Got you, bro: Brian Moran K’s brother Colin in MLB debut
By WES CROSBY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brian Moran waited 10 years to make his major league debut. As he began pitching to his younger brother Colin, he realized he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Brian struck out Colin, becoming the first player in big league history to make his debut while facing his brother on the mound, in the Marlins’ 10-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
“It’s incredible,” Brian said. “I think the last three days have been some of the most exciting, moving days that I’ve experienced. I don’t think you could dream up a cooler situation. I’m so excited I got to share it with my family. I got to get out on a big league mound.”
Brian (1-0) entered in the fourth inning with the Marlins trailing 5-2. After Bryan Reynolds led off with a groundout, Colin stepped to the plate having doubled in each of his first two at-bats.
The 30-year-old Brian fell behind 3-1 before throwing back-to-back sliders, the second one at 71.7 mph, to strike out Colin looking. The 26-year-old Colin shouted toward the mound on his way back to the dugout.
“He’s been my inspiration my whole life,” Colin said. “He’s never given up. That’s kind of been the theme of his career. I would’ve given up, probably. A lesser man would have given up with the road he’s had to go through.”
Moran hit Josh Bell with a pitch and then got Melky Cabrera to fly out in his only inning of work.
The Marlins rallied for four runs in the fifth, allowing Brian to get the win. Colin finished 2 for 4.
“I felt bad for the dad. And happy,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s a special moment. It really is a very special moment. The parents have to be so proud, so pleased.”
They became the first siblings to face each other in a pitcher-batter scenario with one of the brothers making his major league debut, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“It’s just fun to see that,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Knowing what these guys have probably been through as brothers growing up. It’s kind of fun for, I’m sure, that family, but it was really the right spot in the game. It worked out where it was a left-handed section for us in the right part of the game.”
The older Moran was 2-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 43 appearances for Triple-A New Orleans this season. He made his professional debut in Seattle’s farm system with rookie-level Pulaski in 2009.
“There’s a certain element of it being meant to be,” said Brian, who blew a kiss to his wife, Jackie, as he came off the field. “It’s been everything and more. It’s worth the wait, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
In the fifth, Miami went ahead 6-5 and chased Dario Agrazal (4-4), who surrendered six runs, five earned, in 4 1/3 innings.
Isan Díaz tied it with a two-run single before two errors allowed Jorge Alfaro to score. A groundball from Harold Ramirez got through Pittsburgh’s Moran at third base and catcher Elias Díaz dropped a throw from Kevin Newman while attempting to tag Alfaro.
Reynolds homered twice, once in a five-run first inning and again in the ninth, giving the rookie 16 this season. Josh Bell hit his 36th homer in the ninth.
Facing Moran in the fourth, Reynolds quickly cleared the way for the brother-vs.-brother matchup, swinging at a first-pitch slider that jammed him.
“I was just trying to get out of there early,” Reynolds said. “I was just being courteous.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Starling Marte did not play for a second straight game. Hurdle did not clarify if sitting Marte was injury-related. … RHP Alex McRae was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. … RHP Mitch Keller was expected to throw a bullpen session Thursday after sustaining a right wrist contusion Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Pablo López (5-7, 4.89 ERA) will look to avoid a third straight loss when he takes the mound against Kansas City on Friday. He has allowed a combined 10 runs in eight innings through his past two starts.
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (9-12, 4.67) will try to win consecutive starts for the first time in more than two months when he faces St. Louis on Friday. He last won back-to-back starts on June 21 against San Diego and June 27 against Houston.
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Diaz, Reynolds rally Pirates past Marlins 6-5 in 9th
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds has a chance to make history, though he isn’t making a big deal about it.
Reynolds’ two-run bloop single capped a three-run ninth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
A 2-for-5 night boosted the outfielder’s average to .332 as he tries to become the first rookie to win a National League batting title. Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon’s .338 mark tops the league
“I try not to think about it because there is still a lot of baseball left,” Reynolds said before smiling and adding, “but it’s hard not to think about it when it comes up in every interview.”
Elias Diaz started the winning rally with a leadoff homer against Jose Urena (4-8) that drew the Pirates within a run. It was just the backup catcher’s second home run of the season.
“That really provided a lift,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said.
Pinch-hitter Kevin Kramer walked and went to third on Adam Frazier’s double before Reynolds flared a single into left-center to give the Pirates their fifth win in six games.
It was the first game-ending hit of Reynolds’ nascent career.
“I like to hit in those situations with the game on the line and I’ve had a couple of other chances this year when I didn’t come through, so it feels good to finally do it,” said Reynolds, who could not recall his last walk-off hit.
Frazier and Reynolds both had two hits at the top of the order. Making just his 10th start in center field with Starling Marte getting the night off, Reynolds also turned in a pair of outstanding diving catches.
Garrett Cooper’s two-run homer off Kyle Crick with two outs in the seventh put the Marlins ahead 5-3.
Miami’s Starlin Castro had four hits, all for extra bases, as he homered and doubled three times. Cooper also had a double among his three hits.
“Coop and Star put on a show all day,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Kind of a dynamic duo all day long. It’s just unfortunate in a game like that, it ends quickly.”
Wei-Chung Wang (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth.
Marlins rookie Robert Dugger was in line for his first major league win after allowing three runs — two earned — over six innings in his third career start.
Pirates starter Trevor Williams basically matched Dugger’s line as he gave up three runs — two earned — and seven hits in six innings, though he had six strikeouts and one walk.
“We were able to hang in there and keep things close and give Bryan Reynolds the opportunity to do Bryan Reynolds things,” said Williams, who referred to the 24-year-old as “an emerging superstar.”
Castro’s two-run homer in the fifth put Miami ahead 3-1. Pittsburgh tied it on Frazier’s run-scoring triple in the fifth and pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes’ RBI double in the sixth.
Josh Bell drove in the Pirates’ first run with a first-inning single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Rookie OF Jason Martin will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his left shoulder Tuesday night when Marlins RHP Jarlin Garcia fell on him during a play at the plate. Martin, though, will not require surgery. … RHP Mitch Keller (bruised right wrist) played catch a day after being struck by a line drive. … RF Gregory Polanco (left shoulder inflammation) will undergo a series of platelet-rich plasma injections. He won’t play again this season. … SS Kevin Newman missed his third straight start with a right hip injury but flied out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth.
ROSTER MOVES
The Pirates recalled Kramer, a utility player, from Triple-A Indianapolis and placed RHP Keone Kela on the paternity list. Kela is expected to miss three games.
THE FIRST TIME
Marlins C Tyler Heineman made his major league debut in the eighth and struck out as a pinch-hitter. His brother Scott, an outfielder with the Texas Rangers, played in his first career game Monday.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Elieser Hernandez (3-5, 5.06 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Thursday night’s series finale. He is 2-1 with a 4.18 ERA in his last five starts.
Pirates: RHP Dario Agrazal (4-5, 4.50) has won his last two starts despite giving up seven runs in 10 innings.
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