Dyson’s dive gets run on review, D-backs beat Pirates 2-1
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jarrod Dyson watched the ball hit the dirt and bolted for home, an impressive read by the veteran speedster.
He saw the play at plate better than some, too.
Dyson slid around catcher Francisco Cervelli and signaled that he was safe, but he was only credited with the go-ahead run after a replay review. That dash-and-dive was the difference in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
Dyson was originally called out by plate umpire Gerry Davis, but a quick video review showed that Dyson stretched his left hand out on his head-first dive and touched the plate before Cervelli’s glove reached his back.
The scoring play was made even more difficult because Dyson had to hold up as Pirates first baseman Josh Bell made a backhanded stab at the ball, but missed. When Adam Frazier corralled it at deep second, he hesitated a moment before throwing home. That was all the time that Dyson needed.
“The thing that really stood out to me was that it was a line drive and Jarrod had to freeze or get back on a line drive,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “He did that and then made a great, aggressive play once he reloaded and saw the ball was not caught.”
The play was a difference-maker in a pitchers’ duel between Luke Weaver and Trevor Williams.
“These are the game where small things happen,” Arizona outfielder Adam Jones said. “We win by one run and it was on a great baserunning play by Dyson. I don’t think anyone else could score on that.”
Weaver (2-1) struck out seven and won his second straight start. He worked into the seventh inning for the second time this season, going 6 1/3 innings while allowing one run. After dealing with traffic in his first three innings, he faced the minimum over the next three.
“Finally, I felt like it clicked and things kind of flowed together, and came with it more confidence and more conviction,” Weaver said.
After allowing four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his first start of the season, things have steadily progressed for Weaver. He has struck out 24 batters over his last 22 2/3 innings, and his ERA is down to 3.33.
“He’s not backing out of any situation,” Lovullo said. “He believes in all of his pitches. When you follow that game plan and do that kind of a job, you’re obviously going to pitch deep into games.”
Jones doubled to score Eduardo Escobar in the second, his team-leading 16th RBI.
Both runs went against Williams (1-1), who threw seven innings. He struck out four and walked one. Williams faced the minimum through three and allowed just four hits.
“It was one of those classic pitchers’ duels that I think everyone was really enjoying,” Lovullo said.
Cervelli doubled home Colin Moran in the second inning for Pittsburgh. The Pirates went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
It was the first game this season the Pirates lost when Williams started, despite it being one of his better outings.
“It’s baseball,” he said. “We’re going to be giving up some runs and the offense is going to pick us back up. It’s the ebbs and flows of a season.”
Arizona relievers Andrew Chafin and Archie Bradley got the ball to Greg Holland, who worked around a walk and a wild pitch to earn his fifth save.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Bryan Reynolds was removed from the game as a precaution with left quadriceps muscle discomfort. … RHP Nick Burdi was placed on the 10-day IL with right biceps and elbow pain a day after a frightening injury on the mound. … SS Kevin Newman (right middle finger laceration) started his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis and went 1 for 3.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Merrill Kelly (1-2, 4.37 ERA) will try to bounce back from his shortest outing of the season, when he gave up three runs over 3 2/3 innings on April 19.
Pirates: Jordan Lyles (2-0, 0.53) has allowed just one earned run over his first three starts.
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Pirates reliever Burdi injured; Arizona rallies for 12-4 win
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Burdi’s combination of grit and resilience — oh and a fastball that can touch triple digits — helped the Pittsburgh Pirates reliever carve out a spot in the big leagues less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery on his right arm.
One innocent-looking pitch to Arizona’s Jarrod Dyson on Monday night likely signaled another abrupt turn in Burdi’s roller coaster career and the Diamondbacks’ 12-4 comeback victory.
The 26-year-old, a former touted prospect in Minnesota who found traction in Pittsburgh, threw a 96 mph fastball to Dyson in the eighth inning then crumpled to the ground before clutching his right arm while tears filled his eyes. He wept while teammates tried to console him on the mound.
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Burdi was dealing with pain in his biceps and elbow, but it was too early for a diagnosis.
“It just takes the breath right out of you,” said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle.
