Vázquez gets revenge on Gallo, Pirates nip Rangers 5-4
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Felipe Vázquez doesn’t let his failures linger. That wouldn’t help the Pittsburgh Pirates closer be any good at his job. Still, he wanted another shot at Texas slugger Joey Gallo. Getting touched for a 467-foot home run will do that.
So when setup man Kyle Crick hit a batter with two outs in the eighth on Tuesday night and the Pirates nursing a one-run lead, Vázquez knew if everything went right, he’d see Gallo as the last man up.
The outcome this time was different. Far different. Three pitches. Three strikes. The last two both clocked at 101 mph, followed by a fist pump, a smile and the obligatory jab to catcher Francisco Cervelli’s chest in celebration after the Pirates escaped with a 5-4 win.
“My turn,” Vázquez said after picking up his 10th save. “He got me once. He’s not going to get me twice. I knew as soon as Crick hit that guy, I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I wanted him to be up for sure. I wanted to get a little revenge in here.”
Gallo’s moon shot in the 11th last Tuesday didn’t spoil Pittsburgh’s 6-4 win, and the hard-throwing All-Star tried to play it off in the aftermath, tweeting he thought it might go “500 feet.”
“You’ve got to have fun,” Vázquez said. “You cannot get frustrated. At least me. I’m a closer. I can’t get frustrated. I cannot carry all that to my next start.”
Vázquez’s emphatic strikeout ended the only perfect inning for Pittsburgh’s bullpen. The Pirates relied on spot starter Steven Brault and six relievers to win for the fifth time in six games. Brault lasted four innings while filling in for injured Chris Archer. Michael Feliz (1-0) pitched a scoreless fifth and the Pirates survived to improve to 16-5 in their last 21 interleague games.
“It’s a night we were tough enough,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “We had enough pitches.”
POLANCO PRODUCES
Pittsburgh right fielder Gregory Polanco sent a two-run shot to the first row of seats in right-center off Adrian Sampson (0-2) in the fifth, his first since dislocating his left shoulder in an awkward slide last September.
Polanco underwent surgery shortly after mangling his shoulder on Sept. 4. He returned a bit earlier than expected and is still working to rediscover the power that led him to hit a career-high 23 home runs in 2018. He entered Tuesday hitting .250 with one RBI in 10 games and spent the pregame focusing on using his lower body more to compensate for a left shoulder he admitted is still “weak.”
Polanco singled in his first at-bat — before getting caught stealing at second, though his slide was just fine — and lined out to right in the third. In the fifth, he turned on a pitch from Sampson to put Pittsburgh ahead 5-2.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be like right away because obviously this is not 100 percent,” Polanco said while touching his shoulder. “This is still weak. But, you know, it’s getting there. It’s getting there.”
HOT HUNTER
Hunter Pence drove in all four runs for Texas, doubling twice and adding his fourth home run. The rest of the Rangers went 2 for 27. Texas stranded eight runners and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Manager Chris Woodward could start giving Pence more opportunities going forward. The 36-year-old is now hitting .333 with 17 RBIs while serving as part of an outfield rotation.
“We definitely need to find a way to get him in there more often,” Woodward said. “He deserves playing time. He really does. Obviously, I think everybody is taking notice.”
LECLERC BOUNCES BACK
The Rangers took José Leclerc out of the closer’s role last week after he blew a save against the Pirates. He threw a shutout inning of relief in Toronto over the weekend and allowed just one baserunner in two innings of work on Tuesday.
“To see José get two scoreless, it’s really cool to see him having success,” Woodward said. “I feel pretty confident that not too long from now, he’s going to be back in his role that he had.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Archer (right thumb inflammation) did some flat-ground work on Tuesday but remains out indefinitely. … RHP Keone Kela sat out his second straight game with right shoulder soreness.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Shelby Miller (1-2, 7.99 ERA) has allowed four runs in each of his last five starts heading into Wednesday’s series finale. He took the loss against Pittsburgh last week, surrendering four runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Pirates: Nick Kingham (1-0, 6.39) makes his first start of the season, filling in for Archer. Kingham went 5-7 with a 5.32 ERA in 15 starts as a rookie in 2018.
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Marte hits 3-run homer in 13th, Pirates rally past A’s 5-3
By CHRIS MUELLER Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Starling Marte hit a game-ending three-run homer in the 13th inning, rallying the Pittsburgh Pirates past Oakland 5-3 on Sunday after the Athletics scored twice in the top of the inning.
Cole Tucker started Pittsburgh’s comeback with a one-out single off Fernando Rodney (0-2). Jung Ho Kang walked and Adam Frazier drove in Tucker with a single before Marte drilled a ball out to center.
