On an evening that saw the Pirates release Gregory Polanco and the Cardinals treat them as mere stepping stones on the way to a wild card bid by shutting them out 13-0 at PNC Park, it was a play in the third inning that really summed up the Bucs’ fortune as of late—or lack thereof.
Michael Chavis, he of the hot bat and winning smile, tried to make a diving catch on an Edmundo Sosa hit. It turned into a two-run triple because as flashy as Chavis tried to make it look, he missed. As a bonus, he injured himself.