Burdi had struck out 17 over 8 1/3 innings prior to Monday after making the Pirates out of spring training. Christian Walker touched him for a two-run home run in Arizona’s seven-run seventh inning and Burdi gave up three straight singles to start the eighth before his second pitch to Dyson altered the trajectory of Burdi’s season, if not his career.
“It’s awful,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re competitors up until something like that happens. We’re all in the same family. You hate to see anything like that happen. The way he went down, you’re just hoping for the absolute best.”
Burdi’s teammates stopped by to check on him in the aftermath. While the prognosis is uncertain, the Pirates are confident Burdi will find a way to navigate the difficult path ahead.
“He’s in good spirits,” Pittsburgh starter Joe Musgrove said. “He’s engaging. He’s talking to us. He’s not in a corner crying. He’s ready to face whatever it is. He’s got the work ethic and the mentality to bounce back from something like this.”
COMEBACK KIDS
The Diamondbacks put together their major league leading ninth comeback by exploding in the seventh and eighth after falling behind 4-1. A walk and a single chased Musgrove, and Arizona poured it on against reliever Kyle Crick (0-1) and Burdi.
Swinging bunts by John Ryan Murphy and newly acquired Blake Swihart — singles that didn’t even reach the pitcher’s mound — and a flare to left field over a draw-in infield by Eduardo Escobar drew the Diamondbacks within 4-3. David Peralta then drilled a shot to the gap in right-center off Crick, and Walker followed two batters later with a towering flyball off Burdi that landed in the first row of seats in the right field stands. In a span of minutes, a three-run deficit morphed into an 8-4 lead.
“I think it’s just a tribute to the guys we have,” said Walker, whose seven home runs have all come in the seventh inning or later. “Our pitches are out there battling and keeping us in games. We want to do everything we can to score runs and win and all that.”
Escobar added his third home run and finished with three RBI for Arizona. Murphy finished with three hits for the Diamondbacks, who improved to 5-2 on their current 10-game trip. Matt Andriese (3-1) picked up the win in relief.
POLANCO RETURNS
Pittsburgh right fielder Gregory Polanco doubled and singled in his first game back after undergoing left shoulder surgery last September. While Polanco acknowledged his throwing arm probably won’t be at 100 percent for a while, he looked comfortable in the field, too, though he declined to take any risks on a pair of sinking flyballs sent his way in the later innings with Pittsburgh already trailing.
ALL SHUCK UP
The portion of Pittsburgh’s second-smallest crowd (9,233) that stuck around for the ninth got a chance to watch outfielder JB Shuck make his second major league appearance on the mound. Shuck — who gave up a run in an inning of work for the Chicago White Sox in 2016 — allowed a walk and a hit but kept the Diamondbacks from adding to their huge lead.
“Unfortunately, you never want to be in that situation, but somebody, I guess has to do it,” said Shuck, who reached 91 mph. “I don’t mind doing it and hopefully helping out in some way.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 2B Kevin Newman will spend some time in the outfield at Triple-A Indianapolis working in the outfield as he recovers from a laceration in the middle finger of his right (throwing) hand. Hurdle said Newman will also get in some work at shortstop, though Newman could find himself as more of a utility player at the big-league level.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh’s Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.59 ERA) will look for his first victory since March 31 on Tuesday. Arizona starter Luke Weaver (1-1, 3.92) tossed five shutout innings in his last start, a win over Atlanta on April 18.
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Tucker homers in debut, Pirates top Giants 3-1 in 5 innings
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cole Tucker’s day began with him frantically packing up what he could in his Indianapolis apartment in the middle of the night, grabbing a 5 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh with fellow Pirates call-up Bryan Reynolds and trying not to be overwhelmed by the prospect of his major league debut.
It ended with a 431-foot homer into shrubs beyond the center field fence at PNC Park, an unlikely curtain call, a series of selfies in a downpour, 510 unread text messages (and counting) and a rain-shortened 3-1 Pirates victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday that left the 22-year-old both elated and exhausted.
Tucker admitted he didn’t sleep one bit after getting the call around 1 a.m. telling him he was headed to the big leagues after Pittsburgh lost starting shortstop Erik Gonzalez to a broken collarbone following a collision with center fielder Starling Marte on Friday night.
