Newman homers twice, Pirates beat Rockies 11-8
By DENNIS GEORGATOS Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Kevin Newman was quick to get the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offense rolling.
Newman, the new leadoff batter, had two homers among his four hits and drove in three runs, Jose Osuna also homered and the Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 11-8 on Thursday night.
Newman homered to lead off the game, igniting a seven-run first that he capped with his second hit of the inning, a two-out RBI single that chased Colorado starter Chi Chi Gonzalez.
It was the second career leadoff home run for Newman, who also did it June 27 at Houston. And he is relishing settling into the leadoff role, making his seventh straight start at the top of the order after getting spot starts at the position earlier in the year.
“I love it,” he said. “That’s honestly one of the perks to be a leadoff hitter in my mind, to be able to go out there and have the opportunity to set the tone like that. It doesn’t always end in a home run or a base hit even, but just to have that opportunity to do something for the team, get that energy going, I really enjoy it.”
Adam Frazier added four hits, including a pair of run-scoring singles, and Colin Moran had two hits, including a two-run double in the Pirates’ big first inning.
“The top of the lineup was setting the table and once we got rolling, it was just hop on and try to be a part of it,” Moran said.
Trevor Williams (7-6) went seven innings and allowed three runs on seven hits in helping the Pirates win for the fifth time in seven games. He struck out six and walked none.
“We were really attacking the zone on the edges, to both sides and then we went up in the zone when we needed to,” Williams said.
The Pirates have won 12 of their last 16 games played in Colorado, dating to July 27, 2014.
Gonzalez (0-6) trailed 3-0 before getting his first out and was down 7-0 when he exited in favor of Yency Almonte with two outs in the first in his shortest start of the season.
“It was a terrible outing,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t give my team a chance to win. The few times I threw a slider, it was like a slow fastball. The second pitch of the game, I gave up a home run. I missed spots and continued to miss spots.”
The Rockies did make a game of it late.
Trailing 11-3 going into their half of the eighth, the Rockies sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs, all with two outs. Pinch-hitter Yonathan Daza started the rally with a two-out triple and, after Daniel Murphy walked, Ryan McMahon followed with a two-run double and Ian Desmond hit an RBI double.
Michael Feliz relieved Montana DuRapau and Sam Hilliard worked the count full before driving an opposite field homer deep into the left field bleachers.
With runners at first and second, Francisco Liriano came on to strike out Yonder Alonso to end the inning. Felipe Vazquez got three outs for his 24th save.
It was the seventh loss in eight games for the Rockies, who were eliminated from postseason contention with Wednesday night’s 7-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Murphy had a single and double to drive in three runs for Colorado.
Osuna had an RBI double in the second and homered on the first pitch he saw from Almonte in the fourth as the Pirates pulled in front 10-3.
In the fifth, Newman drove a 1-1 pitch from Jesus Tinoco over the fence in left-center for the first multihomer game of his career. His four hits matched a career-best.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Prior to the game, RHP Chris Stratton was placed on the 10-day injured list with right side inflammation. Also, RHP Yefry Ramirez was placed on the IL with a right calf strain. Filling the roster vacancies were RHP Parker Markel and RHP Montana DuRapau, both recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Rockies: RHP Scott Oberg, transferred to the 60-day injured list after undergoing season-ending surgery earlier this month to resolve blood clot issues in his right arm, is making good progress in his recovery. Manager Bud Black said the team is closely monitoring Oberg and is optimistic he’ll be ready for spring training. … LHP Kyle Freeland, placed on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain a week ago, is gradually increasing physical conditioning work. He has begun playing catch and is getting closer to throwing off a mound, though that has not yet been scheduled.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Rookie RHP Dario Agrazal (3-3, 4.41 ERA) is slated to make his 10th career start and first against the Rockies. He’s coming off a win in his last outing in which he beat Cincinnati, going five innings and allowing four runs.
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (8-8, 6.75 ERA) picked up the victory in his last start at Coors Field on July 14, despite allowing eight runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He has three quality starts to his credit in Denver this season.
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Realmuto powers Phillies to 12-3 rout of Pirates
By AARON BRACY Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins did more with less.
The slumping slugger doubled, tripled and drove in a run as the Philadelphia Phillies got 17 hits in a 12-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.
Hoskins has been struggling mightily at the plate this month and made a game-changing error in the ninth inning of Philadelphia’s 5-4 loss Tuesday night. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler considered giving Hoskins a day off Wednesday before putting him in the cleanup spot — and it paid off.
“It looked like Rhys had a lot of weight lifted off his shoulders,” Kapler said.
Hoskins, who entered in a 2-for-20 slide, said he swung at “80 percent” effort in an attempt to control the barrel of his bat better.
“I throttled down even more than usual and it got me back to where I wanted to be,” he said.
Every position player who started for the Phillies finished with at least one hit and RBI.
J.T. Realmuto had three hits and a home run, Cesar Hernandez added three hits and three RBIs, and Corey Dickerson also went deep. Philadelphia remained two games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild card.
“We attacked from the get-go and never let off the gas,” Hoskins said.
