Suarez powers Reds past Pirates 7-4Suarez powers Reds past Pirates 7-4
By ALAN SAUNDERS, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eugenio Suarez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds cooled off the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7-4 victory on Saturday night.
Pittsburgh opened the season with six wins in seven games and then jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Cincinnati in the second. But the Reds chipped away at the deficit before Suarez finished the job.
Joey Votto hit a sacrifice fly in the third, and Jesse Winker added an RBI single in the fifth. Suarez then tied it at 4 with a two-run single off Dovydas Neverauskas with two out in the sixth.
Suarez came up again with two on in the eighth and drove a 0-1 fastball from George Kontos (0-1) over the wall in left. He finished with three hits.
Wandy Peralta (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win and Raisel Iglesias worked the ninth for his second save.
Cincinnati right-hander Sal Romano allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out one and walked one.
Corey Dickerson hit a two-run double for Pittsburgh in the first. Josh Harrison added a sacrifice fly in the second, and Adam Frazier had an RBI single.
But Cincinnati’s pitching tightened up after that, retiring 16 straight Pirates from the third through eighth innings.
Chad Kuhl struck out seven in five innings for Pittsburgh. He was charged with two runs and five hits.
TRAINING ROOM
Reds: OF Scott Schebler (right elbow) missed his fourth straight game after being hit by a pitch Sunday against Washington. The impact did damage to the ulnar nerve in Schebler’s elbow and he is dealing with a lack of feeling in his hand as result. The Reds are still contemplating a move to the disabled list.
Pirates: RF Gregory Polanco was a late scratch with right foot discomfort after fouling a pitch off his foot on Friday night. He is day to day. Frazier replaced him in the lineup. … RHP Joe Musgrove (right shoulder strain) will begin throwing next week in Chicago.
UP NEXT
Reds: Tyler Mahle (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will pitch the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Mahle, 23, will be making just his sixth career start, but it’ll be his third against Pittsburgh. He made his major league debut against the Pirates last August.
Pirates: Jameson Taillon (1-0, 3.38 ERA) will make his second start of the season. He tied a career high with nine strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins on Monday.

Moran and Marte lead streaking Pirates over Reds 14-3
By JOHN PERROTTO, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Colin Moran had four hits and three RBIs, and Starling Marte hit a bases-loaded triple to lead the streaking Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds 14-3 on Friday night.
Moran’s two-run single with two outs in the third inning just dropped in front of diving center fielder Billy Hamilton and put the Pirates ahead for good at 4-2. Marte’s triple keyed a six-run sixth inning that included Corey Dickerson’s two-run double as Pittsburgh extended its lead to 10-2 while playing through a steady rain.
Pittsburgh is off to a 6-1 start following an offseason in which the Pirates traded five-time All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen and ace pitcher Gerrit Cole.
Dickerson had three hits, including a triple, and Jordy Mercer had two doubles among his three hits. The Pirates had 15 hits, including two each by Marte and Josh Harrison. Harrison also drove in two runs and Josh Bell drew three walks.
Gregory Polanco hit a two-run double during a four-run seventh that made it 14-2. He has six extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in seven games.
Trevor Williams (2-0) scattered two runs over 5 1/3 innings despite allowing 10 hits. He pitched six hitless innings to win at Detroit last Sunday in his first start of the season.
Luis Castillo (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings and has a 9.00 ERA through two starts. His 3.12 ERA in 15 starts last season led NL rookies.
Jesse Winker had three hits for the Reds, and Joey Votto, Jose Peraza and Castillo added two each. Cincinnati hit into three double plays and stranded 10 runners in losing for the fifth time in six games.
Moran and Mercer hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the second inning. The Reds tied it in the third on run-scoring singles by Winker and Votto but didn’t score again until the ninth.
Clay Holmes, a 25-year-old right-hander, pitched the final two innings for Pittsburgh in his major league debut and allowed one run.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RF Scott Schebler (bruised right elbow) missed his third straight game. He was injured last Sunday when hit by a pitch from Washington LHP Sean Doolittle.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati RHP Sal Romano (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is to start against RHP Chad Kuhl (1-0, 6.35) on Saturday night. Romano gave up three runs in six innings against Washington ast Sunday, when Kuhl allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings at Detroit.
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Polanco’s two-run homer lifts Pirates over Reds, 5-2
By JOHN PERROTTO, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gregory Polanco hit a two-run home run during a four-run fifth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Thursday night.
Polanco broke a 1-1 tie when he drove a ball into the shrubbery in center field off Homer Bailey (0-2). Polanco also had a tying sacrifice fly in the third inning, giving him three RBIs as the Pirates won for the fifth time in six games.
Steven Brault (2-0) pitched one-run ball over five innings in his first start this season. The left-hander allowed three hits, struck out four and walked four. He took over the rotation spot left by Joe Musgrove, who has a right shoulder strain.
Brault also got the win in the opener last Friday when he worked three scoreless innings in relief at Detroit.
Bailey allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts. He is 3-10 with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts in March and April during his 12-year career.
Josh Harrison started the Pirates’ fifth by drawing a leadoff walk, and Polanco followed with his second home run. Corey Dickerson hit an RBI triple with one out and scored when shortstop Jose Peraza fumbled Francisco Cervelli’s two-out grounder for an error.
The Reds’ Adam Duvall hit a solo home run, his second, in the eighth inning off George Kontos.
Cincinnati, which has lost four of five, scored the game’s first run in the second. Scooter Gennett came home on the second of Brault’s two wild pitches in the inning.
Dickerson also doubled, and he and Harrison each had two of Pittsburgh’s nine hits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RF Scott Shebler (bruised right elbow) was not in the lineup after being hit by a pitch in Cincinnati’s previous game Monday but is expected to play Friday. … LHP Brandon Finnegan (strained left biceps) is scheduled to make a rehab start Monday for Triple-A Louisville then be activated from the disabled list if all goes well. … RHP Kevin Shackelford (strained forearm) is close to throwing a bullpen session.
Pirates: SS Jordy Mercer (jammed right pinkie finger) returned after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota and went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks.
UP NEXT
Reds RHP Luis Castillo (0-1, 10.80 ERA) will face RHP Trevor Williams (1-0, 0.00) on Friday night in the second game of the four-game series. Castillo allowed six runs in five innings in a loss to Washington last Saturday in his first start of the season. Williams pitched six hitless innings last Sunday to win at Detroit.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates got the home schedule of to a good start with a 5-4 victory Monday afternoon over the Minnesota Twins in the home opener at PNC Park.