Tyler Lyons (1-0) got the win despite struggling in his Pirates debut. After pitching a 1-2-3 12th, he walked the first two batters in the 13th and allowed an RBI single to Kendrys Morales and a run-scoring double to Stephen Piscotty before getting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit to hit into an inning-ending double play.
A’s slugger Khris Davis, last year’s major league home run leader, left in the second inning with a left hip bruise after crashing into the left field wall chasing a popup.
The Pirates improved to 6-2 in extra-inning games and 6-1 in interleague play. They are above .500 at 16-15 for the first time since April 25.
Pittsburgh starter Jordan Lyles gave up one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Lyles looked more like the pitcher that began the season tossing 11 scoreless innings in his first two home starts and less like the one holding a 6.00 ERA over his previous two outings.
The teams were tied 1-1 going into extras. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second when Josh Bell doubled and scored on Colin Moran’s sacrifice fly. A’s pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman tied it in the seventh with a single.
Lyles faced a jam in the fifth after he walked three consecutive batters with two outs but forced Ramon Laureano to ground into a forceout at second.
The Pirates had a golden opportunity with runners on first and third with zero outs in the sixth but couldn’t capitalize as Gregory Polanco flied out, Bell struck out and Melky Cabrera lined out to end the inning.
Oakland starter Frankie Montas allowed a run and five hits over six innings. He struck out five while lowering his ERA to 2.75.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Keone Kela was not available to pitch after exiting Saturday’s game with right shoulder tightness. General manager Neal Huntington said Kela will be evaluated Monday.
UP NEXT
Athletics: The A’s return home for a three-game series against Cincinnati on Tuesday, where Mike Fiers (2-3, 6.81) will take the mound coming off a solid seven-inning outing against Toronto on April 26.
Pirates: Steven Brault will get the start Tuesday against Texas in place of Jameson Taillion, who was ruled out for a month Saturday with an elbow flexor tendon strain. This season, Brault has an 8.31 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen.
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Newman’s go-ahead triple rallies Pirates by A’s 6-4
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kevin Newman expected to be part of a platoon at shortstop with Erik Gonzalez when he made the Pittsburgh Pirates out of spring training. A cut to the middle finger of his right hand a month ago sent Newman to the injured list instead.
Gonzalez soon joined Newman on the injured list with a broken collarbone and the arrival of top prospect Cole Tucker during their absence forced the Pirates to re-evaluate how they wanted to use Newman when he returned.
When Pittsburgh welcomed Newman back on Friday, manager Clint Hurdle told him to be ready for whatever. Whatever arrived on Saturday, when Newman ripped the go-ahead triple in the seventh inning to lift the Pirates to a 6-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Newman came on in the sixth as a pinch runner during an aggressive sequence in which Hurdle burned three of his four bench players in an effort to erase a one-run deficit. While the moves didn’t work at first — the Pirates left the bases loaded — it set the stage for Newman to step to the plate in the seventh and give the Pirates a welcome win on the day it lost ace Jameson Taillon for a least a month with a strained right (throwing) elbow.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of guys go down with injuries, so it’s going to take everybody and everything we all got to win and we know that,” Newman said.
Newman’s first at-bat since April 8 came with runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh against J.B. Wendelken (0-1). Newman fouled off the first pitch and then sent a laser to the right-field corner that rolled around long enough for Bryan Reynolds to score all the way from first to give Pittsburgh the lead.
“It was just unfortunate he got up under it and pushed it on down the line,” Wendelken said. “Not much I can do about it. It was just a good pitch and a good piece of hitting.”
Francisco Cervelli followed with an RBI single to lift the Pirates to their third win in four games.
“It definitely gives me a lot of confidence,” Newman said. “I like to be the guy that comes up in that situation. I want to come through for my teammates.”
Josh Bell homered twice for Pittsburgh, taking Oakland starter Chris Bassitt deep in both the second and third innings for the first two-home run game of the first baseman’s career. Bell already has eight homers on the season, a number he didn’t reach in 2018 until mid-August. Reynolds finished with two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, tying Polanco for the longest by a Pittsburgh player to start their career since 1901.
Michael Feliz (1-0) picked up the win in relief after coming on in the seventh when Keone Kela exited with discomfort in his right shoulder after giving up a leadoff double to Oakland rookie Skye Bolt. Felipe Vazquez worked around a two-out single by Marcus Semien to collect his ninth save.
“There’s going to be more guys going down throughout the year,” said Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams, who gave up four runs in six innings. “Hopefully not as many as going on right now, but for guys to step up like JB did tonight and Kevin coming off the DL and having a big hit for us, it’s huge.”
