Freese 5 RBIs, single in 9th lifts Pirates over Mets 5-4〉
By WES CROSBY, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates needed someone to lean on with three of their better hitters out of the lineup Friday. On cue, David Freese came through in a big way.
Freese drove in five runs, including an RBI single in the ninth inning that lifted the Pirates over the New York Mets 5-4. He homered in going 3 for 3 with two walks, helping the Pirates win for the 12th time in 14 games.
“It’s wild,” Freese said. “We just have to step up. These are the dog days, I guess, and it’s tough out there. Bodies are dragging a little bit. But we are in the hunt, that’s what’s cool. We just have to keep going.”
The Mets had won three in a row. They beat the Pirates 12-6 Thursday night behind Asdrubal Cabrera’s homer and two doubles – Cabrera was traded to Philadelphia on Friday.
Josh Harrison led off the Pittsburgh ninth with an infield single against rookie reliever Tim Peterson (2-2). A single by Gregory Polanco put runners at the corner and Elias Diaz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Freese hit a drive over center fielder Brandon Nimmo for the win.
Pittsburgh was without outfielders Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson, who were out with a left hand contusion and left hamstring discomfort, respectively. First baseman Josh Bell played two innings before leaving with left side discomfort.
“We didn’t have a lot of depth, truthfully,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “That’s one thing these guys have done all year long, is that they show up. Whoever is available plays and they depend upon one another.”
Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez (4-2) got the win after striking out two in a scoreless ninth.
After Freese gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead with a two-out, two-run single up the middle with the bases loaded in the fifth, the Mets loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth.
Reliever Edgar Santana struck out Kevin Plawecki and had a chance to get out of the inning when Jose Reyes sharply lined out to left fielder Jordan Luplow. Michael Conforto paused after charging from third, but Luplow’s throw sailed to the backstop, allowing Conforto to continue and beat the tag at home, tying it at 4.
Mets reliever Seth Lugo gave up the go-ahead single to Freese in the fifth, after replacing starter Jason Vargas. In his first start since June 19, Vargas allowed three runs on three hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
“I thought (Vargas) did a good job,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “To push him any further than we did, I thought would be tough. He started getting a little tired there at the end.”
Without getting the decision, Vargas was still pleased with his return.
“It’s kind of hard to say what you anticipate, but I felt really solid out there,” Vargas said. “I felt like I was able to make some pitches. I made that one mistake to Freese that he really went out there and hammered, but I felt like I did a good job.”
That one mistake led to Freese’s home run, which cut the Mets’ 3-0 lead to 3-2 in the second. Conforto gave New York that lead with a three-run homer in the first.
Pirates starter Ivan Nova gave up three earned runs in five innings.
ROSTER MOVES
Mets: Cabrera was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for RHP Franklyn Kilome. New York signed OF Austin Jackson and designated OF Matt den Dekker for assignment.
Pirates: RHP Alex McRae was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. RHP Michael Feliz was optioned to Indianapolis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Hurdle did not provide an update on Bell, Marte or Dickerson. He did not say whether Marte or Dickerson could have pinch-hit if the game went to extra innings.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (5-5, 1.71 ERA) will look to win for the third time in four starts when he takes the mound against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He has allowed three earned runs combined during his past three starts, and has gone eight innings in each.
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (8-7, 4.11) hopes to build off of his last two starts when he faces the Mets on Saturday. After allowing five runs in five innings of a 17-5 loss to the Phillies on July 6, Williams hasn’t allowed a run in his two starts since, including when he shut out the Cleveland Indians in six innings of a rain-shortened, 7-0 win on Monday.
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Indians top Pirates 4-0, end Pittsburgh’s 11-game win streak
By BRIAN DULIK, Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer, Adam Cimber and Brad Hand combined for an emphatic end to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 11-game winning streak.
Bauer struck out 10 over seven innings and the newly acquired relievers completed a three-hitter as the Cleveland Indians beat the Pirates 4-0 on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh was seeking its first 12-game winning streak since 1965 but only advanced one runner to third base. The Pirates had scored six or more runs in seven straight games before losing for the first time since July 10 against Washington.
“When you face a team that’s hot like that, I enjoy meeting the challenge head-on,” said Bauer, who improved to 3-0 with an MLB-low 0.33 ERA in four interleague starts this season.
“I challenged them, forced them to hit my stuff,” he said. “I wanted to see who was tougher.”
Bauer (9-6) allowed two hits and two walks in his ninth double-digit strikeout game this year.
Cimber, acquired from San Diego along with Hand on July 19, got the first two outs in the eighth. Hand retired the next four batters, striking out three, for his first save with Cleveland. He had 24 saves with the Padres.
“Those guys are taking my innings away from me, jerks,” Bauer said, chuckling. “They’re good, and that’s what we got them to do, you know? Come in and shut the game down.”
Edwin Encarnacion had a two-run single in the third off Jameson Taillon (7-8), and Yonder Alonso had a two-run homer in the eighth against Felipe Vazquez.
Jose Ramirez scored twice and stole two bases for the Indians, who lead the AL Central by eight games over Minnesota. Francisco Lindor went had two hits.
