The Houston Astros fell 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night inside Minute Maid Park. The bullpen collapsed in this contest after Houston held a late lead into the eighth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Former LSU Tiger Paul Skenes, who has had a superb rookie season, was scheduled to get the start for the Pirates. He was supposed to oppose Astros’ rookie Jake Bloss. However, Bloss was scratched late, as he was a part of a trade package. The Astros received Yusei Kukuchi in the deal.
Skenes began by giving up a leadoff single to Jose Altuve. However, he managed to get out of the first inning without any runs allowed.
Houston pivoted to reliever Tayler Scott to start. He got things off to a good start by working a clean first. Scott would go onto work three scoreless, hitless innings.
Skenes matched Scott zero for zero throughout those first three frames. In the fourth, Houston went to newly called up Kaleb Ort. Another scoreless, hitless frame followed. That continued through the top of the fifth, and the Pirates still did not have a hit at this point.
In the bottom of the fifth, Skenes got into some trouble. A single, walk, and hit by pitch loaded the bases with no one out. A strikeout followed, but then Altuve brought home two runs on an error by Pittsburgh.
The deficit was cut in half in the top of the sixth. The Pirates’ first hit of the game was a monstrous home run off the bat of Yasmani Grandal. That made it 2-1.
The top of the eighth saw the next scoring. Ryan Pressly came in for Houston and gave up a leadoff double. He retired the next two hitters, but then issued a walk followed by an RBI double from O’Neil Cruz. Joey Bart sent a missile into left-center, but Jake Meyers made the play to keep the game tied.
Josh Hader came on to try to keep things tied in the ninth. However, he allowed two baserunners to reach. Then, with two outs, Michael A. Taylor sent a three-run homer to give Pittsburgh a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Astros loaded the bases against Pirates’ closer David Bednar. Yordan Alvarez walked to bring home a run. However, Yainer Diaz was retired to end the game.
BIG NUMBER: 4
Four runs given up by Pressly and Hader were the difference. They both blew chances in their outings, and it allowed Pittsburgh to take back control.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Michael A. Taylor
Taylor’s home run in the ninth was the difference in this one. He went 2-3 in the game after entering for the injured Ji Hwan Bae
UP NEXT: The Astros and Pirates will meet for game two tomorrow night at 7:10 inside Minute Maid Park. You can listen to the action on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette 104.1 Lake Charles.