With chance to sweep, Pirates' struggles in field prove costly

HOUSTON -- Wednesday seemed like an uphill climb for the Pirates from the start. They had a productive Trade Deadline, but trading away Quinn Priester and Martín Pérez in the final days left them without a traditional starter, leading them to calling up journeyman Jake Woodford for a spot start. Opposing them was Framber Valdez, arguably the ace of the Astros.

Yet, an inning and a half into the game, a sweep seemed possible. The offense piled four runs in the first and Woodford was working magic with his sinker and sweeper, not allowing an earned run in his five innings of work.

Defense did him in though, especially three errors by Oneil Cruz that led to three unearned runs. Mauricio Dubón then played the hero with a pinch-hit home run in the sixth, and the Pirates dropped the series finale with a 5-4 loss at Minute Maid Park.

“It’s a frustrating game,” said Derek Shelton. “This is a game we could have won and we let slip away because we didn’t play well. We’ve got to get through the off-day, bounce back and get after Arizona.”

Cruz’s first error was a thrown-away ball in the second inning, allowing Jeremy Peña to reach base and eventually score on a two-out wild pitch. The second and third came when he and left fielder Bryan Reynolds were tracking a Yordan Alvarez pop-up for a potential third out, but Cruz did not veer off on a ball that should go to the outfielder. It dropped in, Cruz made a throwing error home to let Alvarez move up another station, and Yainer Diaz brought him home the next at-bat. A four-run lead had shrunk to just one because of a pop-up to left and a ground ball.

“Yeah, it looked like he was trying to go a little bit too fast today,” Shelton said. “Sometimes that happens with young players. He was trying to create a little bit too much.”

Cruz would clarify that he could hear Reynolds during the pop-up, but as he got closer to the stands it became harder.

“One of those days that you do a little too much to try to help the team,” Cruz said, via interpreter and coach Stephen Morales. “Days like that will happen."

There was an extended stretch of this season where Cruz appeared to be turning a corner defensively, making the routine plays more while also letting his arm strength get some extra outs other infielders might not. He’s seemed to have regressed of late, making eight errors over his past 10 games, pushing his season total to 20.

“I think he just got too fast,” Shelton said. “That’s the first time we’ve seen him get too fast in a while. We just have to slow him back down.”

It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially after Woodford rose to the occasion. He has spent most of the year with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate, signing after being let go by the White Sox after two games. He described it as an up-and-down year, but this was definitely an up. He came to Houston on the taxi squad, not knowing if he would be added to the roster or what his role could be.

"Definitely happened quick,” Woodford said. “Late-night call, find out the first thing the next morning. Not really knowing the whole next day. Then getting told right before game time the next day that I was getting activated and that I needed to be ready to go. That's just part of the business. That's why I always stay ready. That's all you can do."

Giving five innings on very short notice in place of Pérez’s spot in the rotation would normally be enough to get a win, especially when the offense produced four runs. It wasn’t this time, and four Pirates errors were a big reason why.

"Definitely as a player, you don't want to have days like that,” Cruz said. “But it happens. It happens to every player out there. The good thing is I'm going to look back on those errors and learn from it, for sure, and get better."