with those of Reynolds, weren’t enough to keep the Pirates within striking distance. The home squad was able to trim its deficit to two at 6-4 in the fifth inning after a sacrifice fly from Andrew McCutchen and one of Santana’s run-scoring singles.
But the White Sox put the Pirates’ come-from-behind bid to rest with a five-run seventh in which they once again batted around, making a bullpen that’s otherwise been stout this season look quite hittable. McCutchen tacked on his first home run of the season on a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth once the game’s final verdict had already been decided.
ON THE MOUND
While it wasn’t Velasquez’s night on the bump, Chase De Jong filled in admirably in relief. His second outing of the season went smoother than his first in Cincinnati, a two-inning performance in which he gave up three runs and a home run to the Reds.
Entering for Velasquez in the third, De Jong produced 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The only run De Jong permitted was on an Elvis Andrus sacrifice fly that McCutchen seemed to briefly lose in the lights before making the catch.
McCutchen threw to second baseman Rodolfo Castro instead of home, which allowed the White Sox’ Andrew Vaughn to score. Vaughn initially broke for the plate, hesitated and then re-started his sprint home.
Aside from hitting Yasmani Grandal with a pitch when he was up in that count 1-2, it was mostly a clean showing from De Jong otherwise.
AT THE PLATE
With a sacrifice fly in the third inning, Reynolds extended his streak of games with an RBI to six. That streak is the longest by a Pirates hitter in a single season since Starling Marte did so over six games in September of 2015.
Oneil Cruz has also had a similar six-game streak in his career, but that was stretched across the tail end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 seasons. Even during that run, Cruz wasn’t as hot as the sizzling Reynolds currently is.
Entering Saturday night, Reynolds was putting up numbers video-game players could only dream of, slashing .448/.469/1.103 with five home runs and 13 runs driven in. It was inevitable those totals would go down with time, but Reynolds still had a productive night, albeit a bit quieter than his more recent showings, going 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.
Reynolds still struck the ball well, though, like when he ripped a 101.5-mph grounder to Yoan Moncada at third base.
UP NEXT
Johan Oviedo will get the start Sunday. White Sox starter Michael Kopech was rocked by the San Francisco Giants in his first start of the season, giving up seven earned runs and allowing five home runs across 4 2/3 innings.