OAKLAND ACHES
Kris Davis, Kendry Morales and Matt Chapman all had two hits apiece for the Athletics, but Oakland fell to 1-7 on its current nine-game road trip when Chris Bassitt and three relievers couldn’t hold an early lead.
The A’s, who had a season-high 14 runs Friday night to end a six-game losing streak, jumped on Williams early. Davis and Stephen Piscotty sandwiched RBI singles around a run-scoring triple by Morales to give Oakland a quick 3-0 advantage in the first.
Bassitt, however, gave up home runs to Bell in both the second and third and needed 97 pitches to get through five innings. Wendelken’s bumpy seventh in which he gave up three runs on four hits boosted his ERA to 5.85.
“He’s going through a rough patch,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of Wendelken. “Still, we have a lot of faith in him.”
ROTATION JUMBLE
With Taillon and Chris Archer both on the injured list, the Pirates will turn to relievers Steven Brault and Nick Kingham to start during a brief two-game interleague series with Texas next week.
TRAINER’S ROOM
A’s: OF Nick Martini (right knee sprain) will run the bases Tuesday and will then go out for a rehab assignment barring a setback. … RHP Sean Manaea (left shoulder surgery) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday. … RHP Jharel Cotton (Tommy John surgery) remains in extended spring training and could work three innings in his next appearance.
UP NEXT
A’s: Wrap up a nine-game road trip Sunday when they send Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.97 ERA) to the hill. Montas allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to Boston last Monday.
Pirates: Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42) lasted just four innings in his previous start, when he gave up two runs on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in a no-decision against Texas.
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Phegley drives in 8, A’s rip Pirates 14-1 to end 6-game skid
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Oakland Athletics have been playing baseball for nearly 120 years. No catcher in team history has ever put together a game quite like the one Josh Phegley did in a 14-1 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Five at-bats. Four hits. Two doubles. A single. All capped off by a long solo shot to left field in the ninth that served as the finishing touch on an eight-RBI performance as the A’s emphatically snapped a six-game losing streak.
Phegley’s eight RBIs set a single-game record for an Oakland catcher and marked the first time any A’s player reached eight in a game Eric Chavez did it on Aug. 30, 2001, against Baltimore.
“Really fun baseball,” Phegley said after his season RBI total jumped from 13 to 21. “I feel like you can’t do something like that if the guys in front of you aren’t getting on base. I’ve had games where I’ve had three, four hits but never with that many guys on. The timing was good. We needed a win and everyone pretty much exploded offensively.”
Oakland set season highs in both runs and hits (16) to win for just the fifth time in 18 games away from O.Co Coliseum and nearly match its entire 15-run total during a skid the dropped the A’s to last in the American League West. Even pitcher Brett Anderson (4-2) got in on the act. He singled twice in addition to allowing just one run in six innings to pick up his first victory since April 9.
“Running bases is still terrifying,” Anderson said. “Especially the first one when I had to go to second. I blacked out basically. But I’ll take the two hits.”
The A’s certainly needed them. Oakland came in hitting just .205 over their last 14 games to extend their wildly uneven start before jumping on Pittsburgh’s Joe Musgrove (1-3) early and then continuing to add on against four relievers.
“I feel like everyone was firing and that’s kind of what we’re used to and what we expect out of ourselves,” Phegley said.
Pittsburgh rookie left fielder Bryan Reynolds singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the second-longest by a Pirate to start his career since 1901, trailing only an 11-game streak by Gregory Polanco in 2014. It wasn’t nearly enough on a night the A’s used a rare visit to Pittsburgh to end a seven-game road losing streak.
MUSGROVE MISFIRES
Musgrove hadn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his first five starts — all of which lasted at least six innings — but didn’t make it out of the third. Some sloppy defense behind him didn’t help. Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang had a pair of errors during a four-run outburst in the second highlighted by Phegley’s three-run double. Oakland tacked on two more in the third, with Musgrove exiting after walking in a run that pushed Oakland’s advantage to 7-2.
“We did not play good defense,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “That’s all I got. At the end of the day, we didn’t handle the ball really well.”
Musgrove was charged with five earned runs on six hits over 2 2/3 innings as his ERA jumped from 1.54 to 2.63. Reliever Nick Kingham fared no better, allowing four runs in 2 1/3, three of the runs coming home on a rope to the left-field wall by Phegley in the fourth that pushed his RBI total to seven.
Phegley wasn’t done. He sent Richard Rodriguez’s pitch to the deserted bleachers in left field in the ninth for his fourth home run to become the first Pittsburgh opponent to knock in eight runs against the Pirates since Ken Reitz did it for the St. Louis Cardinals on June 28, 1977.
