Fan walks to plate, Hoskins HR in 11th lifts Phils over Bucs
By WES CROSBY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A fan casually walked to home plate and approached Philadelphia hitter Brad Miller for a handshake before being apprehended, and the Phillies later beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Sunday on Rhys Hoskins’ home run in the 11th inning.
Moments after Bryce Harper argued a called third strike and Hoskins spiked his bat after being hit by a pitch, things turned bizarre in the sixth inning at PNC Park.
That’s when a man carrying a cellphone came out of the crowd and strolled toward Miller in the batter’s box. Miller backed away and the man kept walking, leisurely getting near the Phillies’ dugout on the first base side, where he was handcuffed by security personnel and led away.
Miller then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Hoskins hit his 21st home run, connecting off Chris Stratton (1-3). The drive came right after Harper again seemed displeased with plate umpire Ben May when striking out looking to start the inning.
Phillies reliever Ranger Suárez (3-0) got Starling Marte to ground out to end the 10th, stranding Adam Frazier at third, and worked around a hit in the 11th.
Drew Smyly made his first start with the Phillies, allowing one run and four hits in six innings. He also struck out.
The 30-year-old lefty was 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances this year for Texas, which released him on June 25. Smyly signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee on July 1, went 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA in three starts for Triple-A San Antonio, then on Thursday exercised his right to be released.
Pirates starter Dario Agrazal allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts in six innings. The 24-year-old rookie has given up a combined eight runs (seven earned) in 28 innings through his first five starts.
Melky Cabrera put the Pirates ahead 1-0 in the first with an RBI single. The Phillies tied it in the fourth when César Hernández came out of a 25-minute rain delay and singled home Harper.
ROSTER MOVE
Phillies: RHP Fernando Salas was designated for assignment to open a roster spot for Smyly. Salas (0-0, 6.75) allowed two runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings across three appearances for Philadelphia this season. RHP Nick Pivetta moved to the bullpen to make room for Smyly in the rotation.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Segura left after the top of the fourth inning because of heel soreness. He was 0 for 2 before Scott Kingery moved from center field to replace Segura at shortstop.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.77) starts at Detroit on Tuesday. Since last losing in a 2-1 defeat against Miami on June 21, Nola is 2-0 in five starts while allowing seven runs (six earned) in 32 2/3 innings.
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.17) could start against St. Louis on Monday if well enough after being scratched from his last projected start on Saturday because of flu-like symptoms. An official starter has not been announced.
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Lindor hits foul ball that injures child; Indians top KC 5-4
By STEVE HERRICK Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Francisco Lindor wasn’t thinking about his home run that helped the Cleveland Indians beat Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Sunday. Instead, the All-Star shortstop was only concerned about the young child who was struck by a line drive he hit.
In the latest instance this season around the majors of a fan being injured by a foul ball, Lindor said he was told his liner sent a 3-year-old boy to the hospital.
“It stinks, man,” Lindor said. “You don’t want to get nobody hurt. I have heard the kid is doing well. He’s in the hospital. He’s getting checked and all I know is he’s in stable condition and he’s doing good.”
“In a way, that makes me happy, but it stinks, you don’t want that to happen to anybody, especially a little kid.”
The Indians said in an e-mail following the game that they could not disclose any information.
An adult holding the child immediately left the seating area after Lindor’s drive down the right field line in the sixth inning. Lindor said he stepped out of the box briefly before continuing the at-bat against pitcher Glenn Spellman.
“You take that moment to say a little prayer, ‘God, help him. Hope he’s OK,'” he said.
The protective netting at Progressive Field runs to the end of each dugout. Lindor’s line drive landed several sections beyond the netting and was about 12 to 15 rows into the stands.
Lindor echoed the calls of many major leaguers to extend the netting. The Chicago White Sox are set to become the first team in the majors with netting that goes from foul pole to foul pole on Monday.
Last month, a 2-year-old girl was sent to the hospital with head injuries by a foul ball in Houston.
“I encourage every MLB team to put the nets all the way down,” Lindor said. “I know it’s all about the fans’ experience of interacting with players and I completely get that. You want to have that interaction with the fans, getting autographs and stuff, but at the end of the day, we want to make sure everybody comes out of this game healthy, and we got to do something about it,” Lindor said.
