Pirates tie season high with four errors in loss at Reds

CINCINNATI The lasting scenes from a 3-1 Cincinnati Reds win Monday at Great American Ball Park likely will be those of Pirates infielders skittering after baseballs trying to recover from one of the team’s four errors, tying a season high.

The Pirates’ fielding marred a fine start from left-hander Jeff Locke, and the hitters couldn’t string together hits against Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani. The young starter gave up seven hits and a single run in 7 1/3 innings, striking out six.

The Pirates (81-55) now are 4-10 this season against the Reds (57-59), who sit in last place in the National League Central division.

Locke allowed four hits and three runs, one earned, in five-plus innings. He walked two and struck out six. In his past five outings, Locke has alternated steady starts, allowing one or two earned runs, with five- and six-run performances. In 10 starts since the All-Star break, he has a 5.50 ERA.

Sean Rodriguez has recently gained some notoriety in Cincinnati. In the Pirates’ last game here, Aug. 2, Rodriguez and Marlon Byrd went nose-to-nose in a benches-clearing skirmish and were both ejected. Today, he made his first start at shortstop for the Pirates, and it went poorly.

Rodriguez booted Todd Frazier’s weak grounder in the first, and missed Brandon Phillips’ chopper up the middle to lead off a three-run second inning. Jay Bruce and Eugenio Suarez singled, driving in Todd Frazier, and Adam Duvall walked to load the bases.

Tucker Barnhart, the No. 8 hitter, knocked in Bruce with a sacrifice fly to right. Gregory Polanco’s throw home was late and up the line, and it skipped past catcher Chris Stewart and into the camera well, scoring the Reds’ third run.

Phillips led off the sixth and grounded a ball to first baseman Pedro Alvarez. He bobbled it, recovered in time to get Phillips but threw over high to Locke covering first for his 19th error this season.

Alvarez’s 19 errors are tied with Ryan Howard (2008) and Lee Stevens (2001) for most by any major league first baseman since 1999, when Kevin Young, another Pirates first baseman, had 23. Alvarez has started 103 games at first base this season; Howard, Stevens and Young each started at least 149 games those years.

After Alvarez’s error, Bruce walked, and right-hander Jared Hughes replaced Locke. Phillips was caught stealing, and a pop fly and groundout ended the threat.

The Pirates didn’t advance a runner to third base until the eighth inning, when pinch-hitter Jaff Decker doubled and moved to third on a groundout. Neil Walker scored Decker with an RBI single to right, making it a 3-1 game.

Andrew McCutchen walked, putting two runners on with one out, but Jung Ho Kang chased Jumbo Diaz’s 99 mph full-count fastball out of the zone and grounded into a double play. On the play, Diaz raced over to first, took the throw and jumped up and down clapping his hands.

Rodriguez was hit by a pitch in the ninth, but closer Aroldis Chapman picked him off moments later to add another bullet point to Rodriguez’s rough day.

(c)2015 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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