Asked what could be done to neutralize Phegley, Musgrove shrugged.
“Not much,” Musgrove said. “He hit good pitches. He had a good night tonight. He saw everyone pretty well, swung the bat well. I don’t think there’s anything we need to do different or need to panic.”
SKYE’S ZONE
Oakland outfield prospect Skye Bolt made his major league debut in the seventh when he popped out to first as a pinch hitter. He remained in the game in center field and later struck out in the ninth. The fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft — named by his father Mike because the elder Bolt wanted to give his son a name that “popped” — joined the A’s after hitting .325 with six home runs for Triple-A Las Vegas.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Jose Osuna (neck) was recalled from his rehabilitation assignment, reinstated from the 10-day injured list and assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. …
UP NEXT
A’s: Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.75 ERA) has allowed one run over 12 innings in his first two starts.
Pirates: Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.38) takes the mound Saturday looking to rebound after giving up five in six innings in a no decision against the Dodgers last weekend.
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Reynolds keeps rookie run going as Pirates top Rangers 7-5
By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookie Bryan Reynolds is closing in on teammate Gregory Polanco for a little piece of Pittsburgh Pirates history.
Polanco is enjoying the view.
Reynolds kept up his impressive start, hitting a three-run double as the Pirates completed a two-game sweep in Texas by topping the Rangers 7-5 on Wednesday.
A day after his first career home run put the Pirates ahead in the 11th inning of a 6-4 win that ended an eight-game losing streak, Reynolds extended his career-opening hitting streak to nine games with a liner over left fielder Joey Gallo’s head in the fourth.
A 24-year-old outfielder acquired in the trade that sent Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco before the 2018 season, Reynolds joined Polanco as the only Pirates since 1900 with a hit in each of their first nine games in the big leagues. Polanco debuted with an 11-game streak in 2014.
“It’s fun. It happened to me,” said Polanco, who had an RBI double to help keep the Pirates in front. “It’s humbling. It’s just like playing the game. You don’t think about nothing. You just play the game.”
All four of Reynolds’ RBIs in the majors came in the two games against the Rangers. He’s hitting .414.
“That’s every kid’s dream, to play in the majors, and very few people get that opportunity,” Reynolds said. “I’m lucky enough and blessed enough to have that opportunity, so I’m just trying to enjoy it.”
The Rangers hit three homers, starting with the 11th of the season from Gallo on a 114 mph liner off the fencing of the foul pole in right. On Tuesday, Gallo set a club record with 10 home runs before May 1.
Danny Santana led off the seventh with his third, also off Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon. Shin-Soo Choo pulled the Rangers within 6-5 on a two-run shot against reliever Richard Rodriguez later in the inning. His fourth homer landed just beyond the wall in right over a leaping Melky Cabrera.
After an RBI single from Elias Diaz for a two-run lead, Kyle Crick pitched a perfect eighth and Felipe Vazquez made it 2 for 2 on saves in the series, getting his eighth in eight chances by striking out Choo and pinch-hitter Hunter Pence with the tying run at second in the ninth.
FOR STARTERS
Taillon (2-3) won for the second time in three starts, allowing five hits and four runs — three earned — with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Shelby Miller gave up exactly four runs in a fifth straight start after cruising through the first three innings. Five of six hitters reached against the Texas right-hander in the fourth, capped by Reynolds’ one-out double. Miller (1-2) allowed four hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.
STRUGGLING AND SUBBED OUT
Rougned Odor was 0 for 4 to drop to 2 for 24 since his return from a right knee sprain when manager Chris Woodward decided on a righty-lefty matchup by using Pence against the hard-throwing lefty Vazquez. The lefty-hitting Odor’s average is down to .136.
“It hurts to have to do that because I feel like he’s going to be one of our foundational players,” Woodward said. “And he knows that. I had a good talk with him before the game. It’s not that I’ve lost any trust in him.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was out of the lineup a day after getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist. The club said there was no fracture, and it appeared unlikely he was headed for the injured list. … RHP Chris Archer hasn’t thrown since experiencing right thumb inflammation that put him on the IL on Monday, a day after his most recent start. The club anticipates him being ready when he’s eligible to return.
Rangers: LHP Drew Smyly (left arm nerve tightness) reported no discomfort after throwing 37 pitches in a simulated game. Barring a setback, he could start Sunday against Toronto. … RHP Owen White, a second-round pick in last year’s draft, was scheduled for Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (1-2, 2.06 ERA) is set for his seventh appearance and sixth start Friday at home against Oakland. He worked at least six innings in each of his first five starts.
Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (3-2, 2.88) is 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA is his past five starts and ranks fourth among AL pitchers with opponents hitting .179 against him. He is one of three big leaguers with four starts of at least seven innings each.
