Down by three runs with the bases loaded and a chance to tie the game or better, the Pirates had all the writing on the wall for a comeback victory on Tuesday night.

Instead, a batter’s interference call against Bryan Reynolds ended the sixth inning, preventing any damage and sealing the Bucs’ fate, a 10-5 loss to the Royals in the series finale at Kauffman Stadium.

“The explanation that we got was that Reynolds should have stayed in the box on it,” manager Derek Shelton said. “And my interpretation of the rule, and -- I will check further on this -- is that he has to vacate the box because of the fact that, if there is a play at the plate, he cannot be in the way of the pitcher coming in for a play.”

Down by four runs, the Pirates got an RBI double by Adam Frazier to make it 8-5, then Reynolds came up with the bases loaded and two out.

Reynolds battled reliever Kyle Zimmer and worked a 2-2 count. On a slider in the dirt that got past Royals catcher Salvador Perez, Reynolds checked his swing and backed away from the left-handed batter’s box as Kevin Newman came charging in from third to score while Perez went to retrieve the ball.

Perez’s first motion upon retrieving the ball was to tag out Reynolds, because of the possible dropped third strike. Regardless, because of his proximity to the plate and Newman’s attempt at scoring, Reynolds was called out by home-plate umpire Dan Bellino, ending the inning and dashing any chances for a potential comeback.

“The question that I have on the play is that there was never an attempt on Newman for the play,” Shelton said. “It wasn't like Salvy dove or tried to get around Bryan to get to the plate for Newman. He was 100% -- in my viewpoint of it -- he was just tagging Reynolds on the check swing.”

The bizarre ending topped an inning in which Shelton had been ejected for arguing balls and strikes on a called third strike against Michael Perez that dotted the black of the inside zone.

The Pirates had a chance to rally with two runners on in the eighth inning and none out, but quickly went down in order to end the frame, while the Royals tacked on an additional two insurance runs late.

Pittsburgh trailed, 1-0, after Whit Merrifield scored on Andrew Benintendi’s single. However, the Pirates quickly bounced back in the third, taking a 3-1 lead on an RBI single and a pair of sacrifice flies with the bases loaded, and tacking on another run in the fourth inning to go up 4-1.

Starting pitcher Wil Crowe, who is still searching for his first career win, got into a groove in the second and third innings, but things quickly began falling apart in the bottom of the fourth and later the fifth.

A two-run home run by Perez in the fourth inning cut the lead to 4-3, and in the fifth inning, Crowe managed to load the bases before giving up a first-pitch grand slam to Benintendi, leaving the game having recorded zero outs.

"We didn't execute a pitch,” Shelton said. “I thought we were going to execute a pitch, and we tried to go up and away with the fastball, and he threw a fastball down and in. It got hit out. So in retrospect, yeah, probably should have made a move but, at the time, we didn't do it."

Shelton wanted to give Crowe the opportunity to work out of the jam and keep the lead intact.

"We were giving him an opportunity, and it was a situation that didn't end up turning out the way it was. … It was one of those things, it just didn't work out,” Shelton added.

For the matter, Crowe was appreciative of his manager showing faith in him regardless of the results.

“He gave me that opportunity,” Crowe said. “And that showed a lot in what he thinks of me and what he thinks I'm capable of.”

In all, Crowe managed just four innings and allowed eight earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

“Just really two pitches that kind of came back to haunt me in the end of things,” Crowe said. “The location of those pitches, I think you execute them and you don't have to worry about it.”

Despite the trend of runs scored and short outings, Crowe still believes in his ability to get outs.

“I know that I can be the dominating guy that I believe I can be,” Crowe said. “It's just taking that next step and growing and keep going like I had been.”