Pirates' Past Catches Up With Future

The Pittsburgh Pirates future and past were on display in Game 2 of their three-game series with the Oakland Athletics.

Unfortunately, the past caught up with the future.

The future, 22-year-old rookie starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivered another excellent, yet wasted performance as the Pirates dropped their fourth game in a row; while the past, Brandon Moss, hit the game-winning two-run homer off Cole in the fourth inning, his 16th of the year, that held up the remainder of the way to give the A’s a 2-1 victory.

Cole was back on track after losing for the first time in his last start to the Philadelphia Phillies and seemed determined to lead the Pirates to a much needed win. Losers of five of their last seven coming into the game, the Pirates really needed a victory to right their ship. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound hard-throwing right-hander came away with a no-decision in keeping the Bucs in the game with a solid seven-inning, five-hit, two-run performance, but the Pirates’ muted bats continued to remain silent as they could only mange three hits on the night; the lone run-scoring one coming on All-Star Pedro Alvarez‘s 23rd home run of the season.

Moss, who played for the Pirates for three seasons from 2008 – 2010 before being let go to free agency, seems to have found a home in Oakland as a left-handed platoon player. Not quite living up to the expectations the Pirates had for him when they acquired him in a trade with the Boston Red Sox back in 2008, the Monroe, GA native has now homered 37 times for the A’s in his limited playing time with them the past two season and the A’s have to be happy as pie with his contributions.

The Pirates franchise remained winless against the Athletics’, their all-time record now at 0-11.