Pirates
Three-Hit Day From Hayes Helps Halt Pirates Six-Game Losing Streak
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ three-hit day and a solid start from Bryse Wilson fuels the Pirates to stop their six-game losing streak and earn the comeback victory against the Tigers 6-3.
Wilson would find himself in a bit of a pickle to start the game. Eleven pitches into the game, Wilson would have runners on the corners with only one out. After a broken-bat line-out by Jeimer Candelario and a strikeout of Eric Hasse, Wilson would tightrope out of danger.
Wilson would again find himself with runners in scoring position in the second inning after a sac-bunt from Tarik Skubal. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs, Wilson forced a hard-hit line-out to right fielder Ben Gamel to escape from an inning yet again.
After struggling through the first two innings, Wilson would settle down, and at one point, Wilson retired 12 batters in a row. The 12th out was a beauty from Ke’Bryan Hayes on a juggling catch: a 106 MPH line drive coming off of Jonathan Schoop.
Wilson would start to unravel through 5.1 innings pitched. He loaded the bases after allowing a one-out double against Niko Goodrum to tie the game 2-2. Tsutsugo barely missed knocking the ball down to prevent it from going down the first baseline.
Long-time Tiger Miguel Cabrera would deliver a pinch-hit for Detroit in the clutch, scoring Eric Hasse on a sacrifice fly to deep center field and giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead in the 6th inning.
Wilson’s day would be done after going a full six innings of work, replaced by the lefty Chasen Shreve. Wilson provided a much-needed outing for the pitching staff after a rough six games in Chicago.
David Bednar came in to close the game, and he capped off a very solid pitching performance from both Wilson and the bullpen as a whole. The Pirates will look to take game two of the series against the Tigers on Tuesday, starting at 6:35.
Ke’Bryan Hayes would get the bottom of the first started off with a hustle infield single. With Kevin Newman batting 2nd, he tried to advance Hayes on a bunt that ultimately failed, but then Newman made it a moot point by blasting the ball into the stands, making it an early 2-0 Pirate lead. That home run went 395 feet with an exit velocity of 100.7 MPH.
Goodbye, Newman! pic.twitter.com/secHCyEjbW
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 6, 2021
The Pirates offense in the first inning would force opposing pitcher Tarik Skubal to throw a total of 28 pitches but couldn’t further their lead with Yoshi Tsutsugo and Jacob Stallings on the corners with one out.
The offense continued to struggle with runners in scoring position through the first six innings. Although the offense was 2-6 through the first six innings with runners in scoring position, they failed to score on both instances. Both would-be scorers were the very slow Tsutsugo and Stallings, who couldn’t advance past 3rd base.
During the bottom of the 7th a lead off walk to Ben Gamel and then a balk call, Cole Tucker would hit a hard-hit single and place runners on the corners with no outs for the pinch-hitting Colin Moran, who then loaded the bases after drawing a walk for the young Hayes. He would deliver in the most clutch moment of the game and hit an opposite-field single, scoring two, making it a 4-3 Pirates lead. Hayes’ two-RBI single marked his third hit of the ball game.
Young Hayes in the clutch! pic.twitter.com/mZXHdK4nrs
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 6, 2021
Tsutsugo would add insult to injury and add on to the Pirate’s slim one-run lead. On a single to right field, Tsutsugo would plate Moran and Hayes growing the Pirates’ lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the 7th.
Yoshi just hits. pic.twitter.com/eZKNmGEcMZ
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 6, 2021
Takeaways
Bryce did his job:Â Wilson did something that Pirates pitchers have rarely done this season, and that’s go six full innings of work. Wilson, in fact, has done this twice now for the Pirates. The first time for the Pirates took place on Aug 8th against the Reds. Wilson deserved better from his offense, but that has become a common theme for the 2021 Pirates.
Newman loves Holidays-Â The last time Kevin Newman has hit a home run was on July 4th against the Milwaukee Brewers, and that home run was his only hit of the afternoon. Newman has homered again, and of course, it’s on a holiday.Â
YOUNG HAYES-Â During a year where Hayes has struggled to stay on the field and having a bit of a down year, it was nice to see Hayes deliver in the clutch on top of having a three-hit ballgame. As the season winds down, it’s important for future pieces like Hayes to end on a high note and continue to build confidence.Â