Cubs’ Rizzo sprains right ankle during 16-6 win over Pirates
By JOHN JACKSON Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo was pulled from a game Sunday with a sprained right ankle, putting a damper on the Chicago Cubs’ 16-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Rizzo was injured fielding a bunt at first base in the third inning. He had to be helped off the field and could not put pressure on the leg. X-rays taken at Wrigley Field showed no fractures, and an MRI has been scheduled for Monday.
Chicago’s postseason pursuit has already been hindered by an injury to shortstop Javier Báez, who is out for the rest of the regular season with a hairline fracture of his left thumb.
The Cubs maintained their one-game lead over Milwaukee for the second NL wild card. The Nationals are 1 1/2 games ahead of Chicago for the first wild card.
Kris Bryant homered twice, and Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber and Jonathan Lucroy also connected as Chicago battered Pittsburgh for a third straight day. The Cubs scored a total of 47 runs on 49 hits in completing the three-game sweep.
Chicago starter Jose Quintana was pulled after allowing five runs in the third inning, when he fell apart following Rizzo’s injury.
After Erik Gonzalez’s leadoff double, Pirates starter Trevor Williams bunted toward third base. Rizzo charged aggressively from first and rolled his ankle a few steps before fielding the ball. He threw wide to first base and dropped to the ground in pain.
Brad Wieck (1-1) later replaced Quintana with two on and struck out both batters he faced to end the inning. The Cubs rallied for five runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 8-5, starting with Bryant’s second homer of the game and ending when reliever Michael Feliz threw wildly on an appeal play at third base.
Williams (7-7) allowed seven runs in 2 1/3 innings. Pablo Reyes drove in three runs for the Pirates.
Bryant gave the Cubs an early lead with a three-run blast in the first.
Happ, who replaced Rizzo, hit a two-run shot in the fifth to make it 12-6. Jason Heyward drove in a run in the sixth and Schwarber hit a two-run shot in the seventh. Lucroy capped the scoring with a solo homer in the eighth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: 1B Josh Bell (groin strain) missed his second straight game. He is listed as day-to-day after exiting in the fifth inning on Friday. … OF Starling Marte (left wrist sprain) didn’t start for the seventh straight game.
Cubs: Closer Craig Kimbrel (right elbow inflammation) threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session before the game. He reported no issues, but the team will see how he feels Monday before deciding on the next step. … INF Addison Russell was placed on the seven-day concussion list Sunday retroactive to Thursday. He was hit in the head by a pitch last Sunday at Milwaukee.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (1-4, 8.29 ERA) faces LHP Marco Gonzales (15-11, 4.30) Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game home series against Seattle.
Cubs: LHP Cole Hamels (7-7, 3.89 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Reds. RHP Sonny Gray (10-7, 2.80) pitches for Cincinnati.
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Musgrove sharp, Stallings homers as Pirates top Giants 4-2
By GIDEON RUBIN Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Joe Musgrove pitched five shutout innings and hit a triple, Jacob Stallings homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.
The Pirates took three of four in the series, and have won 14 of their last 20 games in San Francisco dating to 2014.
Evan Longoria homered for the Giants, who’ve lost four of five. San Francisco has dropped nine of its last 11 home games and is 31-41 at Oracle Park this season.
Musgrove (10-12) struck out seven, gave up four hits and walked none.
Pirates closer Felipe Vázquez worked around a first-and-third, no-outs situation in the ninth for his 28th save in 31 attempts.
Joey Rickard drew a leadoff walk to start the ninth and Donovan Solano followed with a single, but Vázquez struck out Corban Joseph and Mike Yastrzemski, and then got Buster Posey to ground out.
José Osuna doubled in a run in the top of the first, and Cole Tucker tripled and scored on Kevin Kramer’s sacrifice fly to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
Musgrove tripled leading off the fifth and scored on Adam Frazier’s single to make it 3-0.
Longoria hit a two-run homer off reliever Yacksel Ríos — his 19th — in the Giants sixth.
Stallings hit his sixth homer and second of the series leading off the seventh against starter Jeff Samardzija (10-12).
TRIPLES ALLEY
Musgrove’s triple was the first by a Pirates pitcher since May 29, 2010, when Brian Burres did it.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: CF Starling Marte was out of the lineup for a fourth straight game with a left wrist sprain he suffered making sliding catch on Sunday against St. Louis.
