Pirates Waste Perfect Chance to Beat Dodgers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates come into their road series with the Los Angeles Dodgers as big underdogs, but came close to taking a huge win, before completely missing on that chance.
The Pirates had bases-loaded with one out in the top of the 10th inning against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, with the score tied up at 5-5, after center fielder Oneil Cruz was intentionally walked.
Catcher Henry Davis had the perfect opportunity to give the Pirates the lead and a chance to add on, but instead hit into a double play to end that opportunity.
The Dodgers would then score in the bottom of the 10th inning on a single from second baseman Tommy Edman with two strikes and two outs as well, giving the home team a 5-4 win and the Pirates a bitter defeat.
Why Was Henry Davis in the Game?
Davis didn't start this game vs. the Dodgers, as Rafael Flores Jr. was the Pirates catcher and hit sixth through the eighth inning.
It wasn't a great outing from Flores at the plate, with two strikeouts and no hits in four at-bats, but he reached first base on his second strikeout in the eighth inning on a passed ball from Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia.
This came after Cruz had just tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run home run, giving the Pirates the belief they could actually seriously go and win this.
Davis then came on as a pinch-runner for Flores with one out and a chance to score the go-ahead run, but right fielder Jake Mangum struck out and then shortstop Jacob Gonzalez flew out to center field.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said after the game that the switch was because Davis is a faster runner than Flores and that he could've got to third base or even scored if someone got a hit.
This made it a choice that Kelly was willing to make to win the game, even with the consequences of Davis not hitting the ball as well as Flores.
“It definitely does," Kelly said to SportsNet Pittsburgh on the double play from Davis. "You know, anytime you make a move like that and with one out in the eighth inning and having Henry in there with Jacob Gonzales coming up, Henry can go first to third or if Jacob Gonzales, he hit the crap out of that one that the center fielder caught, if it’s in the gap, Henry can score, I don’t know if Rafa’ can on those so that’s a tough decision but Henry is a lot faster.”
Davis Compiling Another Poor Season at Plate
It's been another rough year for the Davis hitting-wise, as he's never reached the potential that he had when the Pirates took him first overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Louisville.
Davis is hitting .170/.266/.299 for an OPS of .565 in 83 games, with 38 hits in 224 at-bats, five doubles, eight home runs, 32 RBI and 23 walks to 55 strikeouts.
He's also struggled with runners in scoring position this season, batting .190/.274/.238 for an OPS of .512. although, has had success with the bases loaded, with four hits in 13 at-bats and a grand slam vs.the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on June 3.
It was a big opportunity missed from Davis and one that he had to take advantage of at this point of the season for the Pirates.
“We have to be able to find a way to score a run there," Kelly said. "First and third, nobody out and they walk [Cruz], bases-loaded and Henry hit that ball decent, right at Betts, but we have to find a way to score.”
Davis also took a mound visit with an 0-2 count on Edman when Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto was almost ready to throw, then Edman hit the single off of him to win it.
The Pirates haven't been afraid to move off from Daivs this year, giving starts to the likes of Flores, who had hit five home runs in seven games prior to this, and Endy Rodríguez, who despite recent injuries, has been the Pirates best hitting catcher this season.
Pittsburgh is now 63-67 and six-and-a-half games back in the National League Wild Card race and losses like these can easily get them much further from their goals of making the postseason.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.