Frazier stays hot, leads Pirates by listless Cubs 5-1
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle didn’t need to check the analytics before writing down Adam Frazier’s name in the leadoff spot before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
Watching Frazier tie a major league record by roping four doubles the night before gave Hurdle all the evidence he needed to know his second baseman was in a good place, one he seems intent on staying in indefinitely.
Frazier backed up his big night by going 4 for 4 — including a three-run shot off Mike Montgomery shortly after a long rain delay — and scored three runs to lead the Pirates to a 5-1 victory.
Frazier spent the first two months of the season in the leadoff spot before ceding it to rookie Kevin Newman, a move necessitated by a power dip, one that Frazier is intent on putting in the rearview mirror.
When Frazier ripped a single leading off the seventh, it gave him a hit in seven straight at-bats, becoming the first Pirate to reach that milestone since Freddy Sanchez did it on May 25-26, 2009. Frazier is 9 for 10 — with five doubles and a homer — through the first two games of a crucial homestand for Pittsburgh, which is trying to stay in the NL Central race.
“I feel comfortable right now hitting,” Frazier said. “(Hitting coach) Rick (Eckstein) and I have been working the past few days. I feel like I’m on to something so. If it’s leadoff or whatever, it doesn’t matter. It’s just you and the pitcher. Go hit.”
Starling Marte had two hits for the Pirates and Josh Bell picked up his major-league leading 78th RBI on a sacrifice fly as Pittsburgh backed up an 18-run outburst against Chicago to pull within two games of .500 (41-43) for the first time since June 2.
Frazier led off the bottom of the first with a single off Kyle Hendricks (7-6), doubled off Hendricks again in the third, then took Montgomery into the seats above the Clemente Wall in right field shortly after a two-hour, five-minute rain delay to give Pittsburgh a five-run lead it never came close to squandering while winning for the ninth time in 13 games.
“Talking about a shot in the arm to start off the series the last two nights, what is he now, 9 for 10? Crazy,” Hurdle said. “Really good. Special.”
The Cubs managed just six hits against starter Joe Musgrove and five relievers and didn’t get a runner past first base until a two-out double by Addison Russell in the eighth. Willson Contreras hit an RBI double in the ninth against Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vazquez to avoid the shutout.
Chicago has dropped three straight and four of five to remain a game behind first-place Milwaukee in the Central, where all five teams are separated by 5 ½ games.
“We’re obviously not playing the kind of baseball we want right now,” Hendricks said. “I think it starts with making some better pitches. We’re just not making the big pitch when we need to and getting behind early.”
Hendricks, making his first start since going on the injured list on June 15 with right shoulder inflammation, ran into early trouble. Frazier laced the third pitch he saw from Hendricks into center field. Marte followed two batters later with a single of his own and Bell’s drive to right field easily scored Frazier to put the Pirates up. Pittsburgh pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third when Frazier led off with a double and scored when Marte doubled to right.
Hendricks gave up two runs in three innings with a walk and four strikeouts for Chicago, which has dropped three straight and four of five.
“I left a change-up to Frazier and then I was trying to run one in on Marte with a fastball,” Hendricks said. “Those two got me, but other than that I thought my fastball command was better than expected, change-up was pretty good. It’s just good to be back out there.”
Dillion Maples came on for Hendricks in the fourth but was pulled after a walk and a two-out pinch-hit by Steven Brault — a starting pitcher by trade. Cubs manager Joe Maddon opted to bring in the left-handed Montgomery to face the left-handed Frazier and Frazier responded by drilling his fourth home run of the season.
“Frazier, that’s as hot as you can get right now,” Maddon said. “So that was unfortunate. After that, we just couldn’t muster any offense.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: An MRI exam confirmed LHP Cole Hamels is dealing with a strained left oblique but nothing more serious. Hamels will undergo treatment this week and the team will re-evaluate his status after the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Yu Darvish (2-4, 4.98 ERA) looks for his first victory since April 27 on Wednesday. Darvish had a streak of 10 straight no-decisions end in a loss to Atlanta last week.
Pirates: Chris Archer (3-6, 5.50) is scheduled to make his 15th start of the season on Wednesday. Archer left a victory over Milwaukee last Friday after four innings due to discomfort in his left hip.
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Local product and Blackhawk Grad Brendan Mc Kay made his Major league debut today, Saturday June 29, 2019. McKay was called up from the Tampa Bay Ray’s AAA minor league affiliate Durham Bulls to pitch against the Texas Rangers. McKay made the most out of his opportunity and pitch 6 scoreless innings of one hit ball. He also struck out three and walked only one. The Ray’s took a 3-0 lead in the Second inning after a Joey Wendle’s RBI double and a two run blast by Avisail Garcia. At the time of this article being written McKay was in line to get his first Major League win as the Ray’s have a 5-0 lead going to the 8th inning after adding two more runs on the bottom of the 7th inning.

Update: 7:10 p.m. EDT. The Ray’s defeated the Rangers 5-2 giving McKay his first Major League win in his first appearance.

Newman homers, Pirates rally late to beat Brewers 3-2
By RICH ROVITO Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — After back-to-back wins in which the Pittsburgh Pirates scored in double digits, they had to scratch out a victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Kevin Newman homered and extended his hitting streak to 18 games, and the Pirates rallied with two late runs to beat the Brewers 3-2 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
“Tonight, was a perfect indication of how good things can happen when you put the ball into play and win a game with two runs coming on infield ground balls and situational RBIs,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
The Pirates tied it in the eighth when Bryan Reynolds led off with a walk off reliever Junior Guerra and later scored on a fielder’s choice. In the ninth, Elias Diaz drew a one-out walk off Jeremy Jeffress (1-2) and moved to third on Jose Osuna’s single. Diaz scored when the Brewers failed to turn a double play on a comebacker to Jeffress.
