Pirates give up record 13 runs in an inning, lose, 15-6
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Pirates' Daniel McCutchen pauses behind the pitching mound after giving up back-to-back home runs to the Diamondbacks in the fourth inning of the Pirates loss in Phoenix. -
Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Snyder, right, rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Daniel McCutchen, back left, in the second inning.
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PHOENIX -- Worst inning ever?
For the Pirates, it might have been precisely -- and painfully -- that.
They matched a franchise record by allowing 13 runs in the interminable fourth inning of a 15-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon at Chase Field, including eight hits, four walks and three home runs off Daniel McCutchen, Hayden Penn and Jack Taschner.
And that only begins to describe this epic debacle:
• Sixteen men came to the plate.
• It took 64 pitches to record three outs.
• The Diamondbacks, who never had scored more than eight runs in an inning, hit for the cycle within the inning, getting the a two-run triple from Stephen Drew and two-run double from Chris Snyder on top of three singles and the back-to-back home runs by Chris Young and Kelly Johnson, as well as the one by ...
• The pitcher? Yes, really. If all that were not enough, the last of the hits was a two-run, 379-foot home run off Taschner by Arizona's starting pitcher, Edwin Jackson, a career .129 hitter.
At least there were no errors.
Only two other times have the Pirates given up 13 runs in an inning: The first came Aug. 16, 1890, in an 18-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The team then was known as the Pittsburg Alleghenys, and it was the unquestioned worst in franchise history. The second came May 31, 1994, in a 15-5 loss at San Diego.
The most runs scored in any inning in Major League Baseball game was 18, and it came Sept. 6, 1883, by the Chicago White Stockings against the Detroit Wolverines.
In none of those three debacle innings did the pitcher hit a home run.
McCutchen had won a rather dubious duel for the fifth-starter spot out of spring training, with Kevin Hart almost completely losing control in Florida. Still, McCutchen had pitched mostly well there, and he had shown nothing to indicate a line like this: 3 1/3 innings, nine runs, six hits, three walks and three home runs.
He was responsible for the first seven runs of that fourth inning, including the back-to-back home runs off elevated fastballs by Young and Johnson.
Penn was next and immediately threw a run-scoring wild pitch, followed by a single and three walks wrapped around a solitary out.
Then, Taschner gave up Snyder's three-run double and Jackson's home run.
The Pirates are expected tomorrow to demote McCutchen to Class AAA Indianapolis, though that was going to be the case, anyway, to clear space for the return of reliever Joel Hanrahan from the disabled list.
It remains to be seen what will happen to Penn, who has given up 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings. He is out of options and would have to clear waivers to be demoted, but he has shown the team next to nothing in his short time.
It seemed difficult to fathom afterward, but the Pirates actually had a good handle on the game early, a 4-2 lead built on Andrew McCutchen's solo home run and Delwyn Young's two-run triple in the third.
Bobby Crosby hit a two-run home run in the ninth.
Now, they are 3-3 and, when they have lost, they have really lost, being outscored, 34-7, in those three games.
First Published April 11, 2010 7:15 pm
