PITTSBURGH — With the Pirates inching closer and closer toward the trade deadline, and thus increasing the focus on the future, the Pirates got a taste of that on Tuesday.
Sure, they ultimately lost, 7-3, to the Brewers, dropping their third in a row. But they saw second baseman Rodolfo Castro pick up two more home runs to continue his ridiculous, career-starting run.
Castro has five hits in Major League Baseball. They're all home runs. Unpredictably, he's the first player since 1901 to do that. With Adam Frazier now in San Diego, Castro has a chance to earn more playing time, and he obviously helped himself in that regard.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Max Kranick experienced a different fate. Still someone to pay attention to given his ability and the steps forward taken this season, Kranick saw his outing spiral out of control int eh sixth inning, when he allowed a bases loaded double to third baseman Luis Urias.
Kranick circled the mound and tried to calm his nerves, as Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain walked slowly to first. Kranick had plunked Cain to load the bases. In the ribs, too, which Cain did not seem to enjoy.
As the tenseness of the moment began to feel palpable, the Brewers threatening to break the game open with nobody out, Derek Shelton did not budge. The Pirates manager wanted to see what his young pitcher could do.
Facing Urias, Kranick felt behind in the count, 3-1, then left a slider up in the zone, a pitch Urias lined into left field to give Milwaukee a 5-0 lead.
Dating back to the second inning of Sunday’s game, they’ve scored just four runs in their past 26 innings, their offense — save for Castro — struggling against Brewers starter Adrian Houser, as well as relievers Eric Lauer and Josh Hader.
As the Pirates (38-63) inch closer and closer toward the trade deadline, with FOR SALE signs planted all over PNC Park, this is the sort of stuff that will matter for the Pirates.
No, not another loss or sleep night from the offense.
Key moments like this from Kranick, who remains one of their bright spots despite a lousy outing numbers-wise Wednesday: five-plus, 10 hits, six earned runs, an intentional walk, three strikeouts and a hit batter.
Kranick earned the chance to pitch Wednesday because he’s grown. He’s shortened his arm path, has shown improved command of his breaking stuff, and he’s been unafraid to challenge hitters.
In Kranick’s MLB debut, the 24-year-old Scranton native dominant through a pouring rain, delivering five perfect innings that served as one of the few high points of this season.
He obviously has not reached that level since that victory at Busch Stadium.
On Wednesday, Kranick looked to be in trouble early when he gave up three singles in the first inning. The third of those featured an outstanding piece of hitting from Brewers right fielder Avisail Garcia, who went down and got a low-and-away, driving it the opposite way for an RBI and a 1-0 Brewers lead.
Thanks to a double play and a flyout to left, Kranick was able to minimize the damage to Garcia’s run-scoring single, and from there he settled into a nice groove, retiring seven in a row until Milwaukee catcher Omar Narvaez led off the fourth with a double.
After Garcia singled, Cain took another well-located pitch, this one a slider, to the opposite field in right center for a double, scoring two and giving Milwaukee a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, the Pirates struggled plenty at the plate. They did not advance a runner to third base until sandwiching a pair of walks around Bryan Reynolds’ sixth-inning double. But after loading the bases with one out, John Nogowski struck out looking, and Jacob Stallings popped out to second to end the threat.
The Pirates broke through the next inning thanks to one of Kranick’s teammates at Class AA Altoona to start the season in Castro. Given a chance to prove himself following the Adam Frazier trade, Castro blasted a full-count changeup from Lauer into the Pirates bullpen, the drive traveling 437 feet according to Statcast.
The Urias double ended Kranick’s night. He gave way to Chasen Shreve, who got three outs but allowed one of Kranick’s runs to score on a sacrifice fly.
The loss actually felt similar to what the Pirates did on Tuesday, when Tyler Anderson was supposed to be traded, Kranick was supposed to pitch, and the whole plan was scuttled by Phillies prospect’s bum physical.
With 61 games to go, there has to be something to watch, something to look for that might eventually matter. Kranick and how he handles himself in tough situations checks that box. So does Shelton putting his trust in a young pitcher.
But for this one, the only thing the Pirates had to show for it was a teachable moment.