“Everybody feels bad. And if we can put the nets a little bit further down, I think it would be a lot better,” he said.
Lindor said he changed his approach when he stepped back in the box against Spellman.
“You try to go back to this, focus on the pitcher, focus on the at-bat, focus on your job,” Lindor said. “That at-bat, I didn’t want to pull the ball at all.”
“I was just trying to hit it somewhere else, not hit it in that direction, because then what happens is somebody gets hit and then everybody’s paying attention to that person and nobody remembers there’s a game going on. You don’t want to pull the ball again, because then now you hit somebody else. It’s not fun,” he said.
Lindor homered after originally being scheduled to get the day off and José Ramírez hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth.
Lindor talked his way into the lineup at designated hitter after manager Terry Francona planned on resting him. His two-run homer in the third tied the game at 2.
Ramírez’s leadoff homer put Cleveland ahead in the sixth and the Indians went on to their seventh win in eight games. Cleveland has also won 13 of 16.
Rookie Zach Plesac (4-3) allowed two runs in six innings. The right-hander gave up a run in the first and allowed Jorge Soler’s solo homer in the third.
Brad Hand allowed Bubba Starling’s first major league home run in the ninth, but struck out the next three hitters for his 27th save in 28 opportunities.
Sparkman (4-5) allowed both homers and gave up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Soler hit his 27th home run in the third and took a homer away from Jason Kipnis the following inning. Soler leaped at the wall in right field to catch Kipnis’ towering drive.
Sparkman threw his hands in the air as he looked toward right field. Soler tipped his cap to the pitcher.
Kansas City is 7-3 since the All-Star break and snapped Cleveland’s six-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory on Saturday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (broken arm) threw 30 pitches off the mound, his second bullpen since being struck by a line drive May 1. He’ll accompany the team on its road trip to Toronto and throw his next bullpen session Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (4-5, 4.52 ERA) on Tuesday in Atlanta will look to build off a positive last outing. He threw six innings in which he allowed just two earned runs while walking none.
Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger (3-2, 3.57 ERA) will pitch the opener of a four-game series in Toronto on Monday. He’s struck out 27 batters in 17 innings in July.
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Musgrove pitches, hits, runs Pirates past Phils for 5-1 win
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joe Musgrove considers himself a bit of a throwback. The four days in between starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher can be monotonous. He wants to go out and play. Pinch-run. Pinch-hit. Whatever the situation requires.
On Saturday night, the situation required him taking his turn in the rotation a day ahead of schedule with teammate Trevor Williams needing a bit of extra rest. It required him making a textbook head-first slide to beat a throw from a good friend. It required an eclectic mix of six different pitches. And it required he do it in front of a team of champions who know a thing or two — or maybe more than a thing or two — about being throwbacks.
Musgrove sparked the Pirates with his bat and his legs and then overwhelmed Philadelphia over six dominant innings of two-hit ball to lift Pittsburgh to a 5-1 victory.
On the same night the Pirates celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1979 team that won the World Series, Musgrove (7-8) tied a season high with eight strikeouts and gave his team a needed spark with a third-inning double against Philadelphia’s Zack Eflin. Musgrove followed it with a clinical head-first slide across home plate just ahead of a throw from childhood buddy and Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper after Bryan Reynolds’ single.
“I grew up playing with him,” Musgrove said of Harper. “Our families are really close. We grew up playing a lot. We talk a lot. It was a fun little challenge. Ultimately I’m not thinking of anything other than trying to score there and how am I going to be safe?”
Musgrove eluded the tag from catcher J.T. Realmuto easily to ignite a three-run third inning that gave him and three relievers more than enough cushion on a night when the Phillies managed just three hits.
“I didn’t think we swung the bats the way we’re capable of swinging the bats,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “Musgrove did a pretty good job of keeping us off balance. He threw some good sliders. Early on, he was establishing his fastball. Then he started going to his slider and we weren’t able to make the adjustment.”
Starling Marte went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI for the Pirates. Corey Dickerson added two doubles and an RBI as Pittsburgh won for just second time in eight games.