Funny, the rookie didn’t look a bit tired when he turned on a 91 mph sinker from Derek Holland (1-3) and deposited it between the “T” and the “E” in the “Pirates” bush for a two-run shot in the fifth that put Pittsburgh ahead to stay.
The team’s first-round pick in the 2014 draft kept it together until rounding second, when he saw his teammates celebrating in the dugout and the crowd on its feet. He made the “I Love You” sign to his family in the stands and — after some prodding — stepped back onto the field for a curtain call.
Not bad for a self-proclaimed “skinny, not home-run-hitter guy.”
“It was loud man, people were screaming,” Tucker said. “It was really, really cool. I might never do that again in my life. But to say that I did that and for my family to be here to see that and to introduce myself to this city and this club in that fashion is like, storybook.”
An arrival that gave the Pirates a welcome jolt after losing Gonzalez for at least two months and Marte for 10 days and possibly more after they smacked into each other at full speed while trying to track down a fly ball to center field. Marte is dealing with bruises to both his abdomen and right leg, while Gonzalez will have his left arm in a sling indefinitely.
For a day anyway, the NL Central-leading Pirates overcame their absences thanks in part to the kid with the shaggy hair and the palpable joy, the one who became the first Pittsburgh player to homer in his first big league game since Marte did it on July 26, 2012, against Houston.
“I didn’t show up thinking, oh, I’m stressed thinking Marte got hurt or Erik got hurt or what have you,'” Tucker said. “But it definitely felt like we needed a pick-me-up today, losing two of our boys. So it was sweet to go out and do that.”
Reynolds, acquired from the Giants in a January 2018 trade that sent Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco, laced a single off Holland in the fourth for first major league hit. Jung Ho Kang added his third home run and Jameson Taillon (1-2) allowed one run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts to win for the first time in five starts this season for the Pirates, who have won five straight.
Steven Duggar laced an RBI single off Taillon in the fifth to tie it, but Tucker’s shot off Holland in the bottom of the inning — one pitch after Tucker stepped out of the box because he was startled by a lightning bolt that flashed over the city skyline — was quickly followed by a delay of 3 hours, 8 minutes, before the game was called. The Giants have dropped four straight and five of six.
“If it wasn’t for bad luck, right now we wouldn’t have any,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s how things have been going.”
Holland struck out seven in five innings but Pittsburgh punished his mistakes. Kang crushed a 79 mph breaking ball and sent it well into the seats in left field leading off the fourth. Pablo Reyes started the bottom of the fifth with a walk, moved to second on Taillon’s sacrifice and trotted home on Tucker’s memorable swing.
Asked if he had a problem with Tucker coming out for a curtain call — one Tucker made while Holland was in the middle of striking out Kang — Holland shrugged.
“The kid is living in the moment,” Holland said. “It’s a major league debut and he hit a homer. Good for him. It’s not what I wanted. That’s for sure.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Held 2B Adam Frazier out of the lineup with back spasms. … RHP Jordan Lyles played catch and should be ready for his next start. Lyles took a line drive off his pitching hand against the Giants on Friday.
UP NEXT
The weekend series concludes Sunday when Chris Archer (1-0, 2.00 ERA) faces San Francisco’s Dereck Rodriguez (3-3, 3.63).
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Lyles, Marte, González injured in Pirates’ win over Giants
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pirates right-hander Jordan Lyles expects to make his next start after an injury scare Friday night.
It’s not so certain if center fielder Starling Marte and shortstop Erik González will be so lucky.
Lyles cruised through six innings before taking a line drive off his pitching hand, Marte and González were pulled after a collision in the field, and short-handed Pittsburgh beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1.
Lyles (2-0) continued his hot start, striking out six and allowing four hits in a scoreless outing that dropped his ERA to a major league-best 0.53. His hand was bruised by Joe Panik’s line drive, which González snagged for an inning-ending double play.
Lyles believes he was able to escape without serious damage.
“I got clipped on a couple fingers,” he said. “In between innings, it just started to swell up a little bit. I felt like we might’ve been better off with another guy out there. I just lost a little feeling, but we’re good to go. We did some tests and we’re good to go. I’ll be ready for my next start.”
In the eighth, Marte charged from center on a softly hit ball by Yangervis Solarte and slammed into González. González walked off, with trainers attending to his left shoulder, which took the brunt of the collision. Marte took longer to get to his feet and was driven off the field on a cart. The team did not provide an update on the status of either player.
