Missed tag, offensive failure cost Pirates in 4-2 loss to Rays

The inability to perform the apparently simple act of applying a tag — combined with a failure to score runs against one of the game’s best pitchers — led the Pittsburgh Pirates into a 4-2 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

It was another close loss for the young Pirates, who have played 17 one- or two-run games this month and lost 13 of them. The Rays (40-32) swept the three-game series after recording one-run victories Friday and Saturday.

Yet what stood out while the Pirates (29-43) packed for a trip to Washington, D.C., and three games starting Monday against the Nationals is what has been plaguing this team all season: the slow process of learning how to win.

“We played well enough to win all three games, and we didn’t win any of the games,” manager Derek Shelton said. “The solace is that’s a really good team (the Rays). We have to figure out a way to close these games out. That’s one of the development things for young players.”

The Pirates fielded a lineup with six rookies, and shortstop Diego Castillo, who homered Friday and Saturday, learned a hard lesson.

The Rays broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning when Castillo failed to put a tag on Randy Arozarena while he was attempting to steal. The throw from Pirates catcher Tyler Heineman arrived in plenty of time, but Castillo wasn’t able to tag Arozarena before he grabbed the bag.

Arozarena was called out, and that would have ended the inning, but the call was overturned on replay.

The Pirates quickly paid a huge price. Ji-Man Choi followed with an RBI double before Josh Lowe and Isaac Paredes ripped singles off relief pitcher Anthony Banda to drive in two more runs.

“Arozarena made a good slide,” Shelton said. “I think what Diego did is he went to tag the front, the left, hand and he can’t chase to the body there. He has to stay on the bag and just take his glove from the front side of the bag to the back side of the bag because the bag’s not going to move. Once he didn’t get the left arm (Arozoarena moved it at the last second), he went for the body, and Randy was able to get his right hand in.

“What we have to teach all our young infielders, wherever we’re at, is the bag’s not going to move. Make sure we stay with the bag. The body can do a bunch of different things, but the bag’s going to stay stationary.”

Of course, four runs aren’t always enough to win games, but Pirates batters struck out 12 times for a total of 38 in the series (45.2% of the outs). Rays starter Shane McClanahan (8-3), who has recorded 123 strikeouts in 91¹⁄₃ innings, kept Pirates batters largely under control through seven innings and 99 pitches. He lowered his ERA to 1.77.

“I would be hard-pressed to find a better pitcher in the American League or the National League than the guy we saw today,” Shelton said.

The Pirates manufactured a run in the third inning when Yu Chang singled and moved to second when Heineman bunted for a hit. Bryan Reynolds, the designated hitter, drove in Chang.

Pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach hit his ninth home run in the eighth before Ke’Bryan Hayes, back in the lineup after missing two games with a sore shoulder, singled. But Reynolds struck out, and Michael Chavis grounded out to end the inning.

Pirates rookie starter Roansy Contreras lasted five innings, including a nice recovery after he walked four in the second, pushing across the Rays’ first run.

“I didn’t let that distract me. I tried to remain focused,” he said through translator Mike Gonzalez.

Contreras struck out four and allowed only one run and four hits. He walked a total of only one more batter in the other four innings while his ERA dropped to 2.76.

“Ro did a nice job. He got a little bit away from himself in the second,” Shelton said. “I did like the fact that he battled out. The one thing Ro needs to take out of this is he can pitch in the zone and get outs. He doesn’t have to go away from bats.

“(Tampa Bay) is a really patient club. You have to get them out in the zone. He did not do that in the second inning. He was able to come back and execute pitches. I definitely think a growth moment for him. He just got a little too fine.

“The one thing we have to talk about are those learning moments. We are going to make mistakes, just making sure we don’t make mistakes over and over again.”