The Padres, now losers of five in a row, fell to the Pirates 5-4 Thursday, as Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep.
The team gave starter Joe Musgrove a 4-2 lead, but the bullpen faltered – owing again in part to a throwing error by reliever Tim Hill – during a three-run seventh inning for the Pirates.
The Padres went up after a three-run second on a day when they were affected by the ongoing air quality crisis in the northeast. The game was delayed by 45 minutes, with the Pirates pledging to “continue to closely monitor the air quality index levels around the ballpark.”
Trent Grisham had a two-run home run during the second, and the team added a run in the fourth on a solo shot by Ha-Seong Kim.
Manager Bob Melvin noted that the team must “finish out the games,” or “add on or come up with a big hit” to make up for it. They did not Thursday, with five of the final six batters striking out. Musgrove did his part, going six innings, giving up seven hits and striking out six.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear when Yu Darvish will return after he missed his Tuesday start in Pittsburgh due to illness, according to MLB.com. He will not take the mound Friday, but the Padres have yet to announce the Saturday and Sunday starters.
The Friars are set to send Seth Lugo to the mound Friday, as they face the Cincinnati, days after the Reds enjoyed a 12-game win streak. They also will get to see phenom Elly De La Cruz, hitting .301 in 20 games for the Reds.
