There are signs that the Pittsburgh Pirates’ slump will be prolonged. The losing streak has increased to 6 games, and the win rate has collapsed in the 60% range.
In a home game against the Toronto Blue Jays held at PNC Park on the 7th (Korean time), Pittsburgh knelt down 2-8 due to a good pitch by opponent starter Jose Berrios.
Pittsburgh, which suffered six consecutive losses, recorded 20 wins and 14 losses, and the winning rate fell to 0.588, collapsing the 60% range it maintained for 18 days. They still lead the NL Central, but are unable to widen their ride against the second-place Milwaukee Brewers, who are also on a lengthy losing streak.
After 5 consecutive losses, Toronto won 2 in a row, took the first two games of this 3-game series, confirmed the winning series, and reached 20 wins (14 losses).
Berios’ good fighting skills shined. The first time the Pittsburgh batters got on base was after one out in the bottom of the 5th inning. In other words, Berrios increased his momentum by blocking 4⅓ innings perfectly until he allowed Jack Swinsky to walk after 1 death in the 5th inning.
Berrios, who gave up 2 runs with 5 hits and 1 walk in 6⅓ innings, took his 3 wins (3 losses) of the season and lowered his ERA from 5.29 to 4.91. If this is pitching, it makes sense for Toronto, who signed a contract extension for 7 years and $131 million (about 173.8 billion won) in November 2021.
However, as pitching has been uneven this season, it is difficult to be optimistic about a stable move in the future. He gave up 6 or more runs in the first 2 games of the season and then blocked 3 games with 2 runs or less, but on the 2nd against the Boston Red Sox in 5⅓ innings, he was hit with 11 hits and allowed 5 runs to embrace the loss.
And five days later, on this day, he recorded his third quality start this season.
On the other hand, Pittsburgh starter Jose Oviedo allowed 10 hits and 3 walks in 5 innings and allowed 7 runs (6 earned runs), resulting in 3 losses (2 wins) of the season.
The game was decided early on.
Toronto scored 4 runs with 4 hits and 1 walk in the top of the first inning. First and second baseman Dalton Basho, who was able to make a left-handed hit by leader George Springer and a walk by Bo Bi, called Springer in with a heavy strike. In the continued 2nd, 1st and 3rd bases, Brandon Belt hit Oviedo’s 88-mile slider and connected it with a double that fell to the right line, adding 2 points. Then, Alejandro Kirk doubled in mid-month, and the belt hit home again, making it 4-0. 메이저놀이터
Toronto completely seized the flow by adding three runs in the third inning. Belt stepped on the groove while the ball tossed by opposing second baseman Rodolfo Castro with his glove fell behind the first baseman when Cavern Vizio hit the second baseman’s infield hit in the second baseman’s infield hit by Belt’s walk after second and Kirk’s right-handed hit. With 2nd out, 2nd and 3rd baseman Kevin Kiermeier’s hit to the middle of the right, two runners homered, widening the score to 7-0.
Pittsburgh made up for a point with Corner Joe’s timely hit at the end of the 6th inning, but Toronto ran away with a point in the top of the 7th. Pittsburgh added one run in the bottom of the 7th inning with Jack Swinsky’s solo home run in the middle of the right, but the game was already too far to follow.