Giants: Manager Bruce Bochy moved up RHP Johnny Cueto’s next scheduled start two days to Sunday, the finale of a three-game series against Miami. The two-time All-Star, who pitched five shutout innings in his first game back from Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, had been scheduled to make his next start on Sept. 17 in Boston. . LHP Will Smith (back inflammation) will play catch on Friday. Bochy said his All-Star closer could be back on the mound as soon as this weekend. . OF Alex Dickerson (right oblique injury) took 40 swings on Wednesday and planned to do the same on Thursday. He’ll hit against a machine on Friday and could pinch hit over the weekend, Bochy said. . OF Jaylin Davis left the game for a pinch runner after being struck by a pitch in from Ríos in the sixth.
UP NEXT
Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (4-4, 4.13 ERA) will face Cubs left-hander Jon Lester on Friday in Chicago. Brault is 0-1 with a 6.31 ERA in 13 career appearances (four starts) against the Cubs.
Giants: RHP Tyler Beede (4-9, 5-33) will pitch Friday’s series open against Miami. Beede ended a streak of nine winless starts in his most recent outing on Sept. 7, when he pitched five innings of four-hit ball in a 1-0 victory over the Dodgers.
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Pirates take fight to Giants, Vázquez closes out 27th save
By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Through a long, losing season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have learned to celebrate each other for even the small accomplishments and try to push forward from the times of turmoil — like this week’s embarrassing clubhouse fight between a pair of relief pitchers.
Felipe Vázquez earned his 27th save two days after punching Kyle Crick in the clubhouse as the Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Wednesday night. Pittsburgh got a welcome lift after Crick required season-ending finger surgery Tuesday following the scrap with Vázquez before Monday’s win, which prompted a team meeting.
Since an injury-plagued month of May for manager Clint Hurdle’s club, there have been so many other issues.
“There’s been some more miles on the tires since then,” Hurdle said before the game, when Pittsburgh went through extra defensive skill work.
Cole Tucker hit an RBI double for a key insurance run in the sixth, and Jose Osuna added a pair of doubles.
Tucker’s double marked the Pirates’ majors-best 50th pinch-hit RBI. Those are the kinds of things Hurdle appreciates right now.
A night earlier, the Pirates lost 5-4 after taking the series opener in comeback fashion Monday 6-4.
“My encouragement was there’s winning and there’s losing, and there’s winning and learning,” Hurdle said. “If you’re losing and not learning you’re wasting your time up here. You’ll get run out of this game. So there’s lessons to be learned and I think we’ve been able to have solid reviews when things haven’t gone our way.”
Jaylin Davis singled home a run, Corban Joseph had an RBI groundout and Mauricio Dubon drew a bases-loaded walk as the Giants got on the board in the fifth against starter Dario Agrazal before winner Michael Feliz (3-4) took over.
“Between walks, errors, we gave up some cheap runs and it came back to haunt us,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “Offensively we didn’t do much.”
Adam Frazier and Kevin Kramer hit RBI singles in the second for the Pirates, who are 13-6 over their last 19 in San Francisco. Giants righty Logan Webb (1-2), making his fifth major league start, threw a pair of wild pitches that inning and was done after 4 2/3.
Stephen Vogt started a second straight day at catcher for San Francisco after hitting a two-run homer and driving in four runs in Tuesday’s 5-4 win. Bochy had planned to start Buster Posey either Wednesday or Thursday, so he will be behind the plate Thursday afternoon.
Pittsburgh rookie Kevin Newman has a 17-game road hitting streak.
VOGEY’S VISIT
Former Giants and Pirates right-hander Ryan Vogelsong returned to the ballpark and wore his old Giants uniform to observe and work with San Francisco pitching coach Curt Young and the pitching staff.
“It’s good to see Ryan, isn’t it?” Bochy said, noting it’s more about “really just to have him around. He’s good for the players talking baseball. He’s got a great way about him. He provided leadership when he was here.”
Vogelsong played 12 major league seasons between the Giants and Pirates from 2000-2016, going 61-75 with a 4.48 ERA in 179 starts and 289 total appearances covering 1,190 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (9-12, 4.67 ERA) threw on flat ground and the Pirates determined he would be fine to start Thursday against the Giants after he was scratched last Friday because of pain in his right foot. He hasn’t pitched since Aug. 31 at Colorado. … CF Starling Marte was out of the lineup for a third straight game nursing a tender left wrist. He is limited to pinch running. … RHP Nick Burdi underwent forearm surgery Wednesday in Dallas performed by Dr. Keith Meister. Burdi is expected to be fully healthy by the start of spring training.