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Pirates end 8-game skid with 2 11th-inning HRs to beat Texas
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — When Bryan Reynolds led off the 11th inning with his first career homer, everybody on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bench erupted in celebration. They were all quiet by time the rookie rounded the bases and got back to the dugout.
“We were all like so quick to hop up and jump up and down, then someone said (silent treatment) and we all knew why,” said Josh Bell, who came home and tied the score against the Texas Rangers with a two-run double in the ninth.
Reynolds put the Pirates ahead with his blast to the hill in center field off Jesse Chavez (0-1), and Starling Marte then added a two-run homer as the Pirates ended their eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 win Tuesday night.
“I kind of blanked out, and then I realized what was going on,” Reynolds said.
The Pirates were scoreless until getting three-run ninth off closer Jose Leclerc that Reynolds started with a double.
“Puts a big smile on your face. I mean, he had a double off the glove to keep the hitting streak alive and then he puts an exclamation point on the end of his night,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Marte puts an exclamation point on the end of his night for a guy that’s been out 10, 11 days, hadn’t seen any live pitching. … But for Reynolds, what a charge. His first RBI. First home run. Off a veteran pitcher, a good pitcher. Pretty swing.”
Reynolds has hit safely in all eight of his games since his big league debut April 20, when the outfielder was called up the same day Marte was put on the injured list with bruises to his abdominal wall and ribs.
Marte played his first game since he was involved in a full-speed collision with shortstop Erik Gonzalez on April 19 that sent both players to the injured list — Gonzalez broke his collarbone and is on the 60-day injured list.
Kyle Crick (1-1), who was born in nearby Fort Worth and lives in Sherman about 90 miles north, pitched a perfect 10th. Felipe Vazquez worked the 11th for his seventh save after allowing Joey Gallo’s leadoff homer — his 10th being a 467-foot drive into the second deck of seats in right field.
Pittsburgh had three consecutive hits off Leclerc to start to the ninth, including Adam Frazier’s RBI single for their first run. Leclerc then struck out two before Bell, who was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and grew up a Rangers fan, tied the game at 3 with a two-run double driven the opposite way into the left-center gap.
“That was huge, I felt that support from my friends and family,” Bell said. “To be able to come through and pull through for the team right there, I can’t ask for much more.”
It was the second blown save in seven chances this season for Leclerc, who became the Rangers’ closer after Keone Kela was traded to Pittsburgh last July. Kela pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pirates.
Manager Chris Woodward said there would be a discussion about Leclerc’s role moving forward, and that he could pitch in some non-save and lower-pressure situations.
“Obviously with a young guy, you don’t want to kill the kid’s confidence,” Woodward said. “I would love to just keep giving him the ball, but I do have to be mindful where his mental state. He wants the ball, but he also doesn’t want to feel like he’s letting his teammates down. It’s a tough situation for him.”
SOFT RUNS
Asdrúbal Cabrera blooped a two-run single to right in the fourth — MLB stats registered the exit velocity off the bat at 59 mph — to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. They went ahead 3-0 in the eighth on Gallo’s third walk, which came after a passed ball on a strikeout and two other walks had loaded the bases.
STILL LOOKING FOR NO. 1
Rangers starter Adrian Sampson was denied his first big league victory after 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out five without a walk, and hit a batter, in his 13th career appearance (eighth start) since his big league debut for Seattle in 2016. He was a fifth-round pick by the Pirates in 2012.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was hit on his left wrist by a pitch in the second inning. He initially remained in the game, but two pitches later left the game. He was examined by Rangers team physician Dr Keith Meister, and the Pirates expect an update Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (1-3, 4.06) is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his three road starts this year.
Rangers RHP Shelby Miller (1-1, 7.52) has allowed exactly four runs in each of his last four starts. He is 2-7 with a 4.88 ERA in 10 career starts against Pittsburgh.
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Starling HR
Gallo HR
HR leading off 11th
Cabrera

That'll do, that'll do. #TogetherWe pic.twitter.com/3PYFH72kEk

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 1, 2019

Muncy, Bellinger lead Dodgers to 7-6 win, sweep of Pirates
By DOUG PADILLA Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger helps the Los Angeles Dodgers with power and a refined plate approach, too.
Bellinger hit his 14th home run of the season in the fourth inning, then rolled an RBI single through the defensive shift in the seventh inning as the Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
“Whether it’s a lefty or a righty, there is a time to get big and try to go for the big homer, or really drive the baseball, and there is a time to go for another club,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And right now, Cody has different clubs to use.”