“Trevor Bauer was as good as advertised,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “The spin pitches, sometimes they looked like a whiffle-ball coming in there, and he has enough run to the arm-side fastball at times that it keeps you honest.”
Pittsburgh, which outscored Cleveland 16-4 in winning the first two games of the series, was blanked for the ninth time. Jordy Mercer, Jacob Stallings and Adam Frazier had hits.
Pirates center fielder Starling Marte left in the first inning after being struck on the left hand by a Bauer pitch. Left fielder Corey Dickerson did not play because of a strained left hamstring that occurred Tuesday.
CLOSE CALL
Marte’s career-high hitting streak remains intact at 17 games because he did not record an official at-bat or sacrifice fly before leaving. Initial medical tests revealed a bruise, but no fracture.
“The news we received was the best news we could have gotten as far as the severity,” Hurdle said. “I don’t think it’s too bad.”
Marte has an NL-high 20 RBIs in July and is batting .292 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs on the season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (right forearm strain) began performing gripping exercises Tuesday and did not experience any problems. The 25-year-old starter was placed on the disabled list on June 29.
Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (right knee inflammation) will pitch every other day during his rehab assignment with Double-A Akron. He allowed four runs in 1/3 of an inning in his first outing Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pirates RHP Nick Kingham (5-4, 4.11 ERA) takes on Mets LHP Steven Matz (4-8, 3.65 ERA) in the opener of a nine-game homestand Thursday at PNC Park.
Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco (12-5, 4.03 ERA) faces Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (7-6, 3.49 ERA) to begin a six-game trip Friday at Comerica Park.
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Marte, Polanco, Bell HR; Bucs beat Indians for 11th straight
By STEVE HERRICK, Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has a simple philosophy when it comes to hot streaks.
“I have a saying that I use all the time,” he said. “I’m not superstitious but just in case, there’s some things I’ll continue to do.”
Whether it’s superstition — or just solid baseball — whatever the Pirates are doing is working.
Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Josh Bell each hit a two-run homer, and Pittsburgh beat the Cleveland Indians 9-4 on Tuesday night for their 11th straight win.
Hurdle, in his 16th season as a big league manager, knows how quickly fortunes can change in baseball but realizes his team is doing something special.
“I can understand not making too much of it,” he said. “(But) I’ve been in the game 44 years and I won’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been on a team that has won 11 games in a row. It hasn’t been 44.”
The Pirates beat the Indians for the second straight night. Marte homered in the first inning, drove in three runs and extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games.
Polanco homered and Corey Dickerson tripled in two runs when Pittsburgh scored five times in the second. Bell hit a home run in the fifth. The Pirates have homered in a season-high nine straight games, hitting 22 home runs in that span.
Pittsburgh has won 11 in a row for the first time since Sept. 12-22, 1996. The Pirates have won 13 of 14 and are 17-8 since June 24. Pittsburgh has outscored its opponents 43-9 in the last five games.
Musgrove (4-4) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings for his first win since June 29.
“It’s awesome,” he said of the winning streak. “It’s not very often you get to be a part of something like this.”
Shane Bieber (5-2), called up from Triple-A Columbus to make the start, allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion returned after missing two games with a bruised right hand and hit a leadoff homer in the fourth. Brandon Guyer added a solo homer in the eighth.
Pittsburgh rolled to a 7-0, rain-shortened win over reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber on Monday and the offense jumped ahead early again.
“Right now, we’re facing a team that if you make a mistake, they capitalize on everything and for two games now, that’s what’s happened,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Dickerson doubled to start the game and Marte drove a 2-1 pitch into the left-field bleachers for his 16th homer.
Pittsburgh’s second-inning runs came with two outs. Dickerson’s drive with runners on first and second sent center fielder Tyler Naquin to the wall. Naquin attempted to make a leaping catch, but the ball glanced off the side of his glove and rolled along the track.
Marte followed with an infield hit, and Polanco got his 18th home run to right. Bell hit his sixth homer to right off Neil Ramirez.
The Pirates are 12-2 in interleague play and have won eight in a row against AL teams.
Cleveland snapped a scoreless streak of 15 innings in the first on Jose Ramirez’s RBI groundout.
BIG NUMBERS
Dickerson, Marte and Polanco have fueled the Pirates’ hot streak. The three have combined to hit .382 (26 of 68) with nine homers 24 RBIs over the last five games.
“We’re challenging ourselves,” Dickerson said. “When somebody does something well the other ones are wanting to do something awesome also. We’re kind of holding each other accountable the way we work and those guys are working hard, so it’s paying off.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Dickerson was removed in the bottom of the fourth with left hamstring discomfort after going 2 for 3. He said after the game that he didn’t think the injury was serious.
Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (right knee inflammation) allowed four runs in one-third of an inning on a rehab assignment for Double-A Akron on Tuesday. He retired one of the five batters he faced and threw 24 pitches.
UP NEXT
James Taillon (7-7, 3.80 ERA) faces Indians All-Star Trevor Bauer (8-6, 2.44) in the series finale Wednesday. Taillon has never faced Cleveland while Bauer beat the Pirates in his only appearance against them in 2015.
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