Giants: RHP Reyes Moronta’s shoulder surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday went better than expected. Doctors repaired his labrum but the capsule didn’t need a fix. … RHP Johnny Cueto played catch a day after pitching five scoreless innings in his first start since July 28 last year and returning from Tommy John surgery. His next outing is scheduled for Tuesday at Boston. … 3B Evan Longoria had the night off.
UP NEXT
Musgrove (9-12, 4.67 ERA) will pitch opposite RHP Jeff Samardzija (10-11, 3.64), who owns a 6-4 career record vs. Pittsburgh over 26 outings and 15 starts.
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Cueto dazzles in season debut, Giants beat Pirates 5-4
By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cap on backward, Johnny Cueto punctuated his pitches with confident head shakes and fist pumps.
“Dia De Cueto,” read the sign held by one of his sons.
The Day of Cueto, indeed.
Cueto dazzled over five shutout innings in his long-awaited season debut for San Francisco, showing he can reach top form again 13 months after Tommy John surgery while leading the Giants over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 on Tuesday night.
“Like it was opening day,” he said.
The charismatic right-hander, far fitter and stronger than before he got hurt, allowed one hit, struck out four and walked one. He had been scheduled to throw about 70 pitches and wound up at 69.
Stephen Vogt hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs. His two-run single in the first off rookie Mitch Keller (1-4) staked Cueto to a quick lead and Brandon Crawford added an RBI single as four of the first five batters got hits.
“That was a special night for Johnny, just so much hard work and coming back from so much,” said Vogt, who caught Cueto’s comeback outing. “Getting to be a small part of that with him was pretty special for me. It’s been a long road for him to come back. He was just so happy today — before the game, during the game, after the game you could just tell he was having fun.”
Cueto went 1-2-3 in the first on 11 pitches with a strikeout and two groundouts before turning his cap around just for fun and pumping his fists.
He punched his hand into his glove in celebration, chomping his gum all the while.
“That’s my game, every time I pitch just try to have fun,” he said.
Cueto, who pitched his first 7 1/2 seasons with Cincinnati, is 21-4 with a 2.13 ERA over 31 career regular-season starts against the Pirates. He has won nine straight decisions, not including playoffs, facing Pittsburgh since his last loss on May 30, 2012.
Cueto drew cheers from the small number of fans in the ballpark when he took the field to warm up some 30 minutes before first pitch, then received a rousing ovation during pregame introductions.
The 33-year-old Cueto pitched in the big leagues for the first time since July 28 last year. He came back in better shape than before thanks in large part to a healthier diet that included fish and salads.
Cueto won 18 games for San Francisco in 2016 and started the All-Star game that year while dealing with the discomfort he referred to as stabbing pain in the pitching elbow for three years . He’s in the fourth season of a $130 million, six-year contract he signed before the 2016 season.
“It’s easy when you’re in a situation like Johnny’s, you can be comfortable. You’re set for life but he wants to get back and compete, and compete at the highest level. He’s taken such great care of himself and worked hard to get to this point,” manager Bruce Bochy said before the game.
Shaun Anderson earned his first save as the Giants won at home for only the sixth time in their last 18 games. Keller had left his start last Tuesday against the Marlins after taking a line drive off the wrist on his pitching hand in the second inning.
UMPIRE INJURED
Plate umpire Paul Emmel was replaced in the top of the sixth by second base umpire Mike Estabrook. Emmel took a pitch from Keller off his right hand.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Kyle Crick required season-ending surgery on the index finger of his pitching hand resulting from an injury sustained in a clubhouse altercation with fellow reliever Felipe Vázquez before Monday’s game, and the Pirates held a team meeting Tuesday. “One of those clubhouse altercations. A lot of bickering back and forth. Punches were thrown,” Crick said. “You kind of have to at some point stand up for yourself and start throwing back. It’s one of those deals where it’s unfortunate. It’s two losers in this deal. Nobody can win fighting a teammate. It’s just an unfortunate deal.” Both players were fined an undisclosed amount. Crick underwent a procedure Tuesday to repair the extensor tendon, performed by Dr. Scott Hanson in San Francisco. The club expects him to be ready for games come spring training. “The behavior exhibited by these two players last night is unacceptable, inconsistent with the standards expected of a major league player and will not be tolerated by the organization,” general manager Neal Huntington said. No other details of what happened were provided. … CF Starling Marte was out of the lineup for a second straight game nursing a tender left wrist that he sprained catching a flyball Sunday against St. Louis. Manager Clint Hurdle said he could be available to pinch-run but of batting said, “We’re going to work on the hitting part of it.”
