Bullpen blows lead as Braves rally with 4-run 7th inning to beat Pirates, clinch playoff spot

The Pittsburgh Pirates had been one of baseball’s hottest teams over the past 10 games, and their bullpen was a big reason why.

With a .191 batting average against and 1.46 ERA, the Pirates’ bullpen ranked second in baseball in both categories. So it was with confidence that manager Derek Shelton turned to his relievers against the Atlanta Braves with a one-run lead in the sixth inning.

Then the bullpen blew it.

Behind RBI singles by Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson, the Braves used a four-run seventh to beat the Pirates, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park to clinch a spot in the postseason.

The Braves (93-49), who have the best record in the majors, won both the three-game weekend series and seven-game season series over the Pirates, who snapped a streak of three consecutive series wins.

“It is frustrating,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on the AT&T SportsNet postgame show. “Seven games against the best team in baseball, we went toe-to-toe with them. I was really proud of our group.”

Braves right-hander Allan Winans, recalled from Triple-A on Sunday, struck out eight through the first 5¹⁄₃ before the Pirates scored a pair of runs in the sixth.

Ji Hwan Bae hit a leadoff single, then sprinted around the bases to score on a Bryan Reynolds double to the right-field corner. Jack Suwinski hit a two-out double to right-center to score Reynolds for a 2-0 lead.

Pirates starter Luis Ortiz didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Olson singled to right, and benefited from several solid defensive plays. Right fielder Joshua Palacios robbed Acuna of an extra-base hit on a fly ball to the right-center gap in the first. Third baseman Jared Triolo snared a line drive by Orlando Arcia in the third, and Ortiz snagged a line drive back to him by Michael Harris II on the next at bat.

But Ortiz gave up a pair of walks without recording a strikeout, the second of which came back to hurt him. After Acuna drew a full-count walk to start the sixth, Ozzie Albies grounded into a forceout at second. After Austin Riley singled through the left side, the Pirates turned to lefty Ryan Borucki.

“We had the stretch right there with where we wanted Borucki to be,” Shelton said. “We get Olson and Ozuna, and then Rosario we’re going to make them make a decision on of what they’re going to do. Luis had done his job.”

Borucki threw a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position, and Olson’s broken-bat groundout to second drove in Albies to cut the Pirates’ lead to 2-1.

Palacios led off the seventh with a triple to the warning track in center but was stranded when Triolo grounded out, pinch hitter Connor Joe flied out and Jason Delay popped up to short. The Pirates went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left four runners on base.

“We have to score there,” Shelton said. “We cannot give away opportunities in any case, but you cannot give away opportunities to this club.”

Colin Selby replaced Borucki with one out in the seventh, only to give up a two-out walk to Arcia and a single to Harris to bring the leading NL MVP candidate to the plate. Acuna delivered, driving a 1-0 sinker off the center-field wall to score both runners and give the Braves a 3-2 lead.

The Pirates almost caught Acuna in a rundown, as Joe cut off shortstop Liover Peguero’s relay throw. But no one covered for Joe at first base so Acuna returned safe.

“We’re two outs and nobody on, and we walk a guy,” Shelton said. “We walk a guy and then Harris gets a hit and we get the MVP that walks to the plate. We just missed the location. We got behind him and threw back-to-back fastballs, which was probably the wrong pitch at the time. Even if the pitch is executed, we’re probably in a better spot. But (Selby) just missed to Acuna.”

Albies followed with a single to right, then stole second base to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Thomas Hatch replaced Selby, only to blow an 0-2 count and walk Riley to load the bases. Olson, who leads the majors with 121 RBIs, hit a two-run single to right to give the Braves a 5-2 lead.

Lefty reliever A.J. Minter struck out the top of the Pirates’ order in the eighth, although it came after designated hitter Ke’Bryan Hayes appeared to draw a two-out walk. Home plate umpire Bill Miller called a strike on Minter’s fifth pitch, a fastball outside and off the plate, and Hayes went down swinging on a full count.

Hayes took to X (Twitter) to express his displeasure with the call.

“Some umpires really don’t care. 3-1 call not even close. I hold him accountable afterthe game walking off the field and his response is ‘I gave you a chance to hit a homerun’ that tells me you don’t care at all. No accountability. Bring the ABS (automated ball-strike system) please @MLB”

Some umpires really don’t care. 3-1 call not even close. I hold him accountable after the game walking off the field and his response is “????????‍♂️ I gave you a chance to hit a homerun” that tells me you don’t care at all. No accountability. Bring the ABS please @MLB pic.twitter.com/sgncakv8v8

— KeBryan Hayes (@KeBryanHayes) September 10, 2023

Raisel Iglesias finished off the ninth for his 29th save.

“We did a lot of things well,” Shelton said. “The little things, like not getting the runner in from third, in games like this you cannot do. And you cannot not execute a pitch or two just because their lineup is so deep.”