Wild pitch proves costly for Pirates as Tigers win to sweep series

The Pittsburgh Pirates keep finding new ways to lose, and Richard Rodriguez delivered one that was way outside the strike zone.

After hitting Jonathan Schoop with a pitch, Rodriguez lost control of the ball and threw one that sailed in the direction of the home dugout. As catcher John Ryan Murphy chased it, Schoop advanced to second on the wild pitch and moved into scoring position.

Miguel Cabrera singled to left to score Schoop to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 2-1 win over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park to sweep their three-game series.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Rodriguez caught his spike on the mound, calling it a “freak play” that proved costly in a game where the pitching was otherwise a bright spot.

“I’ve seen guys catch their spikes before. I’ve seen guys catch their spikes with runners on second and third, bases loaded. It’s just one of those things that happened. It’s a freak play. It’s unfortunate that it happened at that time, especially as well as Richie threw the ball.”

It could be the last game for a few days for the Pirates (3-13), whose road trip to St. Louis is jeopardy because of a covid-19 outbreak on the Cardinals. The Pirates canceled their flight to St. Louis on Sunday night, postponing Monday’s game and putting whether they will play games Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon into question.

With Joe Musgrove scratched because of soreness in his right ankle, Steven Brault got the start only two days after allowing four runs on three hits and three walks without recording an out. Brault said when Shelton jokingly asked if he was available to pitch on Saturday that Brault said he would be ready if needed on Sunday.

“And then it happened,” Brault said. “Yeah, it was kind of a fluid thing, I guess, (an) organic, if you will, decision.”

This time, Brault pitched two scoreless innings, with one walk, one hit batter and one strikeout.

“I put zeroes up last time. I got zero outs,” Brault said. “So it was nice to do the opposite of that this time.”

Chris Stratton replaced Brault in the third, and struck out six of the first eight batters he faced. Stratton pitched three innings, allowing three hits and the game-tying run in the fifth.

“Honestly, we were hoping to get two innings out of him because he had not been extended,” Shelton said. “He came back in after the second and was really good. We were able to go out back out and get us that third inning. The innings that he and Brault got us, when you don’t have a starter for the day, I cannot speak enough about how they did.”

Stratton said Shelton shot him down “pretty quick” earlier this season about throwing an extra inning, so he wasn’t about to pass up the chance.

“They asked me how I felt. I always want to go another one,” Stratton said. “I’m sure they’re not surprised I was saying yes, but any time I’m pitching, I always want to go the extra one. … So I’m glad he gave me one more.”

Detroit starter Spencer Turnbull allowed one run on five hits to get the win, striking out four while walking two. Turnbull kept the Pirates off-balance, pitching away to their left-handed bats and forcing 11 groundouts.

The Pirates got a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Erik Gonzalez was credited with an RBI single when his bouncer to second skipped off the glove of Schoop and scored Colin Moran. It was the 11^th hit in 22 at-bats for Gonzalez.

Stratton gave up a double to Victor Reyes followed by Austin Romine’s RBI single to center to tie the game in the fifth. The Tigers then scored the go-ahead run on Cabrera’s single off Rodriguez in the eighth.

The Pirates got a two-out rally in the eighth when Josh Bell hit a two-out single and Colin Moran drew a walk off Buck Farmer in the eighth, but Bryan Reynolds grounded out to first to end the inning. Joe Jimenez struck out Gonzalez and Jarrod Dyson in the ninth to earn the save.

“We had a couple opportunities to score,” Shelton said, “and just didn’t get the big hit.”