Tim Benz: Pirates' loss to Cubs a comedy and tragedy

I’m not sure if it was more comedy or tragedy. But I know one thing about the Pirates’ loss to the Cubs Monday afternoon.

I sure don’t want to see a sequel.

Chicago whipped the Pirates, 10-0, in the Cubs’ home opener. Perhaps better said, the Pirates stumbled off a cliff.

And it could’ve been worse. Consider all that went wrong to snap the Pirates’ four-game winning streak.

Jameson Taillon lost while giving up six runs in two innings. Yet his ERA dropped .46 to an even 3.00.

How is that possible? Well, the Pirates committed four errors along the way. Colin Moran committed his third of the season. That’s not good. But it’s not bad compared to shortstop Kevin Newman who committed the other three, all in one inning.

The baseball gods must have been as much against Taillon as his own fielders were. Javier Baez somehow got a hit on this swing where he just threw his bat at a pitch in the dirt.

Báez off the bounce. ? pic.twitter.com/gFbtDKCZL4

— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2019

Even Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, a career .096 batter, got a hit.

Big Jon hittin' a cool .667 this season.#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/Hqmqh7WqEn

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 8, 2019

I bet Taillon still probably felt lucky just to be alive afterward. Because for the second time in his major league career, the right-hander took a line drive off the head.

Watch Jameson Taillon take a baseball to the head going 102 mph off the bat of Anthony Rizzo. Was evaluated and managed to stay in the game, and will continue to be monitored. pic.twitter.com/1sTy4TWb3e

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) April 8, 2019

That came off the bat of Anthony Rizzo. Fortunately for Taillon, it was somewhat of a glancing blow. The drive caught some glove first, and Taillon stayed in the game.

It wasn’t quite as scary as the shot he took from Milwaukee’s Hernan Perez back in 2016.

“I’m fine,” Taillon said after the game. “I’m unlucky I got hit, and lucky I seem to be OK coming out of it.”

He may have been unscathed. But Steven Brault was not. The reliever gave up four earned runs in three innings, featuring this homer by Kyle Schwarber.

.@kschwarb12 panders to the home crowd.#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/y5gtVlh5CB

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 8, 2019

So, aside from that, a great day at the ballpark.

The Pirates now have 11 errors. Only the Cubs and Mariners have committed more. The bullpen ERA is up to 4.36, 19th in baseball. I’m not sure what else could’ve gone wrong. Short of the postgame buffet running out of hot dog buns, of course.

Now they have to sit around and think about it for a day before the series at Wrigley continues Wednesday with Jordan Lyles pitching against Yu Darvish.

Talk about a crash back to reality. Perhaps we spoke too soon in praising the Pirates for how they swept the Reds last week at PNC Park.

That’s especially true since the bats, which appeared to wake up scoring 13 runs the last two games, were shut out. Clint Hurdle’s lineup went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, and they left nine on base.

It’s going to be 153 more games of this, Pirates fans. Buckle up.