Starling Marte homered and had three hits for Pittsburgh, and Josh Bell hit a two-run shot.
Pirates rookie Bryan Reynolds, who began the day leading the NL in batting, went 0 for 3 to snap his seven-game hitting streak and drop his average to .330.
Vince Velasquez (6-7) bounced back from a forgettable outing last time out, going five innings and allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Velasquez coughed up a 7-0 lead in the third inning of Philadelphia’s 19-11 loss at Miami last Friday.
Kapler didn’t give Velasquez the opportunity to blow a lead this time, lifting the right-hander for a pinch-hitter in the fifth even though he had thrown only 75 pitches.
“I knew I needed to make an impact,” Velasquez said. “Today was a pretty important game for me and the team in general.”
Mitch Keller (1-3), a 23-year-old rookie making his seventh career start, pitched into the fifth for Pittsburgh and gave up eight runs on 11 hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.
The Phillies did damage against the 2014 second-round pick in the fifth when Keller didn’t get an out while facing six batters, five of whom scored. Dickerson started the inning with an opposite-field homer to left. Realmuto followed with a triple and scored on Bryce Harper’s single. After a walk to Hoskins and an infield single by Jean Segura, Hernandez ended Keller’s night with a two-run single.
“The overall effect of execution of pitches caught up to him,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Mix wasn’t sharp.”
All told, Philadelphia tallied five runs on five hits in the inning to go up 8-2.
Marte led off the sixth by crushing a long homer to left, but Realmuto answered in the bottom half with a drive to left of his own.
Bell hit a two-run drive to the opposite field in left in the fourth, giving him 34 homers and 106 RBIs. Bell began the day second in the NL in RBIs, one behind Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman.
BIG SERIES
Realmuto finished the three-game set 8 for 15 with a double, triple and homer.
PHILLY PHUN
Marte has reached base safely in all 19 career games in Philadelphia, batting .375 (27 for 72) with nine doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Open a four-game set Thursday night at Colorado with RHP Trevor Williams (6-6, 5.35 ERA) facing Rockies RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-5, 6.43).
Phillies: After an off day, begin a three-game home series Friday against the Mets with Philadelphia RHP Aaron Nola (12-4, 3.53 ERA) opposing RHP Zack Wheeler (9-7, 4.46).
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Hoskins muffs easy catch in 9th, Phils fall to Pirates 5-4
By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins botched an easy catch that cost the Phillies a game and gave their fed-up fans a reason to really boo the home team. The struggling first baseman has become the latest player to trigger the official sound of contempt in Philly with a drop that cost the Phils a chance to gain ground in the playoff race.
Hoskins kept Phillies fans booing when he inexplicably flubbed a routine throw in the ninth inning, turning what appeared to be an inning-ending double play into the go-ahead run for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-4 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
“Just missed it. Clanked it,” Hoskins said.
After a pair of one-out walks by Hector Neris (2-5), Kevin Newman hit a grounder to second baseman Cesar Hernandez that could’ve let the Phillies escape.
Hernandez flipped to Jean Segura for a force at second, and the shortstop threw a strike to Hoskins that should have finished the inning. But the struggling Hoskins seemed to close his mitt too early and the ball smacked off the leather and rolled away.
Adam Frazier scrambled home to score the tiebreaking run in stunning fashion and the Phillies failed to gain ground in the NL wild-card race.
“I think that he was in a good position to catch that ball,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “There’s no technique he could have done different to save it. It’s just a ball he missed.”
Hoskins entered hitting .164 since the All-Star break and said he didn’t need a day off. Kapler said he would talk about the possibility with Hoskins.
“I think we keep reminding him how good he is,” Kapler said.
Felipe Vazquez (5-1) got the win for the Pirates with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
“We’re never really out of it,” left fielder Bryan Reynolds said. “It’s just one swing away, one play away.”
More like, one big error.
Sean Rodriguez provoked the ire of Phillies fans a day after he won a game a with an extra-inning home run and blasted the crowd for booing. Rodriguez was booed during lineup introductions — though he signed a few autographs for fans before the game — and each time he came to hit.
Rodriguez did hear cheers after his first at-bat — he was hit by a pitch and smirked at the reaction as he jogged to first. He was booed again even after he doubled in the fourth inning and he seemed to gesture in appreciation toward his teammates in the Phillies dugout.
Rodriguez ripped the fans after he led off the 11th inning with a homer to beat the Pirates 6-5 on Monday night.
“I’m not the one saying pretty disgusting things at times. That seems pretty entitled. You’re just making yourself look pretty bad as an individual, as a person, as a fan,” he said.
The Phillies’ chase for a wild-card spot took a backseat Tuesday to wall-to-wall Rodriguez headlines.
“Sean’s a fiery guy, he’s a fiery player,” Kapler said. “I think what he was attempting to convey was that he supports his teammates and thinks that his teammates perform best when they feel support, too.”
Kapler was booed during introductions on his first opening day in Philadelphia last year and said it’s best for everyone connected to Philly sports to develop a thick skin.
