The Pittsburgh Pirates sit at 16-13 following a stunning late-inning collapse at home. A potential no-hitter turned into a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals after the bullpen surrendered four runs in the final frame.
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MLB Game Recap
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 4-2 on Monday. They carried a no-hit bid into the seventh and a lead into the ninth. Mason Montgomery opened with a scoreless inning (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K), followed by Wilber Dotel’s four perfect frames (4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 K), but the Cardinals broke through against Dennis Santana for two home runs and a tiebreaking double in the ninth. The Pirates’ offense provided early support with RBI singles from Ryan O’Hearn. Jake Mangum also contributed, but the bullpen ultimately could not protect the two-run cushion.
Standout Performer
Wilber Dotel was untouchable in his bulk relief role, tossing 4.0 perfect innings without allowing a single baserunner. The rookie right-hander struck out three. He used a high-90s fastball to retire 12 consecutive hitters. This kept the Cardinals hitless through the middle stages of the contest. His dominant performance validated the team’s spot-start strategy and kept the Pittsburgh Pirates in control until the final inning.
Key News & Notes
Center fielder Oneil Cruz became ill and couldn’t play on Monday, so Jake Mangum took his place in the lineup. Infielder Jared Triolo has officially moved his injury rehab assignment to Double-A Altoona. He is recovering from a right patellar tendon injury. Manager Don Kelly reported that Triolo is moving well on the basepaths. He is also performing well defensively. This suggests a return to the MLB roster could be approaching soon.
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Farm Report
- Triple-A: Enmanuel Valdez went 1-for-4. He hit a solo home run to right field. It was during the Indianapolis Indians’ 3-1 defeat against St. Paul.
- Double-A: Seaver King powered the Altoona Curve to a 5-4 win over Harrisburg. He finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and three runs scored.
- High-A: Jared Jones the first baseman led the Greensboro Grasshoppers in a doubleheader split. He went 2-for-4 with a home run and scored two runs. The game resulted in a 6-4 loss to Rome.
- Single-A: Levi Sterling dominated for the Bradenton Marauders, striking out 9 over 5.0 shutout innings to earn the win in a 6-3 victory over Clearwater.
Looking Ahead
The Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series against the Cardinals on Tuesday night at PNC Park. Pittsburgh has yet to announce who will take the mound Tuesday night, facing St. Louis right-hander Kyle Leahy (2-3, 5.63 ERA).
A win slipping away in the last frame was a tough pill to swallow. The bullpen put in eight innings of solid pitching performances.