Max Muncy singled home the tying run in the fifth inning and the go-ahead run in the seventh, boosting the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Rich Hill made his season debut after recovering from a sprained right knee and allowed five runs — just one earned — and five hits in six innings. Hill struck out six, walked none and retired his last 13 batters as the Dodgers rallied from a 5-1 deficit.
“I didn’t change anything,” Hill said. “I just continued to keep executing and making pitches. I have always continuously gotten better as outings have gone on.”
Bellinger’s 14th homer matched Albert Pujols (2006), Alex Rodriguez (2007) and Christian Yelich (this year) for the most home runs before the end of the season’s first full month. Bellinger had three RBIs and leads the major leagues with a .427 average and 36 RBIs.
Los Angeles has won four straight overall and seven in a row at home, improving to an NL-best 19-11. The Pirates have lost eight consecutive games overall and 14 of their last 16 against the Dodgers.
Pittsburgh’s Melky Cabrera had four hits, including first multi-homer game since July 2015 and the fifth of his career.
Julio Urías (2-1) allowed one run in two innings, and Kenley Jansen pitched in an out of trouble in the ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances. Adam Frazier walked with two outs and Cabrera doubled, but Gregory Polanco struck out.
A day after getting the Pirates’ attention when he bumped into catcher Francisco Cervelli when scoring a run, Muncy had three hits.
Bellinger’s fourth-inning homer started the comeback. Corey Seager hit a two-run double in the fifth and scored the tying run on Muncy’s single.
Muncy singled over the outstretched glove of shortstop Cole Tucker against Richard Rodríguez (0-2) in the seventh, and Bellinger greeted left-hander Francisco Liriano with an RBI single for a 7-5 lead. Josh Bell had a run-scoring single against Urías in the eighth.
Pirates starter Trevor Williams gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings.
“I made one bad pitch to Bellinger today and he hit it out of the yard,” Williams said.
HIT PARADE
Bellinger’s 44 hits are a Dodgers record before May, one more than Rafael Furcal in 2008.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Caleb Ferguson was placed on the 10-day injured list after straining his left oblique muscle Saturday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Jordan Lyles (2-105 ERA) opens a two-game series Tuesday at Texas
Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (3-2) starts at San Francisco on Monday after giving up a season-high six earned runs against the Chicago Cubs in his last outing.
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Bucs drop 7th straight to Kershaw and the Dodgers 3-1

Kershaw gets 1st win as Dodgers beat Pirates 3-1
By DOUG PADILLA Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three starts into his delayed season and Clayton Kershaw already appears back in his usual form.
Kershaw earned his first win, allowing one run over seven innings to outpitch Joe Musgrove and help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Saturday night.
Chris Taylor hit a tying sacrifice fly and Joc Pederson followed with a two-run triple as the Dodgers rallied for three runs in the seventh inning and sent the Pirates to their season-high seventh straight loss.
Kershaw (1-0), making his third start after recovering from shoulder inflammation, gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked none, retiring 13 of his last 14 batters. He has a 2.25 ERA and has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his three starts.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner is not usually one to compare outings, but did say this was an improvement over his last, when he gave up two runs over six innings at Milwaukee, while walking four.
“I felt pretty much the same,” Kershaw said about his strength as he builds into his season. “I think the one before this one was a little rockier. Not stronger or weak, just a little more inconsistent. But I felt great tonight and I need to keep building on this one.”
Pittsburgh went ahead in the third when Pablo Reyes singled leading off, was sacrificed to second by Musgrove and scored on Adam Frazier’s single.
From there, Kershaw matched Musgrove (1-2) pitch for pitch until the Dodgers broke through late in the game.
“This is a tough stretch we’re going through right now,” Musgrove said. “As a starting pitcher, I embrace the challenge. It’s my turn to go out there and set the tone and try and control the game. I came one out short of that tonight.”
Caleb Ferguson allowed the Pirates to load the bases with no outs in the eighth on two walks and a single.
Pedro Baez retired Melky Cabrera on a flyout and Colin Moran on a popup that dropped next to third baseman Justin Turner after an infield fly was called. Baez then struck out Josh Bell.
“Bases loaded and nobody out is a pretty impossible situation,” Kershaw said. “(Baez) was unbelievable. He dominated it and got us out of there. I can’t say enough about (Baez). That was awesome tonight.”
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances, completing a five-hitter.
Singles by Max Muncy and Alex Verdugo started the Dodgers’ rally. Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli took a glancing blow to his left side as Muncy scored, but a video review determined there was nothing improper with Muncy’s slide.
Musgrove allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, ending the Dodgers’ major league record of hitting a home run in 33 consecutive home games. Musgrove gave up just five earned runs in his first five starts.
