Pirates run into outs in shutout loss to Blue Jays, stretching losing streak to 5

The Pittsburgh Pirates got off to a strong start this season on the strength of their speed and aggressive baserunning.

Against Toronto, the Pirates ran into outs.

Pirates runners were thrown out twice at third base and once at home plate. As a result, they came up empty as the Blue Jays rode five extra-base hits, including a two-run home run by George Springer, to a 4-0 win Friday night before 24,810 at PNC Park.

It marked the fifth consecutive loss for the Pirates (20-13), coming off a sweep at Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays (19-14) snapped a five-game losing skid.

“We ran into some outs, but that’s also what leads to our success, too — being aggressive on the bases,” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said. “That’s something you’ve got to live with. Ideally, you wouldn’t get thrown out. But if you’re going to be aggressive and have that be your identity, it’s going to happen sometimes.”

Where Pirates left-hander Rich Hill allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings against a lineup that featured eight right-handed hitters, Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing as many walks as hits (four) with five strikeouts.

It didn’t help that the Pirates took some production out of their lineup by not starting third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and outfielder Connor Joe. Designated hitter Andrew McCutchen was scratched from the starting lineup with a left ankle sprain and replaced by Mark Mathias.

The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the first after Bo Bichette doubled and scored on a single to left by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Ji Hwan Bae drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, then promptly stole second base. When Bae attempted to steal third with Reynolds at bat, however, Matt Chapman blocked the bag with his knee. That forced Bae to reach around him, and Chapman tagged him out.

Rodolfo Castro drew a two-out walk in the second and reached third when Blue Jays left fielder Whit Merrifield made a diving attempt but couldn’t corral Tucupita Marcano’s fly ball. With Mathias at the plate, Bassitt threw a curveball in the dirt that squirted past catcher Danny Jansen. Castro broke for home, but Jansen recovered the ball and tossed it to Bassitt, who tagged Castro out at the plate to end the inning.

“I saw the ball get away from the catcher. I knew the catcher had no shot to get me at home plate, but it’s part of the game,” Castro said through translator Stephen Morales. “He made a really good throw to the pitcher, and they got me out. It was a reaction play. I thought I could make it.”

The Blue Jays made it 2-0 in the fourth when Merrifield doubled to left, stole third base and scored on Daulton Varsho’s double to right.

The Pirates had another baserunner thrown out in the fourth, when Carlos Santana tried to go from first to third on Castro’s two-out single to shallow left. Santana hesitated while rounding second, and Merrifield threw to Chapman to get him out on the slide to end the inning.

Hill walked Santiago Espinal to start the fifth, and Hill hung an 0-2 curveball that Springer sent 423 feet into the bullpen for his fourth home run and a 4-0 lead.

“I didn’t pitch well. I didn’t put us in a position to win the game. That falls solely on me. I didn’t execute pitches when I needed to,” Hill said. “The walk to Espinal, then the hanging curveball to Springer. It’s disappointing and unfortunate to be in that position. I put myself in that position. I put us in a really bad position. Obviously we came up short, but nobody else to blame here but myself.”

Chapman doubled to center but was thrown out at third base when Jack Suwinski threw to the cutoff and Marcano relayed it to Castro, who blocked the bag with his glove to tag Chapman out.

Merrifield singled in the sixth, then stole second base. The Pirates challenged but the call was upheld. After Hill walked Varsho, Shelton brought in righty reliever Dauri Moreta. The Blue Jays executed a double steal to put both runners in scoring position but Moreta responded by striking out Jansen and Santiago Espinal to escape the jam.

Reynolds stretched his hit streak to 10 games with a 390-foot double to the center in the sixth — his ninth during that span — but was stranded after popouts by Santana and Suwinski.

“We got overaggressive and tried to create too much early on and ran into some bad outs,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “But I think Bassitt kept us off balance tonight. Offensively tonight, we just couldn’t find our groove. We’re a little bit out of sync, and we need to get back in sync.”