What to monitor after the Pirates suffered a frustrating loss to the Astros

HOUSTON — Frustration wasn’t hard to find in the visitors’ clubhouse after the Pirates’ blew a five-run lead and suffered an 11-9 loss to the Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday night.

It snapped their four-game winning streak and spoiled another nine-run output, the first time Pittsburgh has scored nine or more runs in four consecutive games since Aug. 16-18, 1928.

“We can’t lose this one,” Paul Skenes said. “It stings. Putting up nine runs, you should win that one every time.”

Skenes obviously isn’t wrong. What happened in Houston also put three Pirates storylines on a tee, starting with the bullpen allowing six earned runs and watching an 8-3 lead evaporate via the Astros’ six-run eighth.

After Jhostynxon Garcia gave the Pirates an 8-3 lead with his double in the top of the seventh, Houston’s offense kicked it into gear, beginning with a two-run homer from Isaac Paredes in the bottom half.

Christian Vazquez, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker, Cam Smith (two) drove in runs, while Zach Cole scored on a wild pitch from Gregory Soto.

Even more frustrating, the comeback came against the Pirates’ best late-inning relievers this season in Soto and Mason Montgomery.

“Any time you lose a game like that, it's frustrating,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “[Montgomery and Soto] have been so good for us this year. That one just got away. Have to find a way to bounce back [Thursday].”

Given how this team has been trending, the Pirates might be reaching a critical juncture with their bullpen.

Since April 27, the Pirates bullpen has a 4.64 ERA, which ranks 24th in MLB. For a team with playoff aspirations, that obviously can’t happen.

Dennis Santana has a 5.47 ERA. Justin Lawrence was traded to the Twins. Both were expected to play sizable roles. One option could be bringing back Isaac Mattson from Triple-A Indianapolis. They could also explore a trade.

Either way, the Pirates better fix this fast. As Skenes said, you score nine runs, you need to win the game. The Pirates have also now blown 12 saves, tied for third-most in MLB.

“We have guys who have done well,” Kelly said. “I thought [Yohan Ramirez] did a really nice job [Wednesday], getting the third out [of the fifth] and giving us two innings.

“There are gonna be opportunities. Guys are going to have opportunity to step up and claim roles.”

While Wilber Dotel and Carmen Mlodzinski are two options who should help the bullpen — Dotel already has — the catching situation is another place worth monitoring.

It’s hard to feel good about anything given that level of late-inning loss, but Henry Davis did hit a grand slam in the fourth inning.

Davis worked a 3-1 count, forcing Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti to throw a get-me-over fastball, and Davis didn’t miss. He smashed this one 396 feet at 107.7 mph onto the train tracks in left field. He’s now gone deep three times in his last seven games after homering just twice in his first 35.

The grand slam was the first for a Pirate in Houston since Jack Wilson did it in 2005. Jason Kendall the year before was the last Pirates catcher to hit a grand slam in Houston.

“It was good,” Davis said. “Wish we pulled it out.”

Davis would be the first to admit that his .143 average and .533 OPS won’t cut it, but he has been showing signs of turning it around. Most noticeable, he’s gotten away from pulling everything and taking more of an up-the-middle approach.

Endy Rodriguez, meanwhile, has been making an even more aggressive push. After a homer and a double on Tuesday, Rodriguez is hitting .300 with a .967 OPS. He’s shown impressive plate discipline (12 walks, nine strikeouts) and has handled the position defensively.

Should this continue, it’s hard to see Rodriguez losing his spot when Joey Bart returns in a few weeks. But there’s still more to learn.

“Endy’s a really good baseball player,” Kelly said. “With him being hurt the last couple years, it’s been tough for him, working his way back from that. He’s extremely athletic and really good behind the plate. Has really good at-bats. We’ve seen his speed, too. He’s able to bring a different element there as well.”

The last competitive element is very, very small in scale, and it’s really only Paul Skenes competing against himself. But over 4 2/3 innings Wednesday, Skenes allowed three earned runs on seven hits. He only walked one but also threw a career-high 109 pitches (while striking out seven).

It wasn’t a bad outing. Skenes also had a 3.09 ERA and is about the last person on the planet you’re worry about being motivated or doing the right things.

But he wasn’t thrilled with how frequently he got ahead in counts and finds himself in an out-of-character stretch over his past four starts, all Pirates losses.

In that time, Skenes has allowed 26 hits has a 5.85 ERA over 20 innings. Skenes also isn’t sweating it.

“It’s really easy to look at the box score and think I’m not throwing the ball super well,” Skenes said. “I think you have to take a step back and look at how you’re executing pitches, see what there is to do better. Same thing after every outing. Look at the pitches you’re executing and look at it objectively.”

It’s true Skenes has been the victim of some poor luck and defense, the second one of those certainly a part of Wednesday’s outing.

It would also be foolish to actually worry about Skenes. But he, like the rest of the pitching staff, knows it needs to hold up its end of the bargain when it comes to one of the best offenses in MLB.

“Doesn’t feel good for me. I know it doesn’t feel good for the other pitchers who threw [Wednesday],” Skenes said. “There are times where we’ll pick up the offense. There are times where we won’t. Tonight was one of those nights. It’s unfortunate. That’s why they give us 162.”

Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.