“I don’t think our fans are entitled,” Kapler said. “What they’re entitled to do is feel how they feel and express themselves accordingly. Let’s go at it directly, every great player in every sport that’s played here in Philadelphia has gotten booed. Charles Barkley was here and talked to our club not that long ago. Charles Barkley got booed. Ryan Howard got booed. Jimmy Rollins got booed. Mike Schmidt got booed.”
All of those players are some of the greats in Philly sports history.
Rodriguez entered hitting .214.
More boos were heard in the first inning, though they were the usual ones directed at the home team when it’s losing. The Pirates nearly hit for the cycle in the inning against Drew Smyly. Newman led off with a triple, Reynolds hit his 14th homer of the season for a 2-0 lead and Starling Marte doubled to open the inning. The Pirates wouldn’t score again until Colin Moran hit a two-run homer off Smyly for a 4-2 lead
The Phillies scored a run each in the second, third and fourth innings off Pirates starter Steven Brault and Logan Morrison tied it at 4-all in the sixth with his fifth career pinch-hit home run.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: INF-OF Scott Kingery, who left Monday’s game with an injury, was out of the starting lineup with lower abdominal soreness. Kingery pinch-hit in a tie game in the eighth and struck out.
TRIPLE THREAT
U.S national soccer team star Carli Lloyd, who made a 55-yard field goal at a recent Eagles practice, threw the first pitch. Lloyd told NBCSports Philadelphia she had interest from an NFL team to kick for them.
UP NEXT
The Phillies send RHP Vince Velasquez (5-7, 4.93 ERA) to the mound against Pittsburgh RHP Mitch Keller (1-2, 7.24 ERA).
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Rodriguez’s homer in 11th gives Phils 6-5 win over Pirates
By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sean Rodriguez answered the critics with one big swing.
Rodriguez lined a home run leading off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
Josh Bell hit a solo homer off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris to tie it at 5 in the ninth after Corey Dickerson delivered a two-run shot against his former team in the eighth to give the Phillies a one-run lead.
But after stranding five runners in the ninth and 10th, the Phillies won it when Rodriguez went deep against Michael Feliz (2-4) for his fourth career walk-off homer. Rodriguez was in a 1-for-21 slump before he connected.
“Think about it. Who is looking bad and feeling entitled when you hear stuff like that?” Rodriguez said about the criticism. “I’m not the one booing. I’m not the one screaming. I’m not the one saying pretty disgusting things at times. That seems pretty entitled. You’re just making yourself look pretty bad as an individual, as a person, as a fan. … There’s still a lot of good fans, though, and those are the ones I hear.”
Philadelphia moved within a game of the idle Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild card.
Bryce Harper launched a solo homer to right field with two outs in the eighth in his first game back from paternity leave to cut it to 4-3. After J.T. Realmuto’s infield single, Dickerson ripped one out to right to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.
Dickerson, acquired from the Pirates before the July 31 trade deadline, has 21 RBIs in 19 games for the Phillies.
Bell has been slumping and wasn’t in the starting lineup but he crushed a 432-foot homer off Neris for his 33rd this season. Neris has five blown saves in 28 chances this season.
Rhys Hoskins fouled out with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth and heard a chorus of boos as he walked to the dugout. Harper struck out swinging at a 3-2 pitch to send it to extra innings.
“I could care less about that,” Hoskins said of the boos. “We won the game.”
Mike Morin (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings for the win.
Phillies starter Jason Vargas allowed four runs and seven hits in six-plus innings.
“This one was a must-have,” Vargas said. “Guys came up big. Sean came up big there. We just fought to the end.”
Pirates starter Joe Musgrove gave up two runs and five hits, striking out six in six innings.
Kevin Newman’s two-run single off reliever Jared Hughes in the seventh gave the Pirates a 4-2 lead.
Brad Miller slammed an opposite-field, two-run shot in the fourth to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Miller was only 4 for 27 with two RBIs since his last homer on July 16.
The Pirates cut it to 2-1 in the fifth when Adam Frazier ripped a double with two outs and Musgrove smacked an RBI single off the left field wall.
NO RUN ZONE
Realmuto threw out three runners trying to steal second base. He has nailed 33 of 75 runners trying to steal this season.
BENCHED
Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez wasn’t in the starting lineup because he didn’t run hard on a ball off the wall in Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Miami. Hernandez thought he hit a homer and settled for a single when it didn’t go out. He scored when Hoskins followed with a homer. Manager Gabe Kapler said: “It’s not a punishment. It’s a response.”
DADDY’S BACK
Harper returned following the birth of his son, Krew Aron. 3B Maikel Franco was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room on the roster.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: INF-OF Scott Kingery left the game with abdominal soreness but Kapler said after the game it was gastrointestinal and not a muscular injury. … OF Jay Bruce (left flexor strain) is scheduled to play two rehab games Friday and Saturday. … RHP Pat Neshek (hamstring) is considering an injection and possibly surgery.
UP NEXT
LHP Drew Smyly (2-6, 6.99 ERA) starts for the Phillies and LHP Steven Brault (3-3, 3.98) goes for the Pirates on Tuesday night.
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