“We need every win we can get right now,” Musgrove said. “I’m going to take the ball as often as I can, any chance I get.”
Though they wore the trademark black uniforms with striped pillbox caps the 1979 group led by Hall of Fame first baseman Willie Stargell and All-Star outfielder Dave Parker made famous on their way to the franchise’s last World Series title, the likeness between this current group and the “We Are Family” crew ends there.
This group of Pirates is dealing with injuries to the pitching staff and is simply trying to hang around following a post All-Star break funk that has dropped them off the pace in the NL Central.
“We need consistency on both sides,” Dickerson said. “We’ve played well at times. We’ve got to put it together somewhat consistently.”
Eflin, who entered with one victory in his last six starts and a 13.00 ERA in July, ran into trouble in the third and dropped to 2-7 on the road. Reynolds came home on Marte’s first double and Marte raced across the plate on a soft single by Josh Bell to give the Pirates an early 3-0 lead. Eflin lasted just four innings, giving up three runs on five hits with three strikeouts as his ERA ticked up to a season-high 4.25.
Kapler said Eflin appears to be feeling “a little bit heavy” at the moment. Eflin acknowledged there may be some fatigue setting in.
“Sometimes you wake up, you don’t feel great,” he said. “Right now it’s one of those things where I’m searching to find what’s best for me and what’s going to work for me. So come back in a couple days, throw a good bullpen and go from there.”
The Phillies scratched across a run in the fifth when a walk and an error by Bell at first base put runners in scoring position with no outs. Brad Miller scored on a groundout by Adam Haseley, but Musgrove returned from a 28-minute rain delay to strike out pinch-hitter Nick Williams and Scott Kingery to end the threat.
MORIN ARRIVES
Philadelphia reliever Mike Morin allowed a run in the seventh inning in his first appearance with the Phillies after being acquired from Minnesota for cash.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Keone Kela (right shoulder inflammation) threw an aggressive bullpen for the second straight day and could come off the 60-day injured list early next week.
UP NEXT
Phillies: LHP Drew Smyly will likely make his first start for the Phillies on Sunday. Smyly went 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA for Texas before being released last month. He signed with Milwaukee on July 1 and was sent to Triple-A before being let go by the Brewers on Thursday.
Pirates: Rookie RHP Dario Agrazal (2-0, 2.45 ERA) gets the start Sunday, with Williams likely to return to the rotation when St. Louis visits on Monday.
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Goldschmidt’s 3-run homer lifts Cardinals over Pirates 6-5
By JOE HARRIS Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt was looking for a single. He ended up getting a whole lot more.
Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Michael Feliz in the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 6-5 on Wednesday, dealing the Pirates their fifth loss in six games.
St. Louis trailed 4-3 when Tommy Edman singled off Francisco Liriano (4-2) with one out in the seventh and José Martínez walked. Feliz relieved, and Goldschmidt followed with his 18th homer.
“I had two strikes there, I was just trying to put something in play,” Goldschmidt said. “I knew a single would tie the game up there so if I could just put something in play maybe find a hole and at least tie the game up and was able to get enough of it to get it out of there.”
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Feliz’s stuff matches up better against Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill than anyone else out of the Pittsburgh bullpen.
“Goldschmidt and O’Neill were 0 for 5 against him coming in,” Hurdle said. “Unfortunately the fastball location was off on the pitch he threw Goldy today.”
John Brebbia (3-3) struck out four in two perfect innings. Carlos Martínez gave up an RBI single to Bryan Reynolds in the ninth before Starling Marté hit into a forceout, giving Martinez his sixth save in eight chances.
“The bullpen continued to be somewhat the unsung heroes,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “They’re not in our clubhouse, but sometimes they get overlooked for doing their job.”
O’Neill also homered for the Cardinals, who won two of three from the Pirates.
O’Neill singled in a run in the first and hit a solo homer in the fifth. He is 10 for his past 20 with four home runs.
“I’m just trying to see the ball and keep things simple,” O’Neill said. “Just hit it where it’s pitched and good things are going to happen off of that.”
