Batting with one out and runners on the corners in the fifth inning Saturday night, Alex Gordon tapped a low changeup into the grass in front of home plate and slow-footed Royals catcher Salvador Perez took off from third base. Rather than gripping the ball and tossing it to catcher Jacob Stallings, or perhaps even trying to tag Perez himself, Pirates starter Trevor Williams scooped the ball with his glove and flipped it well over Stallings’ head.

“I think he just tried to do too much there,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It ended up getting away, and the game kind of got away from us."

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It was a vexing error on yet another frustrating night for Williams and the Pirates. The right-hander gave up six runs on 10 hits, including two homers, as Pittsburgh lost to Kansas City, 7-4, at Kauffman Stadium and fell to 14-29 on the season.

The Royals dealt Williams his Major League-leading seventh loss and ran his home run total to 12, a number surpassed by only the Tigers’ Matthew Boyd and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole this season. Over his last four starts, Williams has allowed 31 hits and nine homers while posting a 9.43 ERA in 21 innings. The Pirates have lost all four games.

“I have to stop giving up homers. It’s really that simple,” Williams said. “It just compounds. You give up a base hit, whether it’s hit hard or hit soft, and it compounds. Those are the ones that hurt you. Today, it was a lack of execution.”

Williams has made efforts to turn things around. He’s tried to make more use of his curveball, giving hitters a different look. In his last start, he ditched his windup and pitched exclusively out of the stretch, which left him feeling like he took some steps forward. But his problems on Saturday night were familiar.

Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi took Williams deep, both catching fastballs that were left over the plate. His pitch count was manageable heading into the fourth inning, then he needed 38 pitches to complete a three-run fifth in which his biggest mistake might have come in the field.

Williams gave up three straight singles to begin the inning, then walked Hunter Dozier before his misplay on Gordon’s dribbler allowed Perez to score. After another walk and a sacrifice fly, Williams retired Nicky Lopez on his 101st pitch of the night.

“It’s one of those where you either have to get around it more, or I just have to barehand it. It’s never a backhanded glove flip,” Williams said. “And I thought he was closer to the plate than he actually was out of my periphery.”

Nine starts into the season, Williams owns a 6.35 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. The Pirates’ rotation is going to get a little more crowded soon, with Mitch Keller potentially returning next week, but Shelton said he doesn’t see Williams moving to the bullpen. There will be competition next spring, too, as Jameson Taillon rejoins the rotation. So as the Pirates begin to look toward 2021, where does Williams fit in their plans?

“I believe I’m a good pitcher, and I believe I can continue to get outs like I’ve always gotten outs. It’s just one of those things where I have to be more consistent,” Williams said. “I’ve got to prove it to this new staff, and I have to prove it to the guys so they can trust me. I’m looking forward to doing that in my last few starts.”

No BP, no problem for Bell
Before the game, the Pirates were somewhat concerned that their delayed arrival prevented them from taking batting practice. Evidently, Josh Bell didn’t need it.

Rain kept the Pirates from taking BP on Friday, and Bell delivered a three-hit game that included a home run. On Saturday, he mashed an opposite-field homer off Carlos Hernández in the second inning and crushed a 112.1 mph single to center off hard-throwing reliever Josh Staumont in the seventh.

“Really positive signs,” Shelton said. “This is probably the most pleased I personally have been with how he's swinging the bat.”

Bell is primarily pleased with the way he’s locked in his timing. Over his last five games, Bell is 9-for-18 with two homers.

“I feel like timing is everything. Timing adds to confidence, so I’m laying off pitches underneath the zone. I’m laying off pitches out of the zone,” Bell said. “I think it just started with me seeing more pitches, not being as aggressive as I was the first few weeks of the season and really locking in on the timing and selecting my pitch.”

Bell still got some swings in before Saturday’s game, taking 20-30 soft tosses from the coaching staff. Turns out, less pregame work could lead to more in-game production for the switch-hitting slugger.

“Yep,” Bell said, smiling. “I might’ve taken batting practice for the last time this year.”

Highlight-reel Hayes
Ke’Bryan Hayes provided his customary highlights at the plate and in the field. In the first inning, he ranged way out into foul territory in left field to make an inning-ending, over-the-shoulder catch. And in the eighth, he legged out an infield single off reliever Scott Barlow, giving him at least one hit in seven of his first nine games.

“The catch he made on the popup was really good. I asked him afterward why he didn’t get around it and just catch it squared up,” Shelton said, grinning. “I was with [Evan Longoria] for seven years. He was the best I had ever seen on that play. Key made that play look easy. He just continues to do positive things. He continues to not let his heartbeat get too fast. A really nice play.”