Giants: Closer Will Smith is dealing with back inflammation and it’s unclear when he will pitch again. “We’re trying to get him back to where he’s comfortable throwing off the mound. He’s not quite there yet,” Bochy said. … OF Alex Dickerson missed his seventh straight game with a right oblique injury but the hope is he will return this weekend against Miami. He was scheduled to do more hitting off a tee. “If he can take a swing without making a grimace I’ll put him in there,” Bochy said. … LHP Williams Jerez designated for assignment as the Giants cleared 40-man roster room for Cueto’s return.
UP NEXT
RHP Dario Agrazal (4-4, 4.94 ERA) faces the Giants for the first time pitching opposite RHP Logan Webb (1-1, 6.50), making his fifth major league start.
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Reynolds delivers vs former team, Pirates rally past SF 6-4
By GIDEON RUBIN Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bryan Reynolds finally made it to San Francisco, and he delivered.
Reynolds hit a go-ahead single against his former team during a four-run rally in the ninth inning that sent the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-4 win over the Giants on Monday night.
Down 4-2, the Pirates used three pinch-hitters and came back against three Giants relievers in the ninth.
Kevin Newman hit a tying, two-run single with one out and Reynolds, a fellow rookie, followed with an RBI single off Jandel Gustave.
Reynolds also had a double and is batting .328. The Giants drafted him in the second round in 2016 before trading him to Pittsburgh after the 2018 season in a deal for Andrew McCutchen.
“It’s pretty funny how that all worked out,” Reynolds said. “It was fun to get out there and play. It’s cold, but I have my sleeves.”
José Osuna added a sacrifice fly in the ninth for insurance.
“Our team’s been fun to watch and hard to watch sometimes because we can break your heart and we can make you jump up and down,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “This isn’t the first time we’ve done this.”
Fernando Abad (0-2) gave up two hits and a walk while getting only one out.
The Giants were without All-Star closer Will Smith, shut down after experiencing some tightness throwing earlier in the day, manager Bruce Bochy said.
The Giants were 55-0 when leading after eight innings going into Monday.
“We took advantage of the men they put at the mound,” Hurdle said. “From a professional standpoint, we handled our at bats, we made contact, we drove in runs and we won the game.”
Richard Rodríguez (4-5) pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Felipe Vázquez worked the ninth for his 26th save in 29 chances.
Brandon Belt had three hits, including a two-run double for San Francisco. The Giants lost at home for the seventh time in eight games and fell to nine games below .500 at Oracle Park.
The announced attendance of 26,826 was the smallest at Oracle Park since April 12, 2010.
Belt’s’ two-out, two-run double in the fifth broke a 1-1 tie.
Giants starter Madison Bumgarner gave up two runs on six hits and two walks in seven innings.
“Too bad we couldn’t hold on to give him a win,” Bochy said. “You look at his body of work; he’s been a savior. You have to those guys in charge. Guys who give you innings like that are invaluable — not just innings but quality innings.”
Jacob Stallings homered for the Pirates.
The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the first when Evan Longoria singled in Mike Yastrzemski.
BUSTER’S BUNT
Giants catcher Buster Posey recorded his first career sacrifice bunt when he advanced Yastrzemski in the bottom of the first after 4,539 career at-bats.
SHORT HOPS
Reynolds’ 35th double tied Hall of Famer Paul “Big Poison” Waner (1926) for the Pirates’ rookie record. . Giants center fielder Kevin Pillar took extra bases away from Osuna with a leaping catch against the wall with one out in the fourth. … Newman hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, batting .429 (24-for-56) three homers and 13 RBI over that stretch.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Starling Marte was out of the lineup with a left wrist sprain he suffered making a diving catch in Sunday’s game against St. Louis. Manager Clint Hurdle said his status is day-to-day.
