The Pittsburgh Pirates fared well in their last doubleheader, sweeping both games at home against Milwaukee Brewers on July 11.
One week later, the Pirates found themselves playing another doubleheader, as air quality concerns in Cleveland prompted a postponement of Friday’s series opener against the Guardians to Saturday afternoon.
The Pirates won that contest 7-1, their first following the All-Star break, but in Game 2, they suffered one of their most deflating defeats of the season, as the Guardians rallied late from a three-run hole to win 5-3.
After tying the score in the eighth, Cleveland’s Travis Bazzana hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Dennis Santana.
The Pirates (51-48) had dodged a bullet moments earlier, when a would-be game-winning RBI double by Steven Kwan resulted in Patrick Bailey being gunned down at home plate.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Pirates led 3-0, riding a stellar MLB debut by 24-year-old righty Khristain Curtis, who pitched five scoreless innings in relief of opener Mason Montgomery.
But Cleveland tied things after he departed, as Brandon Eisert allowed three runs on three hits, while his successor, Gregory Soto, was equally as shaky, throwing a pair of wild pitches and serving up the game-tying base hit.
The Guardians (52-47) got to work in the eighth when Kwan and Braylan Rocchio singled off Eisert.
Chase DeLauter then followed with a hit to make it 3-1, at which point Soto took over with one out and runners on the corner.
Immediately, his command failed, as a wild pitch allowed Rocchio to score, while shortly thereafter, Kahlil Watson tied the score with an RBI single.
Santana (2-5, 6.20 ERA) took the loss, while Soto was charged with a blown save.
The loss spoiled a memorable big-league debut for Curtis, who threw 42 of his 68 pitches for strikes, contributing the longest relief outing by a Pirate in their MLB debut since Steve Blass on May 10, 1964.
Curtis allowed two hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts, hours after having his contract selected from Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning courtesy of a Brandon Lowe sacrifice fly, which scored Ryan O’Hearn.
O’Hearn had walked and advanced to third on a Marcell Ozuna base hit.
Nick Gonzales led off the top of the third with a double into left field, and two batters later, scored on a Esmerlyn Valdez double into the shallow outfield that Cleveland’s David Fry and Petey Halpin lost sight of.
The mishap put the Pirates up 2-0, and in the fourth, they added a third run.
After Brandon Lowe and Rafael Flores walked, Jake Mangum got aboard with a softly hit single that catcher Austin Hedges was unable to make a play on.
Lowe made a heads-up dash to home plate with Hedges out of position and slid safely to beat a throw from first base.
A Guardians challenge was unsuccessful, and the Pirates took a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, after Montgomery pitched a clean first inning, Curtis made his MLB debut in the second and struck out the first batter he saw, Daniel Schneemann.
Curtis stayed on for the third, getting out of a jam after allowing a pair of singles.
Curtis’ bottom of the fourth was impressive, as the Pirates rookie struck out the side, retiring Rhys Hoskins, Schneemann (on a successful ABS challenge by Flores) and Fry in 14 pitches.
In the fifth, Curtis retired Cleveland in order, and in the sixth, Curtis’ only blemish was a walk issued to Travis Bazzana.
Game 2 was delayed approximately 75 minutes because of rain.
The Pirates took the first game 7-1 behind Jared Jones’ strong start. He held the Guardians to one run over five innings and became the third Pirates pitcher in the past 70 seasons to retire 30-plus batters in a row, joining Harvey Haddix (38) and Jim Bibby (32).
He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out nine batters.
Offensively, the Pirates blasted three homers, including the first for shortstop Jacob Gonzalez since he joined the team in a trade from the Chicago White Sox last weekend.
Making his first start in the infield for the Pirates, Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Valdez hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Nick Gonzales added a solo shot later in the inning for a 5-1 advantage.
