Tim Benz: 'Sting' of Pirates losses will soon turn to numbness

Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller kept his chin up, but you could tell he was bummed out. He should be. While speaking with the media Thursday after the Pirates’ 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins, Keller stared everyone in the eye and answered every question like a pro.

But he couldn’t hide that this loss had hurt way more than all the others. Not just for himself, because he was the starter and pitched very well. But for the whole team. Because this is now 10 losses in a row, and this one was probably the ugliest of the bunch.

“This one hurts a little bit,” Keller said on AT&T SportsNet after the Pirates blew a 4-1 lead he helped to build. “Just because we had the lead and we just lost it like that. It (stinks). Yeah. It definitely (stinks). It stings a little bit.”

Don’t worry, Mitch. It won’t for much longer.

Losses like that one still “sting” because I’m sure the Pirates players don’t feel like they are quite out of it yet. That 20-8 start is still quite memorable. At least to them. I mean, they were still in first place as recently as seven days ago.

But with the way things have gone since then, the accomplishments are already starting to feel like ancient history. And the “sting” of losing only hurts until you get completely numb to the pain.

With the way June is currently tracking for the Pirates, that day is coming soon.

The reason why Thursday’s loss “stung” so much more than the nine before it is that Keller did his job well. He played the role of stopper. He went seven strong innings, allowing just one run. He left with a 4-1 lead against a team that’s currently holding the top wild-card spot in the National League. He only allowed five hits and didn’t walk anyone, while striking out five along the way.

Henry Davis hit his first career home run. Ke’Bryan Hayes homered and doubled for his first extra-base hits since June 9. Carlos Santana snapped out of a 1-for-12 funk with a big double, stole third base, forced a throwing error on the play, and scored. He made a handful of really nice plays at first base.

For the first seven innings, it looked like the Pirates were going to end the losing streak with one of their best wins of the year, despite striking out 13 times against Marlins starter Braxton Garrett.

Until the bullpen blew it. Derek Shelton removed Mitch Keller after the seventh inning. But they couldn’t get it to closer David Bednar in the ninth. With set-up man Colin Holderman injured and unavailable to pitch the eighth, Shelton decided to go to Dauri Moreta and rookie Carmen Mlodzinski.

From April 30 through June 16, Moreta allowed one earned run in 21 ⅔ innings pitched, with a 28:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That’s not the same guy we have seen lately though.

He gave up five earned runs over his last two outings heading into last night, then Moreta allowed two more runs and got tagged with a third in Miami when Mlodzinski came on and allowed three hits including a home run.

Within an eye blink, the Pirates had turned a 4-1 lead into a 6-4 deficit. Shelton’s explanation for turning to the youngster Mlodzinski in such a high-pressure situation was that the bullpen has become depleted due to injuries.

Sure. But, if that’s the case, perhaps turn to Bednar for a two-inning save or try to get Keller through at least part of the eighth. He had gone to 107 pitches before. Could he get through 117 or 120?

If Shelton is already — in mid-June — just wheeling bullpen guys out there for the sake of it because he feels he has no one left, what is bad now is going to get way worse. And then those 20 wins through April are going to feel like a lifetime ago.

If Shelton felt boxed in due to the bullpen Thursday, that’s one thing. But why he pulled Davis for a defensive replacement is beyond me. If you want the guy to learn right field, let him learn it and don’t be petrified of having him out there. And if you know your bullpen options are shaky, it may have been wise to keep Davis in the lineup in case you needed his bat later in the game.

Which ended up being the case. And the Pirates ended up with Jason Delay pinch-hitting for Tucupita Marcano in what had been Davis’ spot in the bottom of the ninth — just one inning after Davis had homered. Delay grounded out to end the game.

“We can’t keep thinking about it. We’ve got to move on,” Keller said. “Tomorrow’s a new day. We have got to act like we’re on a 10-game winning streak.”

That’s a great attitude. But based on how things went for him Thursday if Keller can “act like” that for his next start, forget an All-Star Game invite. Give him an Academy Award nomination instead.

Because right now it feels like the 2023 Pirates have gone from a summer feel-good flick to an ultimate tragedy.