The Pirates removed centerfielder Oneil Cruz from last night’s game after he failed to run out a double-play ground ball in the seventh inning. Cruz slowed down after the Brewers got the force play at second base, and said after the game that he thought it was the third out of the inning. The 26-year old Cruz has struggled over the last month, batting just .156 with 31 strikeouts. He has also struggled in the outfield during that stretch, after making significant strides in his outfield development, and having a torrid stretch of at-bats which featured some of the hardest-hit balls in MLB history.
In last night’s loss to the Brewers, Nick Gonzales provided all of the Pirates runs with a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning when the Bucs were down 6-0. Gonzales has had two home runs, three doubles and driven in seven runs over his last seven games.
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