Pittsburgh Pirates humiliated by Chicago Cubs 2-12 as A.J. Burnett struggles on the mound-MLB
Starter A.J. Burnett leaks runs as he costs the Pittsburgh Pirates a significant 2-12 defeat against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the first game of the three match series on September 7, 2012.
It seems the anger that the Cubs showed during the game against the Washington Nationals the other day has been vented on the Pirates. On Friday, Cubs sent the Pirates’ pitchers for big hits and posted a substantial total on the score-board.
With more innings getting finished, it was becoming easier to predict which team is going to end up as the winner.
At the end of the third, Cubs were leading by four runs as the Pirates were scoreless.
Far from bouncing back in the latter half of the game, Pittsburgh allowed Cubs to strengthen their lead. In the sixth and the seventh, their pitchers leaked eight runs put together. As a result the lead of the Cubs reached such a level from where it was
almost impossible to cut in to it.
Offensively other than the two runs in the bottom of the eighth, Pirates did not score any run. They struck just four hits in the entire match.
Burnett threw five innings for the Pirates as he yielded eight hits and allowed seven runs.
Hisanori Takahashi came as a reliever for Pittsburgh. Instead of blocking the flow of runs, he gave up three runs.
Pittsburgh’s manager Clint Hurdle was extremely disappointed after the loss, terming the game the worst one he has experienced in the season. The pride with which he entered into the match was tainted by the thumping defeat dealt to his team. Getting beaten
so cheaply always hurts because such a game dents the confidence of the players.
"Our worst game of the season," said Hurdle. "We stunk tonight. There's always a sense of pride you take out on the field to play your best every night you go out there. Sometimes your best stinks. That's where we were tonight."
The Pirates are currently at third position on their Division table. They require consistency in performance in order to claim the second position. They will be looking to win the last two games of the series and steady their quest in the season.
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