Giants: RHP Reyes Moronta will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair his injured labrum and capsule, manager Bruce Bochy said. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. . LHP Tony Watson underwent an MRI on Monday that showed a hairline fracture on his left wrist. Watson suffered the injury making a diving tag play in St. Louis on Sept. 5. He’ll be reevaluated after wearing a splint for 10 days, Bochy said.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (1-3, 8.18) left his last start on Sept. 4 in the second inning with a right wrist contusion after being struck by a line drive.
Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (season debut) will make his first start since undergoing Tommy John reconstructive surgery. The two-time All-Star hasn’t pitched in a major league game since July 28, 2018.
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Flaherty dazzles again, Cardinals drop Pirates 2-0
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jack Flaherty always had the tools. Figuring out how to put them together has been the challenge for the 23-year-old pitcher since the former first-round pick arrived in St. Louis two years ago.
While Flaherty is sketchy on specifics about what what exactly he changed heading into the All-Star break, one thing is for certain: the roadblocks — mental, physical and otherwise — are all gone. Flaherty is rolling, and so are the Cardinals.
Flaherty overwhelmed the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2-0 victory on Sunday, striking out 10 against five hits and a walk over eight electric innings to keep up a dazzling run that has turned him into the de facto ace for the NL Central leaders. Flaherty (10-7) won for the sixth time in eight starts while dropping his post All-Star break ERA to 0.76 as St. Louis pushed its lead in the division to 4 1/2 games over second-place Chicago with three weeks to go in the regular season.
“He’s in control of the conviction of what he’s doing,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “Just a lot of big league pitches consistently. Fastball where he wants it to with good life on it, and a really good slider as well. That’s what pitching looks like. Phenomenal job.”
Flaherty’s surge began with seven innings of two-hit ball against San Francisco on July 7. The Cardinals lost 1-0 that day, but the switch flipped. Flaherty has been lights out while fueling St. Louis’ sprint to first and has allowed just three earned runs 56 innings across eight starts since Aug. 1.
“(I’ve made) small adjustments, not really to my mechanics, but mentally to how I was going about things,” Flaherty said. “So little things here and there. Just tried to kind of carry it from one start to the next.”
Carlos Martinez worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save to finish off a season series dominated by the Cardinals. St. Louis won 14 of its 19 meetings with Pittsburgh, including 10 of 12 in the second half, one of the main reasons the Cardinals are heading to October while the Pirates are planning for next season.
“Guys are healthy,” Flaherty said. “We’re playing together. Playing as a team. Not letting any moment get too big.”
Paul Goldschmidt had an RBI double , and Harrison Bader added a run-scoring single off Pittsburgh rookie James Marvel (0-1). Matt Carpenter went 2 for 3 while starting at third base and is hitting .400 (6 for 15) in September as the veteran tries to shake out of a season-long slump.
“Like everybody else, he understands it’s about the team,” Shildt said of Carpenter. “He’s got his head in the right spot to help us win baseball games.”
Flaherty’s effectiveness ended Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle and second baseman Adam Frazier’s respective days a little bit early. Both were ejected by home-plate umpire Roberto Ortiz in the seventh for arguing balls and strikes after Ortiz ruled a pair of borderline pitches in favor of Flaherty.
“He’s taken it to another level,” Hurdle said of Flaherty. ” He was as advertised from what we watched coming in here. It’s been going on for two months.”
MARVEL-OUS DEBUT
Marvel, the 1,087th player chosen in the 2015 draft, was solid in his first major-league start after piling up 16 victories across Double-A and Triple-A this season. With more than 40 people in the stands who roared every time he stepped out of the dugout onto the field at PNC Park, Marvel gave up two runs and four hits in five-plus innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
“I can’t really hear things when I’m pitching,” Marvel said. “I tend to zone out and focus on what I’m doing and the glove. But I’d be lying if I said that today there weren’t a few instances where I heard them.”
There was plenty to cheer about. Marvel, who won 16 games combined during stops at Double-A and Triple-A this summer, didn’t allow a hit until Marcell Ozuna’s two-out single in the fourth. Bader’s flare to center in the fifth scored Carpenter to put the Cardinals in front and Goldschmidt hit an opposite-field double following a lead-off walk to Kolten Wong in the sixth. Otherwise, Marvel was efficient and rarely rattled.
“A very good first impression,” Hurdle said.
