PITTSBURGH — Saturday night's game against the Angels looked like one that would be a win for the Pirates.
The Pirates had their top starter on the mound in Braxton Ashcraft, who entered play with a team-high 14 wins including three in a row. Ashcraft was opposed by left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who was still in search of his first win of the season and entered play with a 5.65 ERA through nine starts in an injury-shortened season.
In addition to having Ashcraft on the mound, the Pirates entered having won seven of their last 10 games to get to within two games of a .500 record. The Angels, meanwhile, entered having lost 10 of their last 11 games to sink their season record to 53-88, the worst mark in baseball.
But then the game was actually played.
Ashcraft cruised through three innings but allowed a combined three runs between the fourth and fifth frames. Kikuchi blanked the Pirates across six innings as struggles against left-handed starting pitching continued. The final score read 6-1 Angels, who led wire-to-wire.
#games
The Pirates had their top starter on the mound in Braxton Ashcraft, who entered play with a team-high 14 wins including three in a row. Ashcraft was opposed by left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who was still in search of his first win of the season and entered play with a 5.65 ERA through nine starts in an injury-shortened season.
In addition to having Ashcraft on the mound, the Pirates entered having won seven of their last 10 games to get to within two games of a .500 record. The Angels, meanwhile, entered having lost 10 of their last 11 games to sink their season record to 53-88, the worst mark in baseball.
But then the game was actually played.
Ashcraft cruised through three innings but allowed a combined three runs between the fourth and fifth frames. Kikuchi blanked the Pirates across six innings as struggles against left-handed starting pitching continued. The final score read 6-1 Angels, who led wire-to-wire.
#games
2 months ago
