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Loss linked to outfield play

By John Mehno

For the Mirror

PITTSBURGH – It’s not often that outfield defense figures prominently in the outcome of a game, but that was the case in the Pirates’ 6-5, 11-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds Sunday afternoon.

Both of the Pirates corner outfielders had a couple of misplays that helped lose the game.

Left fielder Starling Marte misplayed a single into a triple by taking a bad path to the ball in the final inning. Earlier, Marte lost a chance to throw out a runner at the plate by overthrowing the cutoff man.

Right fielder Gregory Polanco misplayed a couple of line drives that sailed over him. One of the mistakes cost a run.

“During day games, it’s hard to read the ball,” Polanco said. “The distance, you don’t know. Those two just kept going.”

The Pirates made four errors in the game. That didn’t include Marte’s bad throw.

“I don’t think there’s a common theme,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Anytime you wind up with four errors, that’s not where you want to be.”

Hurdle charged himself with a “manager error” for ordering an intentional walk that backfired.

The mistakes piled up to cost the Pirates a series sweep of the struggling Reds.

Hurdle said he wasn’t certain why Polanco had problems reading the two balls lined in his direction.

“Both balls that were hit, you thought he might have a play,” Hurdle said. “There comes that point in time where, we’re in trouble. We got beat over the top. We’ll have to revisit the tape, talk to him, see where we are and work hard to improve.”

On the ball Marte misplayed into a triple, Hurdle said the problem was with Marte’s reaction off the bat.

“There comes a point in time when you have to take a route,” he said. “I don’t think you can get around the ball once he took the route he took. He put himself in a position where he had to make the play he wasn’t able to make.”

Marte made a dive for the ball hit by Eugenio Suarez and couldn’t stop it. It rolled to the wall and Suarez easily got to third base.

Long distance

Polanco’s solo homer was a memorable one.

He blasted the pitch completely over the right field stands. It hit the riverwalk and bounced into the Allegheny River, becoming the 39th ball to wind up in the water in the 16th season of PNC Park.

“It was a good swing,” Polanco said. “I didn’t miss it. I didn’t know it was going to be that far, but I knew I got it.”

Kang update

General manager Neal Huntington said that even when Jung Ho Kang rejoins the team, the Pirates will be careful not to overwork him.

Kang is rehabbing from the broken lower left leg he sustained last Sept. 17.

In the meantime, the Pirates are pleased with his progress with Class AAA Indianapolis.

“We’re seeing some really positive signs defensively and on the bases,” Huntington said.

Huntington said timing is still an issue for Kang, and the Pirates want him to play some more minor league games before he’s recalled.

Problem lingers

Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins has been suspended for half the season for failing a test for performance enhancing drugs.

Huntington raised the point that the penalties aren’t enough of a deterrent. Gordon is suspended without pay, but the Marlins remain obligated to pay the rest of the nearly $50 million remaining on the contract he signed four months ago.

“There’s nothing a club can do to get out from underneath a contract that may have been signed under false pretenses,” Huntington said. “That’s just the nature of the beast right now. I would anticipate the union will fight tooth and nail to make sure that continues.”

Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com

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