The Pirates' bullpen finally lived down to so many people's expectations Monday night in a 10-5 loss at Milwaukee. Relievers Tyler Yates and John Grabow combined to give up five runs in the eighth inning as the Brewers snapped a 5-5 tie.
Yates walked Bill Hall and hit Jason Kendall with a pitch to start the inning, and both runners moved up on Craig Counsell's sacrifice bunt. Hall then scored the winning run when second baseman Freddy Sanchez knocked down Rickie Weeks' hard grounder but threw late to home plate. Grabow relieved and gave up an RBI double to Corey Hart, a two-run single to Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron's sacrifice fly.
"I committed the cardinal sin of relief pitching by walking the leadoff man and then hitting the next guy, who was trying to bunt," Yates said. "I've got to make them earn their way on and I didn't do that."
Relief pitching was supposed to be the Pirates' weak link coming into the season. However, the bullpen's 2.85 ERA was second in the National League behind the New York Mets (2.78) and fifth in the major leagues coming into Monday's game. That figure rose to 3.58, though, following the struggles of Yates and Grabow.
BREWERS 10, PIRATES 5: Tyler Yates (0-1) gave up three runs in one-third inning during the Brewers' five-run eighth to take the loss. Freddy Sanchez's two-run double in the top of the inning had tied the game at 5-5. Adam LaRoche had three hits and Nyjer Morgan scored three runs. Starting pitcher Jeff Karstens allowed five runs and five hits in five innings.
