MINNEAPOLIS — Josh Harrison twice had words with home plate umpire Joe West. David Freese aired his grievances after a strikeout in the third. Francisco Cervelli yelled at West from the dugout in the sixth. Jameson Taillon was told to stay out of it.
Their gripes fell on deaf ears, and there was still angst in the visitors clubhouse at Target Field following a 5-2 loss to open a two-game series against the Twins. The Pirates, now 61-59, have split the first eight games of this nine-game trip and missed an opportunity to gain ground in a crowded playoff chase in the National League.
They finished with seven hits, only two for extra bases, and swung with reckless abandon at times after experiencing what they described as some confusion with West's strike zone. As a result, they were unable to mount a comeback, remaining eight games back in the Central Division and five back in the Wild Card.
"It happened everywhere from the bottom of the first," Harrison lamented. "I’m not one to call anybody out or put blame on anybody, because we had a chance to win the game. But when you’re out on defense and you’re consistently watching your pitchers not get pitches that are called on you and your teammates – and some pitches that are better than what’s been called – you get frustrated. At the end of the day, we all want a fair shake, man."
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