Manger Clint Hurdle was not clear as to what caused the collision.
“The last thing I’m going to do is assess blame,” he said. “Sometimes, when you get in those situations, both guys could be calling for the ball simultaneously.”
The Pirates have eight players already on the injured list but haven’t exactly been hampered. They hold the best winning percentage in the NL with an 11-6 record.
Pittsburgh got all of its runs against Madison Bumgarner (1-3) in the first inning. Francisco Cervelli had a two-run double, and Pablo Reyes and JB Shuck added RBI singles.
Bumgarner allowed just two more hits over his final five innings. He struck out seven. He pointed to a two-out walk issued to Jung Ho Kang as the big issue in the first.
“I don’t want to give them a free baserunner out there,” he said. “That’s what we did, and he scored.”
Manager Bruce Bochy thought his team could have done more to pick up its ace. The only San Francisco run came when Buster Posey singled home Solarte in the eighth.
“He bounced back very well,” Bochy said. “He gave us five needed innings after that because we’ve used the ‘pen quite a bit. Hey, he gave us a chance. We’ve got to get these bats going. One run today, not scoring early again is making every game an uphill climb for us.”
The Giants’ next-best scoring opportunity was snuffed out in the second when Brandon Crawford tried to score on a flyball to right, but Melky Cabrera’s throw beat him easily.
Felipe Vázquez struck out the side in the ninth for his sixth save.
NEW LOOK
Cervelli’s two-out double ended an 0-for-24 skid. Cervelli grew a goatee to help change things up in the slump. It took an eight-pitch battle with Bumgarner before he finally broke through.
“I’ve got to keep it now,” he said with a smile.
TRAINER’S ROOM
?Pirates: INF Adam Frazier did not play due to back spasms. … OF Lonnie Chisenhall (broken finger) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, going 0 for 3. Hurdle said he’s expected to work in left field, right field, at first base and possibly at third base.
UP NEXT
Giants: LHP Derek Holland (1-2, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to start on Saturday. He’s averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings through four starts.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (0-2, 2.43) will make his fifth start of the season. He’s 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco.
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Pirates top Tigers in 10 innings again, 3-2
By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer
DETROIT (AP) — At this point, Clint Hurdle is probably used to managing for more than nine innings.
Colin Moran hit an RBI single in the top of the 10th, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Wednesday night. It was the second straight night Hurdle’s Pirates beat Detroit in 10 innings, and it was the sixth extra-inning game already this season for Pittsburgh. Hurdle has guided the Pirates to a 4-2 record in those.
“I’ve been fortunate to have some experience to draw upon, and coaching for some men that had some experience,” Hurdle said. “I’ve had some men that I’ve been able to work with and watch. Sometimes, more than anything, you need to act like you know what you’re doing.”
Spencer Turnbull allowed two hits in six innings for Detroit, but he was denied his first career win after reliever Joe Jiménez loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth. Daniel Stumpf relieved Jiménez and gave up a tying sacrifice fly to Josh Bell.
Pittsburgh star Starling Marte was beaned by Jiménez during that eighth inning, but he remained in the game and hit a single in the 10th.
The game was played in rainy conditions, and Tigers left fielder Christin Stewart slipped and fell while catching Bell’s flyball in the eighth. Stewart stayed in for his plate appearance in the bottom of the inning, then left with a right quad injury.
In the middle of the eighth, there was an announcement telling fans to leave the seating area because of severe weather in the area, but the teams played on. Eventually, fans were told they could return, and there were plenty of good seats available down near the field.
Adam Frazier led off the 10th with a double off Buck Farmer (1-1), and Marte and Moran followed with singles, giving the Pirates the lead. Nick Burdi (2-1) pitched a perfect ninth, and Felipe Vázquez finished for his fifth save in five chances.
“Obviously, it’s a welcome challenge when you’re playing close games every day,” Moran said. “That means you’re in every game, and you’ve got a chance to win.”
Turnbull allowed only an unearned run in the fourth in his seventh career start.
