Despite suffering a series finale loss against the first-place Pirates, Shane McClanahan should leave Pittsburgh feeling really good about where he is. Yes, he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits in the process. However, that was the smartest the lefty has looked in three years. For the first time this season he did not take any walks. He also struck out five and consistently made quality pitches under pressure. While we would all have loved to see the Rays come away with a third straight series win and a 5-1 trip, I’ll settle for a 4-2 trip and another major step forward for Mac in the slump. His continued upward trajectory bodes well for this team and its depleted rotation.
McClanahan was under pressure from the first batter when former Rays outfielder Jake Mangum doubled in the bottom of the first. Gonzales quickly followed with a single and had to work to limit the damage. He did just that. Mangum scored on a force out, but McClanahan recovered to retire Ozuna and Cruz via the K.
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He worked a quick 1-2-3 second inning but again had to deal with Mangum in the third. With one out, Mangum made a perfect bunt and advanced to second on an errant, ill-advised throw by McClanahan. With Pirates starter Mitch Keller cruising, it was imperative that Mangum not score. Shane induced a fly ball to first and struck out Bryan Reynolds to end the threat.
In the fourth inning, McClanahan found himself in trouble after Ozuna doubled to left field to start the inning. Again, he got out of trouble with a strikeout, a groundout and a fly ball. In each of the first four innings, he threw competitive pitch after competitive pitch under stress. He avoided free passes while walking and worked his slider and changeup on a fastball that seemed to have a little extra life. All positive signs.
The Rays offense found some magic with two outs in the top of the fifth inning and finally got to Mitch Keller. Before Richcie Palacios’ double to right field, Keller had retired thirteen in a row. It was the Rays’ first hit since Simpson’s single to open the game. DeLuca singled moving Palacios to third and then stole second to give the Rays two runners in scoring position. Feduccia delivered with a two-RBI single to give the Rays a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates’ offense had a response in the bottom of the fifth and finally chased down McClanahan, who gave up a double to Bart off the center field wall. Billy Cook reached for a bunt and pushed Bart to third. With runners on second and third, Mangum grounded out and once again it felt like Shane could escape another jam. He got Gonzales to hit a weak fly ball to center. Unfortunately, he was too weak and out of reach for the diving Mullins. Bart scored to tie the game 2-2 and sloppy defense allowed runners to advance to second and third. With the infield in, Reynolds launched a ground ball past Walls and scored Cook and Gonzales. With the Pirates leading 4-2, Cash left the dugout and McClanahan’s day was over. He was inches away from potentially breaking out of the inning and leaving with a chance to get his second win in as many starts.
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The Pirates scored again in the sixth and eighth innings, while the Rays only scored once more, in the ninth inning, when Junior hit his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot, to put the Pirates up 6-3. Englert and Seymour covered the final 3.2 innings, giving the rest of the bullpen a much-needed rest.
With the loss and the Yankees’ win, the Rays are now half a game behind first with a 12-9 record. They will welcome the Reds to the Trop for a three-game set beginning Monday night.