Marvel will get a chance at a second, third and fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: C Matt Wieters was unavailable on Sunday. Manager Mike Shildt declined to provide specifics. Wieters is expected to be available on Tuesday in Colorado.
Pirates: CF Starling Marte sprained his left wrist while making a catch in the ninth inning. The team pinch-hit for Marte in the ninth. … OF Jason Martin was moved to the 60-day injured list with a dislocated left shoulder. … RHP Yefry Ramirez (right calf strain) was activated off the 10-day IL.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Start a three-game set in Colorado on Tuesday with Michael Wacha (6-6, 4.98 ERA) on the hill.
Pirates: Begin a seven-game road trip on Monday in San Francisco. Trevor Williams (7-6, 5.16 ERA) starts against Madison Bumgarner (9-8, 3.81).
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Ozuna leads Wainwright, Cardinals over Pirates 10-1
By WES CROSBY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Marcell Ozuna knew he found something in the first inning. He battled for eight pitches before getting ahold of a fastball, only to see it fly right to Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds.
The next time up, Ozuna put it all together. He hit a three-run homer to break out of his slump, and Adam Wainwright pitched seven strong innings, to help the St. Louis Cardinals extend their lead atop the NL Central with a 10-1 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
“I was ready to swing,” Ozuna said. “I was ready to battle. (We had runners on) first and second. (Paul Goldschmidt) had flied out. Let me go after one. A couple games, I don’t drive in any runs. That one swing in the first at-bat, I said, ‘I think I got it.'”
The Cardinals are 3 ½ games ahead of the Cubs for first in the Central with Chicago’s 3-2 loss to Milwaukee.
After Dexter Fowler opened the scoring with an RBI single earlier in the third inning, Ozuna connected against Steven Brault (4-4) for his 26th home run of the season and a 4-0 lead. The cleanup hitter also walked twice after having two hits in his previous 35 at-bats.
Wainwright (11-9) helped himself, and the Cardinals wearing their baby blue uniforms, with a double and single while lasting seven innings for the second straight start. He gave up one run and six hits.
“Today was about bucking the trend and personal challenges,” Wainwright said. “They say the Cardinals don’t win in the baby blues. They say Waino doesn’t pitch well in Pittsburgh. So perfect. Those were the two thoughts I went into the game with trying to prove that wrong.”
Starling Marte drove in the Pirates’ run with a single in the third. He had three RBIs and four hits, including a first-inning triple Saturday, in seven at-bats in two games since missing the previous two with a leg injury.
Tommy Edman and Harrison Bader chased Brault with a pair of RBI singles that extended the lead to 6-1 in the sixth. Brault allowed six runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings with two walks, a balk, a wild pitch and a hit batter.
“Below average command today was his biggest problem,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He had eight three-ball counts on the day. … Not a lot of swing and miss. He’s had more in the past with two walks and two strikeouts. He went out there fighting. He just wasn’t sharp.”
Brault hadn’t given up more than four runs in 15 appearances — 13 starts — since May 12, when St. Louis also tagged him for six in 3 2/3 innings before losing 10-6.
“The way I was taught is that if you have 30 starts a year, you’re going to have four starts where you feel incredible, four starts where you feel terrible, and then 22 starts where you’ll be somewhere in the middle,” Brault said. “Tonight was somewhere in the middle, but near the bad side. Three-run home runs are day-killers, so keep the ball out of the stands and it’ll be a different ballgame.”
Paul DeJong tacked on two more runs with a double off Clay Holmes, making it 8-1 in the seventh. Bader hit an RBI double in the ninth before Andrew Knizner scored on a groundball to cap it.
“We show up ready to go every night,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “Get better as the series goes. … Guys just had tough at-bats, and just added on.”
KEEP IT GOING
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single to center in the ninth inning. His career best string is 16 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller is expected to rejoin the starting rotation Tuesday after sustaining a right wrist contusion Sept. 3. He was originally in line to start Sunday.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (9-7, 3.14) is coming off his best outing of the season. He allowed one hit with eight strikeouts in eight innings of a 1-0 win against San Francisco on Sept. 3.
Pirates: RHP James Marvel (0-0) will make his major league debut Sunday. He was 7-0 with a 2.67 ERA in 11 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis this season.