“I was pretty happy with myself, although I had one stretch in the middle that wasn’t good,” Turnbull said. “I was able to get it back, though. I was sailing a few pitches, but I made an adjustment and pretty much started hitting my spots again.”
Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams allowed two runs in six innings.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. With two outs, Detroit shortstop Ronny Rodríguez couldn’t handle Jung Ho Kang’s hard grounder, letting it past for an error. Bell came home from second on that play.
The Tigers pushed across two runs in their half of that inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Rodríguez lifted a fly to left. Jason Martin made the catch, but his throw home was a bit off line, and Miguel Cabrera was safe on a close play.
John Hicks followed with an RBI single to left that landed in front of Martin, who appeared to get a late break on the ball.
Pittsburgh has won nine of 12.
SCARY MOMENT
Jiménez, making his 100th career appearance, gave up a single and a walk before hitting Marte with a pitch that may have glanced off the Pittsburgh slugger’s shoulder but also appeared to hit him around the left ear flap on his helmet. He was slow getting up but stayed in.
“They’re always horrible,” Hurdle said. “We’ve obviously been through a few of them now, both with shots off the mound and shots at the plate.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Detroit has lost LHP Matt Moore for the season after he had knee surgery. Manager Ron Gardenhire updated Moore’s status before the game.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Pittsburgh has Thursday off before starting a home series with San Francisco. RHP Jordan Lyles (1-0) starts for the Pirates against LHP Madison Bumgarner (1-2) on Friday night.
Tigers: Detroit hosts a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Tyson Ross (1-2) takes the mound for the Tigers on Thursday against RHP Ivan Nova (0-2).
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Marte’s homer in 10th inning lifts Pirates over Tigers 5-3
By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Starling Marte dropped down a sacrifice bunt in the fifth inning of Pittsburgh’s game against Detroit. Not exactly the norm for the slugging outfielder — but a sign of how much he’s struggled early this season.
Later, with the score tied in the 10th, it was time to swing away.
Marte’s two-run homer lifted the Pirates to a 5-3 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night. It was only the second home run of the season for Marte, who is hitting .213.
“You saw him take the game in his own hands earlier and put down a bunt. There’s no bunt sign on. He wanted to bunt,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He put down the bunt the one time, and then had a couple punchouts. And then, what a sweet swing.”
Jung Ho Kang also went deep for Pittsburgh, which blew a 3-0 lead but recovered to win when Marte hit a two-out drive off Shane Greene (0-1). Detroit’s closer hadn’t allowed a run all season.
“Breaking ball,” Marte said. “Slider, I think. Gave me a pitch right in the middle. Didn’t try to do too much. Just tried to hit the ball up the middle.”
Keone Kela (1-0) gave up a tying single by Jeimer Candelario in the ninth, but Nick Kingham was able to close out the Tigers in the 10th for his first career save.
Pittsburgh starter Joe Musgrove permitted his first two earned runs of the season but was otherwise impressive. He yielded six hits and a walk while striking out six in seven innings.
Tigers starter Matthew Boyd struck out the side in the first but eventually allowed three runs in seven innings.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring on an RBI infield single by Pablo Reyes in the second. With runners on first and third and two outs, Reyes hit a weak grounder to first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who looked to throw to second for a force, only to realize he had no play there. That initial reaction also cost him any chance of a play at first.
The Tigers wasted an opportunity in the third when Gordon Beckham hit a leadoff double and Grayson Greiner followed with a single. Beckham was sent home on Greiner’s hit and was thrown out at the plate by Reyes from left field.
“When the ball is hit to the left side, you freeze for a second to make sure it gets through, because you don’t want to run into an out,” Beckham said. “We wanted to force the issue and he made a great throw.”
Kang’s two-run homer in the fourth made it 3-0. He’s just 6 for 42 on the season, but two of those hits are home runs.
The Tigers scored two runs in their half of the fourth. Cabrera came home on a passed ball, and Christin Stewart hit an RBI double.
Musgrove had allowed no earned runs in 15 1/3 innings entering the game.
Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vázquez, who pitched two innings at Washington on Sunday, was given the night off.
FAMILIAR FACE
Josh Harrison, who went from the Pirates to the Tigers in the offseason via free agency, went hitless against his former team.