Daniel Ponce de Leon made his first start since the Cardinals announced he was joining the rotation and gave up four runs, eight hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Pirates starter Chris Archer allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. Archer had a pair of hits, including an RBI single in a three-run fourth, after starting the season 1 for 25 at the plate. Reynolds chased de Leon with a two-run single.
“O’Neill got me,” Archer said. “He’s hot right now. I definitely want to execute better in that situation.”
Marte homered in the first, his fourth home run on a six-game trip.
“It’s good to win this series,” Goldschmidt said. “Yesterday we were right there, just couldn’t get the hit. Today we were able to. That’s what we’ve got to find a way to go is win those close games.”
MILESTONE HIT
Cardinals C Andrew Knizner got his first major league hit with a double in the second inning that set up José Martínez’s sacrifice fly.
TRAINING ROOM
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco stopped his rehab at Triple-A Indianapolis because of left shoulder soreness and will be evaluated in Pittsburgh. … INF Erik González (broken left clavicle) was to resume a rehab assignment at Indianapolis on Wednesday night. …. RHP Chad Kuhl and RHP Edgar Santana threw off a slope for the first time since Tommy John surgery.
Cardinals: INF Jedd Gyorko (right wrist surgery) hit off a tee for the first time since getting hurt. “I don’t want to get too excited about anything yet because there’s still a lot of steps to go,” Gyorko said. “But we’re definitely I think on the mend. Everything is feeling better than what it used to so we’re headed in the right direction.”
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Jordan Lyles (5-6, 5.16 ERA) starts a homestand opener Friday night against Philadelphia. Lyles gave seven runs in two-thirds of an inning in a loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson is to start Thursday night at Cincinnati and RHP Tanner Roark (5-6, 3.99 ERA). Hudson is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three career appearances against the Reds.
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Reynolds slugs Pirates past Yelich-less Brewers 6-5
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Red-hot rookie Bryan Reynolds hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 Sunday in their final game before the All-Star break.
The estimated 403-foot shot cleared the seats beyond the fence in right-center field and bounced toward the Allegheny River. Reynolds’ seventh homer of the season came after Kevin Kramer walked and Adam Frazier singled off reliever Junior Guerra (3-2).
Reynolds also hit an RBI double in the fifth and is batting .342 with a .950 OPS.
Brewers star Christian Yelich did not play and pulled out of Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby with a back injury. It’s unclear if Yelich will still play in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
Jesús Aguilar hit a two-run home run in the seventh off Pirates starter Joe Musgrove that tied the game at 3. It was his second home run of the game and eighth of season. He also hit a solo shot to left off Musgrove in the fifth.
Francisco Liriano relieved Musgrove and finished the seventh to improve to 3-1. Felipe Vázquez worked a four-out save, his 20th of the season.
Milwaukee rookie Keston Hiura hit a two-run homer in the eighth, also his seventh of the season.
Musgrove struck out five in six-plus innings, allowing five hits and three runs. His appearance was interrupted by a 40-minute rain delay in between the fifth and sixth innings.
He also contributed at the plate during a two-run second inning against starter Chase Anderson. Colin Moran tripled and scored on Kevin Newman’s single to right. Newman and Jacob Stallings perfectly executed a hit-and-run that left Newman at third for Musgrove, who put a squeeze bunt down the right side for his first career RBI.
Anderson allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Orlando Arcia pinch hit in the fifth inning after a scary collision with Hiura on Saturday.
Infield prospect Mauricio Dubon, recalled as insurance for Arcia, made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter in the eighth. Dubon is the first big leaguer born and raised in Honduras.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: RHP Burch Smith was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Dubon.
Pirates: LF Corey Dickerson (right groin discomfort) was held out of the lineup. … LHP Steven Brault (left shoulder strain) is not expected to be ready to return from the injured list after the 10-day minimum. Dario Agrazal will start the second half in the starting rotation while Brault recovers. … Kramer was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and RHP Montana DuRapau was optioned there.
UP NEXT
Brewers: Have not announced a starting pitcher for their second-half opener on Friday against San Francisco.
Pirates: Chris Archer (3-6, 5.49 ERA) will start the second half at the Chicago Cubs on Friday. He had a 7.89 ERA on the road in the first half.
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