Pirates pitching problems continue in 9-3 loss to Rockies

Montana DuRapau, a minor league relief pitcher who entered pro ball through the 32nd round of the draft, lasted only 27 pitches and two-thirds of the first inning in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 9-3 loss Wednesday night to the Colorado Rockies.

Nick Kingham, who has struggled as a starter and reliever in four appearances this month, has allowed 27 hits, 10 walks and 19 runs in 14 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, two usually reliable right arms belonging to Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams are on the mend and out of action indefinitely.

“It’s not the way you draw it up,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “However, that’s the life we’re living right now.”

Using an opener (DuRapau) and following up with a parade of relief pitchers worked well Saturday in San Diego. Hurdle ran out of luck Wednesday in front of a crowd of 9,534 at PNC Park, and the holes in his starting rotation remain.

The Pirates were counting on Kingham and Steve Brault — or, at least, one of them — to help pull them through what will be extended stretch of games without Taillon and Williams. It hasn’t happened.

”I don’t have all the answers right now,” he said, referencing Kingham, “other than we picked on a couple things during the game. You bring it to their attention during the game; sometimes it’s hard to make in-game adjustments. The pitch efficiency continues to be challenged — (89) pitches to get 12 outs.

“Overall command, there’s work to be done. We’ve seen better. We haven’t seen as good lately. It’s been a while.”

Kingham fooled no one in the fifth inning when he gave up two doubles and a single and recorded outs only when catcher Elias Diaz picked off Brendan Rodgers at third base and pitcher Jon Gray gave himself up on a sacrifice bunt. He was pulled in favor of Clay Holmes, a call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis, who teamed with Michael Feliz to manufacture 4 1/3 scoreless innings after the damage had been done.

Hurdle wasn’t revealing his pitching plans beyond Thursday when Jordan Lyles, who’s now the ace of the staff with a 4-1 record and 1.97 ERA, gets the ball in the finale of the three-game series with the Rockies. So far, the Pirates (24-22) have been outscored, 14-3, by the sub-.500 Rockies (22-25).

Daniel Murphy and Tony Wolters each hit three-run homers off DuRapau and Kingham, respectively.

“Murphy has hit us well in three or four different uniforms now,” said Hurdle, referencing Murphy’s time with the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs and Rockies. Murphy’s homer was with two outs; Wolters’ first of the season came with two strikes.

”It’s kind of crazy,” Hurdle said. “You’re a couple pitches away. (DuRapau) was able to make them in San Diego, didn’t make them here, you pay the price.”

Kingham, who gave up nine hits, four walks and six runs, said he must return to his “attack mode.”

“I tend to start tinkering and flirting with the edges of the plate,” he said, explaining the root of his problems.

But will he get another opportunity?

The Pirates have discussed the immediate future, but they haven’t made their plans public beyond Lyles’ start Thursday.

Joe Musgrove and Chris Archer will be available over the weekend, but the Pirates have no other reliable starters on the roster. They may need to call up Mitch Keller from Indianapolis sooner than they prefer.

They may need more than one new arm, actually. After the Dodgers series, the Pirates go to Cincinnati for a doubleheader Monday, followed by six days without a day off.

“We’ve mapped some things out for the Dodgers,” Hurdle said. “I’ll give them to you (Thursday).”

The pitching woes overshadowed another mammoth home run by Josh Bell, who hit the Allegheny River on the fly in the second inning with a 454-foot shot that left his bat at 116.1 mph. It was the fifth home run to land directly in the river in the 19-year history of PNC Park, and the second by Bell in the past two weeks.

Hurdle said he doesn’t want to get used to Bell’s long home runs. He said he wants to “embrace it, watch it.”

“You start getting used to it, you’re missing the whole deal of what’s going on.”

Bell already has hit three more home runs (15) than he hit all of last year (12).

“Think of the conversations (about Bell) you were having last year at the end of the year,” Hurdle said. “All the questions. All the doubts. Those numbers are just crazy. Good for him.”