“I’ve got guys over there that I played with, a lot of good friendships, but there’s no added motivation or anything,” Harrison said before the game. “As far as I’m concerned, they’re another opponent — trying to win a series.”
Detroit also added former Pittsburgh infielder Jordy Mercer, but he’s on the injured list right now after straining his quad.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Reinstated RHP Kyle Crick (right triceps) from the 10-day injured list and optioned INF Kevin Kramer to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Tigers: Nicholas Castellanos (toe) played for the first time since Wednesday, going 1 for 5 as the DH.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (1-0) starts Wednesday night in the finale of this two-game series. Williams threw six no-hit innings in a win at Detroit last April.
Tigers: Spencer Turnbull (0-2) takes the mound for Detroit.
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Martin hits RBI double in 9th, Pirates stop Nationals 4-3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with the based loaded, two outs and one of baseball’s hottest hitters at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, there was nowhere Felipe Vázquez wanted to be more than on the mound at Nationals Park.
The Pittsburgh Pirates relief ace then coaxed a flyball from Anthony Rendon to cap a two-inning outing Sunday and preserve a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.
“I like that excitement,” Vázquez said. “He’s a good hitter right now and he’s been hitting the ball everywhere. For me, that’s a challenge. I take every hitter like him as a challenge.”
Rookie Jason Martin’s ground-rule double in the ninth inning off Wander Suero (1-1) scored Josh Bell to provide the go-ahead run for the Pirates.
“I was trying to locate it a little differently,” Suero said of the curveball Martin hit. “I was trying to get it on the dirt for him to chase it. Unfortunately, I hung it just a little bit and he made contact.”
That set up Vázquez (1-0), who pitched a scoreless eighth, to finish out the victory. He loaded the bases on a single, a walk and Adam Eaton’s bunt single with one out, but struck out Howie Kendrick.
That brought up Rendon, who is hitting .400 with six homers in 55 at-bats. On the sixth pitch, Rendon lofted a fly to center to end the game and secure Pittsburgh’s first series victory at Nationals Park since 2013.
“I made my own jam, so I had to get out and I worked my way through,” Vázquez said.
Vázquez, who pitched parts of two seasons for Washington before he was dealt to Pittsburgh in 2016, blossomed into an All-Star last year. He has yet to allow a run in 8 2/3 innings this season.
“The guy is incredibly talented,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “When you see him at 100 on his 42nd pitch, and basically you saw the velocity trend up throughout the outing.”
“Just the focus, that competitive spirit, and you’re going against a guy with a 10-game streak of extra base hits and he got a hit earlier and the bases are loaded. It’s all good stuff, and he loves those situations,” he said.
Washington starter Max Scherzer allowed three runs and seven hits while working a season-high eight innings. He struck out seven. He gave way to Suero, who walked Bell to lead off the ninth and moved to second on Colin Moran’s grounder.
With two outs, Martin hit a ground-rule double to left for his second major league RBI.
“He got some big outs and then he just couldn’t finish that last pitch,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said.
The inning compounded Washington’s early-season relief woes. The Nationals entered the day with the worst bullpen ERA in the majors and it rose to 7.75.
Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.
Rendon extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games with a single in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco (left shoulder) had two hits and drove in two runs Saturday in his first rehabilitation appearance at Triple-A Indianapolis. … RHP Dovydas Neverauskas (oblique strain) had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning Saturday for Indianapolis. He’s thrown three scoreless innings during three rehab appearances at Indianapolis and Class A Bradenton.
Nationals: Martinez said 1B Matt Adams, who twisted his ankle Saturday while stepping on Pittsburgh RHP Chris Archer’s foot, was available to play Sunday.
ARCHER DROPS APPEAL
Archer dropped his appeal and began serving a five-game suspension for setting off a benches-clearing altercation on April 7. Archer threw a fastball behind Cincinnati’s Derek Dietrich, who had stood and watched a long home run in his previous at-bat. Archer, who pitched seven innings Saturday against Washington, will make his next start April 21 at home against San Francisco.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Pittsburgh has Monday off. It begins a two-game series at Detroit on Tuesday as RHP Joe Musgrove (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts against the Tigers for the first time.
Nationals: After an off day Monday, RHP Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 5.40) starts Tuesday as Washington begins a three-game series at home against San Francisco.
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