Locke's struggles costly to Bucs
PITTSBURGH — Clint Hurdle’s night ended three batters in on Wednesday, when the Pittsburgh Pirates manager was ejected for arguing a call with home plate umpire Sam Holbrook.
The extra down time gave Hurdle a chance to watch struggling pitcher Jeff Locke from a different perspective. Hurdle wasn’t exactly thrilled with what he saw.
Locke walked five batters and gave up five runs before getting pulled in the top of the fourth inning of a 9-5 loss to Milwaukee, another shaky performance in a month full of them. Pittsburgh walked nine Brewers in all.
“I had an excellent opportunity tonight to watch where our targets were setting and where the pitchers were going,” Hurdle said. “It wasn’t anywhere near where we need to be.”
Jordy Mercer went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for the Pirates. David Freese doubled twice and Starling Marte added a pair of hits but Pittsburgh spent most of the game chasing the Brewers after Locke (8-6) had his ERA in July balloon to 8.16.
“I just had a really hard time getting ahead of people and then putting somebody away,” Locke said. “It seemed everybody we started with a strike to, we followed up with a ball or two balls or three balls. Just unable to put anybody away.”
Locke’s spot in the rotation appears safe at the moment but perhaps not for much longer. Rookie Tyler Glasnow will return to the majors against Philadelphia this weekend, and with Jon Niese and Juan Nicasio both available in the bullpen and the trade deadline looming, the Pirates have options if Locke continues to have issues with consistency.
“We’re continuing to try and work with it and help him,” Hurdle said. “I know he’s trying to solve it.”
Hurdle spent most of the 3 hour, 43 minute game watching from the clubhouse after disagreeing with Holbrook, who ruled a chopper by Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun that bounced up and struck the slugger a foul ball. Hurdle, who believed Braun was out of the batters’ box and out as a result, was tossed without even exiting the dugout.
It was Hurdle’s 50th career ejection.
“I just shared my view that I thought it hit him in fair play,” Hurdle said. “He said ‘that’s enough.’ I thought it was a little early to say ‘that’s enough.’ Obviously, that was enough. I exited at that point. Time out. It’s the earliest I’ve been run.”
Jonathan Lucroy drove in three runs for the Brewers, including a two-run single in the sixth inning off reliever A.J. Schugel that broke things open for good. Braun, Jonathan Villar and Hernan Perez had two hits each for Milwaukee and Chris Carter and Scooter Gennett drove in two runs apiece.
Carlos Torres (2-1) won in relief of Chase Anderson, who struggled once again but was bailed out by an offense that took it to Locke and added on after the Pirates drew within 5-4 in the fifth on Freese’s RBI-double to right.
Pirates rookie RHP Jameson Taillon remained under the MLB concussion protocol on Wednesday but trainer Todd Tomczyk said Taillon is “checking out very well” and is showing no ill effects of the line drive he took to the back of the head on Tuesday night. Taillon lay on the ground for several minutes after getting hit by a shot off Perez’s bat in the second inning but was allowed to remain in the game after getting cleared by Tomczyk and team doctor Edward Snell.
“I was looking for reasons (to take him out),” Tomczyk said. “But he continued to show that there was no serious risk there.”
The 24-year-old will continue to be monitored but barring a setback will make his next scheduled start on Sunday against Philadelphia.
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