“He’s very collected, he’s a fierce competitor and he expects a lot out of himself,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He pours into his teammates. He is an absolute pleasure to coach and have on a club.”
BUMP AND A RUN
Cervelli was met on the field by a trainer after Muncy bumped him while scoring his run in the seventh inning. Hurdle was asked about the play afterward.
“We’ll talk about it internally,” Hurdle said. “There is no need to share it publicly.”
Muncy said he meant no ill will.
“I didn’t want to hit him; I didn’t mean to hit him. I can tell you that right now,” Muncy said. “It wasn’t on purpose. It was one those things where I’m running straight for it and he came up the line so I raised my arm to brace in case we hit each other and I clipped him. That’s the end of it.
“If they feel the need to retaliate, that’s fine. They’ll retaliate and I’ll be on base and smile because that raises my on-base percentage.”
Cervelli, who said he took the blow to his ribs, was asked if he thought the bump was necessary.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You’ve got to ask him. I don’t know. I’ve got no idea.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Chris Archer was placed on the 10-day IL with right thumb inflammation. … OF Corey Dickerson will not start his expected minor league injury rehabilitation assignment after experiencing more shoulder discomfort. … OF Lonnie Chisenhall had his rehab assignment for a broken finger halted because of left calf tightness. … C Jacob Stallings (neck) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis.
Dodgers: C Russell Martin was activated off the IL after not playing since April 8 because of a back inflammation. C Rocky Gale was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
UP NEXT
Dodgers LHP Rich Hill will make his 2019 debut after recovering from a left knee strain. Pittsburgh RHP Trevor Williams (1-1) heads into Sunday’s outing with quality starts in all five of his outings but just 11 runs of support.
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Dodgers homer in record 33 straight home games, beat Pirates
By DOUG PADILLA Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger’s one mighty swing of the bat was loaded with historical significance.
Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Dodgers set a major league record with homers in 33 consecutive home games in a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Bellinger’s blast was noteworthy for other reasons, too. He moved into a tie for the major league lead for home runs with the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich at 13 and set the major league record for total bases in the months of March-April with 88. He also set a Dodgers’ record for home runs in March-April, moving past Matt Kemp.
With his total-base mark, he moved past former teammate Chase Utley, who had 85 total bases before the start of May in the 2008 season as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Utley, who now works in baseball operations for the Dodgers, was on hand before Friday’s game.
“It feels pretty cool,” Bellinger said about passing Utley’s mark. “I honestly didn’t know until he told me at the game today. So hopefully he is here (Saturday) so we can talk about it.”
So it was Utley that informed him that a record-breaking night could be ahead?
“No, they told me in the dugout after it happened,” Bellinger said.
With home runs in their first 14 home games this season, the Dodgers also matched this year’s Milwaukee Brewers and the 1962 New York Mets for most consecutive home games with a home run to open a season.
Josh Bell hit a home run for the Pirates, who were otherwise held in check by Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. The Pirates lost a season-worst sixth consecutive game, a skid that followed a five-game winning streak.
“Like I always say, it’s pretty comfortable pitching at home, especially knowing how my teammates will help me in terms of putting up runs early,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “That has led to successful results. And seeing that consecutive (home-run streak) definitely builds my confidence.”
Ryu (3-1) struck out 10 and gave up two runs over seven innings in his second start since returning from the injured list due to a strained left groin. It was the first time the left-hander reached double-digits in strikeouts since July 13, 2014.
“He pitched us basically as we anticipated because he had good stuff, he mixed his pitches well,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He kept the ball away, he kept the ball down, the cutter played in tight. We had early opportunities we weren’t able to get traction with and that hurt us.”
Pirates starter Chris Archer (1-2) gave up six runs on six hits over four innings, the most earned runs he has allowed in an outing since Aug. 26 of last season at Milwaukee. Heading into the game, Pirates starters had given up 11 home runs, the fewest in baseball.
Bellinger’s home run in the first was his eighth at Dodger Stadium this season. Austin Barnes added a solo shot in the second inning, his third of the season.
“If I had my slider working like it normally is working, then I’m able to (put away hitters),” Archer said. “Tonight, I didn’t. I left a change-up up to Bellinger, which, you know, it happens. Anything that dude sees right now, he’s smashing. But other than that, most of the damage was on sliders that I left over the plate or fastballs that I didn’t locate well enough.”
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Adam Frazier and Melky Cabrera each singled four pitches into the game and Frazier scored when Gregory Polanco grounded into a double play. The Pirates fell to 12-6 when scoring first.
NO WALKING ZONE
Friday’s outing was Ryu’s third in five tries in which he did not walk a batter. He has given only two free passes in 27 1/3 innings this season.
