Pirates/MLB
Pittsburgh Pirates
SAN DIEGO 3 – PITTSBURGH 2 I had an article prepared about Andrew McCutchen locking up the MVP trophy tonight and he probably still did, but McCutchen’s heroics went to waste as Mark Melancon blew a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates (87-65) suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres (71-80).
Trailing 2-1, San Diego’s Logan Forsythe and Rene Rivera delivered back to back RBI singles in the ninth inning off Melancon who blew his third save of the season.
Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his 33rd save of the season to secure the Padres 3-2 lead.
The Pirates managed just three hits in the game and their second hit of the game was a big one when McCutchen delivered a two-run homer to put the Pirates up 2-1 in the seventh.
Charlie Morton pitched eight strong innings, allowing two hits and one run, while tying a career high in strikeouts with nine.
Morton at 99 pitches did not come out for the ninth inning and for good reason as he is coming off tommy john surgery. Morton’s season high in pitches this season is 102 and the Pirates plan has been for Morton not to pitch over 105 pitches in a game.
Cincinnati leads Houston 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th and the Cardinals lead Colorado 3-2 in the fourth.
