Tough Loss in Pittsburgh
Hey Mariners fans,
Our boys battled hard, but we ultimately fell short against the Pirates, losing 5-3. There were some great moments worth noting, but unfortunately, the game just didn't swing our way in the end.
Early Momentum
In the Top of the 4th inning, we got on the board first thanks to Luke Raley's monster home run to right center, which brought in Jorge Polanco who had walked earlier. It was a 412-foot blast that had us all excited! This gave us an early 2-0 lead.
Pirates Strike Back
Unfortunately, the Pirates responded in the Bottom of the 4th inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled to left, scoring Bryan Reynolds. This trimmed our lead to 2-1. Then in the Bottom of the 5th inning, Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer to right-center to tie the game at 2-2. Later that inning, Andrew McCutchen hit a sacrifice fly scoring Michael A. Taylor who had advanced to third on an error. That put the Pirates ahead 3-2.
Seventh-Inning Setback
Things worsened in the Bottom of the 7th. With two outs, Oneil Cruz doubled to center, bringing in two runs, making it 5-2. Our pitching change couldn't halt the damage, and it felt like a gut punch as we saw our chances slip away.
Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short
We showed some fight in the Top of the 9th! Jorge Polanco homered to right center, giving us hope by narrowing the score to 5-3. Luke Raley followed up with a single, but David Bednar struck out three batters - Dominic Canzone, Mitch Haniger, and Justin Turner - to close the game. A valiant effort, but just not enough to pull off the comeback.
Final Thoughts
Our pitching had some highlights too, with Gilbert striking out some key Pirates early. But the errors and missed opportunities cost us dearly in what could have otherwise been a great win. Let's hope we can bounce back strong in the next game!
Stay positive, Mariners fans! Better days are ahead.
Scoreboard for Mariners @ Pirates (August 16th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 |