Both of Ryu’s walks this year were on borderline pitches, and he has not walked a batter at home since Aug. 26 of last season. In that stretch, he has struck out 58 batters over 56 innings.
Pinpoint control has always been a priority for the lefty. He’s executing that plan well of late.
“I guess it all goes back to how I was taught going back to elementary school,” Ryu said. “People around me told me how it’s better to give up a homer than a base on balls. Unfortunately, that led to consecutive games of me giving up homers right now. That is the downside, but at least I don’t have anybody that gets on base for free. It’s just the nature of how I attack hitters.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Outfielder Corey Dickerson, who has been out since April 4 because of a shoulder strain, is set to join Triple-A Indianapolis at Charlotte for a minor league rehab assignment.
Dodgers: Catcher Russell Martin, who has been out since April 10 with a back injury, participated in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium and is expected to be in the starting lineup Sunday, manager Dave Roberts said. . Right-hander Tony Cingrani, who hasn’t pitched this season because of shoulder soreness, threw on the side and could be headed on a rehab assignment next week, according to Roberts.
UP NEXT
Joe Musgrove (1-1, 1.59 ERA), who has left each of his last two starts with a lead in the seventh inning, will take the mound Saturday at Los Angeles. Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 2.77) will make his third start of the season Saturday, after delivering a quality start at Milwaukee on Sunday despite four walks.
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Marte homers twice, D-Backs win 9th straight at Pittsburgh
By WES CROSBY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — There was no stopping Ketel Marte and the Diamondbacks — especially not in Pittsburgh.
Marte homered from both sides of the plate, and Arizona won at PNC Park for the ninth straight time, beating the Pirates 11-2 on Wednesday night.
Marte batted lefty while extending Arizona’s lead to 5-1 with a solo shot in the fifth inning before going righty and driving a three-run shot, his sixth homer this season, into the left-field bleachers in the eighth. It was the third multi-homer game of his career and second this season.
“He has so much offensive capability,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s just nice to see him putting it together and making tonight very special. You hit home runs from both sides of the plate as a switch-hitter, it’s like a dream come true. You work extremely hard. It means you’re locked in.”
Arizona’s nine-game winning streak at Pittsburgh is its longest in an opponent’s stadium, surpassing its eight straight at Philadelphia from June 17, 2016-April 24, 2018. The Diamondbacks have not lost in Pittsburgh since May 29, 2017, when Andrew McCutchen homered in the ninth of a 4-3 win for the Pirates.
Eduardo Escobar, who was 3 for 4 with a walk, tripled in the first, and the Diamondbacks hit three straight singles to take a 2-0 lead. Nick Ahmed homered to lead off the second before Escobar doubled in Caleb Joseph for a 4-0 lead.
“When you win, everybody’s happy,” Escobar said. “I think what’s important is working hard every day. Come to the field and play hard.”
After Marte’s first homer, the Diamondbacks added three runs on back-to-back two-out doubles from David Peralta and Christian Walker, extending the lead to 8-2 in the seventh.
The Pirates have been outscored 25-7 in the first three games of the four-game series.
“We’re just not clicking consistently as an offense,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’re not bunching at-bats together. We’re shown some spurts at times, but the overall opportunities, we’re still kind of short with runners at third and less than two outs. Happened to us again tonight. … You own your at-bat. The guys know it.”
Merrill Kelly (2-2) gave up two runs on six hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out five. The runs came on homers from Josh Bell in the fourth and Jung Ho Kang in the sixth.
“Any time the offense puts runs on the board, it just allows you to be a little more aggressive,” Kelly said. “With the risk of taking the solo home runs like I did tonight, but I knew that they weren’t going to hurt me.”
Bell’s home run was his fifth in 22 games after hitting 12 in 148 games last season.
Jordan Lyles (2-1) lasted five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts. He gave up one run on 10 hits in 17 innings through his first three starts.
“There’s not much room in their lineup to take a breath,” Lyles said. “They scored early and often. That’s what good offenses do.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Bryan Reynolds did not play because of left quadriceps muscle discomfort he experienced during Tuesday’s game. He took batting practice Wednesday. … SS Erik Gonzalez will have surgery Thursday to repair a broken collarbone. He was injured while colliding with OF Starling Marte last Friday. … OF Gregory Polanco was given the day off after having two hits in each of his first two games of the season. He had shoulder surgery last Sept. 12.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (3-1, 4.60 ERA) takes the mound in the series finale. He is 3-0 in his past four starts. Arizona will finish its 10-game trip after winning seven of the first nine games.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (1-2, 3.12) will look to end Pittsburgh’s four-game skid. On Saturday, Taillon allowed one run on four hits in five innings of a rain-shortened 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
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