“I think we should go home on that one,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “There may have been a double play on a good turn and throw, but the safer play is the runner at third.”
Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vázquez (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings to help the Pirates won for the seventh time in eight games. Four relievers held the Brewers scoreless over the final five innings.
The Pirates, who have scored at least 10 runs in three out of their last four, generated little offense against Milwaukee starter Jhoulys Chacín. The right-hander, is winless since April 30, gave up six hits and one run in five innings in his longest outing since May 25.
“I thought Jhoulys pitched well,” Counsell said. “He gave us a good chance.”
Chris Archer’s wild pitch allowed Yasmani Grandal to score from third with the game’s first run. Eric Thames doubled to drive in another to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Newman hit a solo homer in the third, his fifth of the season, off Chacín to extend the longest active hitting streak in the majors.
“I feel like my approach is good I’m just trying to go up there and hit the ball hard,” Newman said.
Archer was pulled after four innings as a precaution after experiencing left hip discomfort while swinging at a pitch in the fourth. He gave up three hits and two runs while striking out six and walking two.
“It doesn’t feel great,” Archer said. “If I thought it was something I could fight through and still get good results, I would have stayed out there.”
ROSTER MOVES
Milwaukee recalled 2B Keston Hiura and INF/OF Tyler Saladino from Triple-A San Antonio. 3B Travis Shaw was optioned to San Antonio and INF/OF Hernán Pérez was designated for assignment. Hiura started at second and Saladino at shortstop.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli rejoined the team in Milwaukee but hasn’t been activated from the concussion injured list. … SS Erik González (factured left clavicle) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. Gonzalez, who was injured in a collision with CF Starling Marte in April, went 0 for 3 in Indianapolis’ game at Gwinnett.
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 26, with fluid on his right elbow. … RHP Corbin Burnes was recalled from Triple-A San Antonio. Burnes pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
ROOKIE RECORD
Newman’s hitting streak ties him with Neil Walker (2010) and Rennie Stennett (1971) for the longest by a Pittsburgh rookie. Bryan Reynolds, another Pirates’ rookie, had a 17-game hitting streak earlier this season.
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
The Brewers have dropped eight of their last 11 and fell to 3-5 on the 10-game homestand. “We’ve got to win baseball games,” Counsell said. “Right now, we’re not getting consistent performance from all areas.”
SHARED DUTIES
Saladino and Orlando Arcia, who has been the everyday shortstop, are likely to split time in the coming games, Counsell said. “Tyler Saladino’s going to play,” he said. “I think at least for a while here we’re going to share some time at shortstop.”
UP NEXT
Pirates: Jordan Lyles (5-3, 3.64 ERA), who has been out with left hamstring tightness, is expected to come off the injured list to start the second game of the series. Lyles is 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA in 14 career games (nine starts) against the Brewers.
Brewers: Brandon Woodruff (9-2, 4.01) will make his 17th start and third against the Pirates this season. He is 1-1 with a 7.11 ERA in five career games against Pittsburgh.
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Bell homers again as Pirates cruise past Astros 10-0
By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — Josh Bell homered for the second straight game as one of five home runs by Pittsburgh as the Pirates routed the Houston Astros for the second game in a row with a 10-0 win on Thursday.
Former Astro Joe Musgrove (6-7) threw six scoreless innings for the win and Kevin Newman, Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte and Jacob Stallings added home runs for the Pirates to send Houston to its ninth loss in 11 games.
The Pirates picked up where they left off in Wednesday night’s 14-2 rout of Houston when Newman sent Brad Peacock’s first pitch of the game into the seats in left field for his first career leadoff homer. He has a career-long 17-game hitting streak, which is the longest active streak in the majors.
Houston starter Brad Peacock (6-6) allowed six runs in three innings, a game after Framber Valdez also made an early exit after the Pirates jumped on him for six runs through the first three.
There were two outs in the first inning when an RBI double by Colin Moran made it 2-0. Pittsburgh extended the lead to 4-0 when Dickerson, who tied a career high with four hits on Wednesday, homered to left field.
Marte started the third with a bunt single before Bell launched his 22nd homer onto the concourse in left-center to make it 6-0.
Marte opened the fifth inning with a home run off Cy Sneed, who was making his major league debut, and Stallings collected his first career home run when he added a solo shot with one out in the sixth.
Musgrove, traded to the Pirates in the deal that brought Gerrit Cole to Houston, picked up the win for the Astros in relief in Game 5 of the 2017 World Series. He allowed nine hits in his first meeting with his former team, but they were all singles to allow him to keep Houston off the board.
The Astros remain firmly in first place in the AL West, but are in the midst of a tough stretch where their pitching outside of Justin Verlander and Cole has struggled. Houston went 1-6 on a road trip against Cincinnati and the New York Yankees, before losing two of three in this series.
Jacob Stallings added an RBI single for Pittsburgh in the eighth and Newman made it 10-0 with a run-scoring double.
Sneed allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings to save Houston’s taxed bullpen after being called up from Triple-A Round Rock before the game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: LF Yordan Alvarez left the game after the third inning because of discomfort in his left knee. … RHP Joe Smith (Achilles tendon) will pitch at Round Rock on Friday as he continues a rehabilitation assignment.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (3-6, 5.56 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh in the opener of a three-game series at Milwaukee on Friday night. Archer allowed just two hits and one run in five innings in his previous game against San Diego but did not factor in the decision.
Astros: LHP Wade Miley (6-4, 3.51) is scheduled to start for Houston to start a series against Seattle on Friday night. Miley allowed four runs in five innings in a loss to the Yankees in his previous start.
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