This past Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost 7-6 to the San Francisco Giants. The game featured top pitching prospect Paul Skenes allowing one run in six innings of work. It featured a grand slam from catcher Joey Bart. And yet, the Pirates found a way to lose.
There is no singular blame for this loss. Hunter Stratton allowed five runs in the eighth inning. The go-ahead run was scored off Aroldis Chapman, who for some reason didn’t come in to start the eighth inning. That decision points to the management decisions of Derek Shelton.