The Bucs now move to 4-0 to start the season. The twins are now 2-2 on the young season.

Jamison Taillon got the win after a stellar 5 2/3 innings. Colin Moran hit a Grand Slam Home Run in the First inning to lead the Bucs to victory.  The Pirates scored 5 runs on only 5 hits to take a 5 to 0 lead after one inning.  Another rocky performance by relievers Santana, Smoker led to 4 Twins runs in the sixth as Taillon tired and was removed after allowing two runs.

George Kontos came in to pitch a scoreless ninth and gain his second career save and his first of the season.

The Pirates are off tomorrow and the series will conclude with the Twins on Wednesday evening. The Bucs will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to bounce back from his season opening rocky performance in Detroit last Thursday. The Twins will counter with Jake Odorizzi who will be making his first start of the season.

Tune into A.M. Beaver County with Matt Drzik and Pat Septak tomorrow morning for all of the highlights of today’s game.

Williams pitches 6 no-hit innings, Pirates edge Tigers 1-0
By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Trevor Williams was pulled with a no-hitter in progress after six innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates hung on to beat the Detroit Tigers 1-0 on a chilly Sunday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Williams (1-0) threw 84 pitches, his count boosted by five walks, and was replaced by Michael Feliz to start the seventh. Nicholas Castellanos quickly ended the team no-hit bid with a one-out double down the left-field line.
George Kontos pitched the eighth and Felipe Rivero struck out the side in the ninth for his first save, finishing the combined two-hitter.
The doubleheader was caused by a rainout Saturday. This game drew 14,858 fans, the smallest crowd at Comerica Park since 12,415 saw the Tigers beat the Royals on May 2, 2006. Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing for the nightcap.
Williams has pitched 13 shutout innings in two career starts against the Tigers, allowing one hit. His effort came a day after Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson was taken out after throwing 102 pitches in six no-hit innings at Baltimore.
Michael Fulmer (0-1) gave up one run on four hits and two walks in eight innings, striking out three.
Gregory Polanco’s RBI double gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the first, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
The Tigers grounded into two double plays in the first three innings, then ran themselves out of the fourth with an inning-ending strikeout/caught stealing double play.
Williams walked two batters in the fifth, forcing action in the Pirates bullpen, but he escaped the inning with two flyballs. He pitched a 1-2-3 sixth before giving way to Feliz.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove threw 92 pitches in a Gulf Coast League game on Saturday and is expected to join the Pirates rotation later this week.
Tigers: RHP Mike Fiers (back) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Monday at Detroit’s extended spring training facility and could come off the disabled list later in the week.
UP NEXT
LHP Ryan Carpenter will make his major league debut for the Tigers in the second game, while RHP Chad Kuhl will pitch for the Pirates. Kuhl went 8-11 with a 4.35 ERA last season, allowing three runs in six innings of a win over the Tigers on Aug. 8.

