On Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t score a run, spoiling a solid night’s work by starter Mitch Keller in a loss that began three games on the road against Baltimore.
Saturday night featured something of a reversal, with the Pirates generating a decent amount of offense but struggling as a team on the mound.
The Orioles dialed in on starter JT Brubaker early and had their way with the bullpen, as well, winning Game 2 at Camden Yards, 6-3.
Brubaker’s fastball command wavered throughout his outing, and Baltimore’s batters managed to put the barrel of their bats on his off-speed pitches, as well.
“Flat fastball command, especially the first two innings,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said after the game. “I think what happened was the other pitches ended up being (down) the middle of the plate.”
Baltimore jumped on Brubaker (2-10) in the bottom of the first inning, racking up three singles and scoring the game’s first run when a base hit by Terrin Vavra plated Adley Rutschman.
Brubaker got into more trouble in the second, throwing 32 pitches and allowing two more runs on three hits, two of which were doubles.
After just four innings pitched, and having allowed eight hits and three earned runs, Brubaker’s evening was over. He struck out six and walked two, earning the loss.
“Body felt good,” Brubaker said. “At times I was working a little too quick, I think … instead of trying to slow down and be within myself.”
Oneil Cruz, whose powerful swing has produced eyebrow-raising exit velocities so far this season, lessened the Pirates’ deficit in the fourth inning, crushing a two-run homer to center field that clocked 106.2 mph off the bat.
Cruz’s 420-foot moonshot scored Ben Gamel, who had led off the inning with a double.
While Cruz got the Pirates back within striking distance, it wasn’t long before Baltimore added to its lead as the Orioles scored a pair in the bottom of the fifth, both of which were charged to reliever Eric Stout, who replaced Brubaker and pitched one inning.
Gamel led off the sixth with another double, with Ke’Bryan Hayes singling up the middle shortly thereafter to score him, a development that chased Baltimore starter Austin Voth from the game.
After Duane Underwood Jr. pitched a scoreless sixth, Chase De Jong took the mound in the seventh, walking three and allowing a run before getting out of the inning.
The Pirates threatened in the top of the eighth after Bryan Reynolds was hit by a pitch and Gamel walked.
But any opportunity to close the gap quickly evaporated as Hayes grounded into a double play, and Cruz struck out on three pitches.
The grounder Hayes hit had an exit velocity of 110.5 mph — by far the hardest hit ball of the evening — but Baltimore shortstop Jorge Mateo made a nice diving stop on it, initiating the double play.
“You talk about creating opportunities or making plays — right there, we get a ball that’s scorched off the bat, and Mateo makes a great play,” Shelton said. “It eliminates the energy, because (we’ve got men on) first and second in a really good spot right there. … It ended up getting them out of the inning.”
The Pirates and Orioles complete their three-game series at 1:35 p.m. Sunday. Bryse Wilson (1-6, 6.20 ERA) is set to start for the Pirates against Baltimore’s Spenser Watkins.