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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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Rojas, Cooper late homers help Marlins end record road skid
By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jose Urena was the Miami Marlins’ opening day starter. He is now finishing the season as the closer.
Miguel Rojas hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning and Garrett Cooper connected in the 10th as the Marlins rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night, ending their franchise-record 15-game road losing streak.
Urena then pitched a perfect 10th for his first save of the season and second of his career. He had been on the injured list since June 8 with a strained lower back until being activated Sunday and Miami has decided to look at him as a late-inning reliever.
“You could tell he’s got that energy,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s aggressive with his stuff. His stuff is always good. This kind of closing the game down at the end, it fits his personality. So, it’s going to be fun to watch. Hopefully, we can put him in position to get a few more and see how it goes.”
The National League-worst Marlins seemed in position to lose away from home yet again, down to their final out when Rojas homered to center field off Felipe Vazquez, who had just his third blown save in 27 opportunities.
“An amazing feeling, man,” Rojas said. “I just feel like any time you have the opportunity to change the game in that form, it’s really amazing to give guys the opportunity to win.”
Cooper’s home run, a 444-foot shot to left-center, came with one out off Parker Markel (0-1).
“Hitter’s count, 1-0, he threw a slider that didn’t do much and I put a good swing on it,” Cooper said. “I think we come in every day with a new mindset. We’re not worried about the day before or the week before. We have a lot of good veterans in the clubhouse that keep it real with us. Try to win the day.”
Adam Conley (2-7) got the last out of the ninth when Pablo Reyes was thrown out at home while trying to score from second base on Adam Frazier’s infield single.
Pittsburgh had gone in front in the eighth as Jason Martin scored on Jarlin Garcia’s wild pitch with two outs and the bases loaded. Martin injured his left arm when Garcia fell on top of him in a play at the plate. The Pirates had no update on the rookie outfielder following the game.
Frazier led off the first inning with a home run, drove in three runs and had three of the Pirates’ four hits. Pittsburgh lost for just the third time in 11 games.
Miami All-Star Sandy Alcantara remained winless since June 21, a span of 12 starts, as he allowed four runs and three hits in seven-plus innings with seven strikeouts and four walks.
Pirates rookie right-hander Mitch Keller left the game in the second inning when he sustained a bruised right wrist when struck by Cooper’s line comebacker.
Considered the organization’s top prospect coming into the season, Keller retired all five batters he faced in his eighth major league start.
Keller was struck flush on the outer part of the wrist. The Pirates said initial imaging revealed only a bruise.
“It still hurts but right away the worst comes to mind. That it’s just a contusion and not broken is a relief,” said Keller, who had his hand in a brace after the game. “Everything was working really good and I felt it was going to be one of those games that was going to be really good for me and the team. So, getting hurt is really frustrating.”
Frazier’s two-run single to right field in the bottom of the fifth tied the game at 3-3. The Marlins had pulled ahead in the top of the inning on Cooper’s RBI double to deep center field.
After Frazier staked the Pirates to a quick lead, the Marlins moved ahead 2-1 in the third inning as a throwing error by third baseman Colin Moran on Cooper’s two-out grounder allowed two runs to score.
INSTANT OFFENSE
Frazier’s leadoff blast marked the fourth time in five games the Pirates started a game with a home run. The second baseman had one and SS Kevin Newman hit two during a four-game sweep last weekend at Colorado.
OH BROTHER
LHP Brian Moran was called up by the Marlins from Triple-A New Orleans along with C Tyler Heineman and OF Magneuris Sierra. Moran is the older brother of Colin Moran and reached the major leagues for the first time after spending 10 years in the minors.
The Morans are nephews of longtime major leaguer B.J. Surhoff.
The Marlins designated C Wilkin Castillo for assignment and transferred 3B/OF Brian Anderson (fractured right hand) to the 60-day injured list from the 10-day IL to open spots on the 40-man roster.
NEW OLD PIRATE
LHP Wei-Chung Wang was added to the Pirates’ active roster three days after being claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. The Pirates signed Wang from Taiwan as an amateur international free agent in 2011 then lost him two years later to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Rule 5 Draft
Martin was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis as were RHP Yacksel Rios, C Steven Barron and INF Cole Tucker.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Robert Dugger (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is scheduled to make his third major league start on Wednesday night in the middle game of the three-game series.
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (7-6, 5.26) has won back-to-back starts, allowing three runs in 13 innings.