The Pittsburgh Pirates game today in Detroit has been postponed.  There will be a split doubleheader tomorrow at 1:10pm and 6:10pm.  The Neal Huntington Show will still begin at 12:10.  Pre-game for the 1:10 game will be 12:45 on Beaver County Radio!!! We will not carry game two of the double header do to the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Washington Capitals. Air time is 7:00 p.m. .

Replay review saves Pirates, beat Tigers 13-10 in 13th
By NOAH TRISTER, AP Baseball Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Gregory Polanco hit a three-run homer in the 13th inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 13-10 victory over Detroit on Friday — about an hour after the Tigers spilled onto the field to celebrate what they thought was a game-winning hit of their own.
Nicholas Castellanos was initially called safe at home in the bottom of the 10th for the Tigers, but a replay review took the run away and the teams played on. Polanco’s drive to right-center on a 3-0 pitch from Alex Wilson (0-1) finally gave the Pirates a comfortable lead — or as comfortable as could be on a wacky day in which both teams scored four runs in the ninth.
Detroit put two men on base in the 13th, but Steven Brault (1-0) was able to hold on and finish his third scoreless inning of relief.
By the time the 5-hour, 27-minute game was over, there were only three umpires and one manager left. Plate umpire Mike Everitt exited in the eighth with a concussion after being hit in the mask by a pitch. And Ron Gardenhire — in his first game as Tigers manager — was ejected after the overturned call in the 10th.
Detroit’s franchise-record streak of six straight wins in season openers was snapped.
This game was pushed back a day after it was postponed because of rain Thursday. The temperature was 36 degrees at the start.
The Tigers had the bases loaded and nobody out in the first and fifth but failed to score. They took a 2-0 lead in the second when Mikie Mahtook, Jose Iglesias and Dixon Machado led off with consecutive doubles.
Francisco Cervelli’s double highlighted a three-run fourth for Pittsburgh, and Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run double in a four-run seventh for the Tigers. The Pirates scored twice in the eighth to tie it at 6.
Starling Marte’s triple started a four-run ninth for Pittsburgh, but closer Felipe Rivero couldn’t finish the Tigers off in the bottom half. He allowed a two-run double to James McCann and was eventually pulled. Then Machado hit a two-run double off Josh Smoker with two outs to make it 10-all.
JaCoby Jones hit the single that briefly appeared to have scored Castellanos, but the play at the plate was close after a throw by left fielder Corey Dickerson. The Tigers celebrated for a bit, then stopped and waited in front of their own dugout while the call was reviewed.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Pittsburgh began the season with RHPs Nick Burdi (elbow surgery) and A.J. Schugel (shoulder discomfort) on the disabled list.
Tigers: RHPs Mike Fiers (lumbar strain) and Johnny Barbato (forearm strain) started the season on the DL. … Mahtook’s face appeared to scrape across the dirt on an awkward headfirst slide on his second-inning double, but he came up laughing and seemed fine.
UP NEXT
Detroit RHP Michael Fulmer (10-12, 3.83 ERA last season) starts Saturday against RHP Trevor Williams (7-9, 4.07). Last August, Williams allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings in a victory over the Tigers.
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The Pirates have signed outfielder Michael Saunders to a Minor League contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training, the team announced Wednesday.

Saunders will wear No. 12 with Pittsburgh.

The 31-year-old was an All-Star in 2016 with the Blue Jays after hitting .298/.372/.551 with 16 home runs and a .923 OPS in the first half. But he slumped heavily in the second half, hitting .178/.282/.357 with eight homers and a .639 OPS.

Saunders signed as a free agent with the Phillies last winter on a one-year, $9 million deal, but was unable to bounce back in 2017. He hit just .205/.257/.360 with six homers and a .617 OPS in 61 games before Philadelphia released him in June.

The Blue Jays brought Saunders back on a Minor League deal about a week later, and he played 12 games for Toronto in September before again becoming a free agent.