Ramos bails out Stroman, Mets rally by Pirates 7-5
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Marcus Stroman already feels like he’s been a member of the New York Mets “forever.”
Maybe, but the All-Star pitcher is still getting used to his surroundings. New clubhouse. New catcher. New opponents. New stakes. It’s a lot to take in. And for an inning on Saturday night, Stroman looked like one of those players he watched growing up on Long Island, the ones who couldn’t handle the bright lights of playing in New York.
Stroman labored through a 35-pitch opening frame before settling in and keeping the Mets in range of the Pittsburgh Pirates long enough for catcher Wilson Ramos to key a 7-5 comeback victory.
The right-hander — acquired in a trade with Toronto last week — was admittedly not as sharp as he’d like while lasting 4 1/3 innings in his National League debut. But Ramos made sure it didn’t matter, hitting a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning and adding a three-run double in the ninth to give the Mets their ninth win in 11 games.
“My command was a little iffy but my body felt great,” said Stroman, who gave up three runs seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. “Just need to make a few adjustments on my mechanics and I think I’ll be ready for my next one.”
New York trailed 3-1 in the seventh when Jeff McNeil hit a pinch-hit solo home run to get the Mets within one. Robinson Canó doubled off Kyle Crick (3-6) leading off the eighth and Ramos followed with a shot to the seats in right-center field to put New York in front.
Ramos provided insurance in the ninth when his drive to the Clemente Wall in right field off Chris Stratton cleared the bases. Ramos finished 4 for 5 with a career-high six RBIs. The Mets, who saw a seven-game winning streak snapped on Friday, won for just the fifth time this season when trailing after the seventh.
“I think that tonight was elusive to us in the first half,” New York manager Mickey Callaway said. “It was tough to stop the bleeding and I think we understand we have to do that. I don’t think we’ve ever given up. We’ve just got to get it done. It seems like we’re getting it done.”
Amed Rosario added three hits for the Mets. Justin Wilson (3-1) earned the victory by pitching a scoreless seventh.
Bryan Reynolds had four hits for Pittsburgh. Starling Marte went 3 for 5, including a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth off Mets closer Edwin Díaz to get the Pirates within two. Díaz struck out the last two batters to drop the Pirates to 4-17 since the All-Star break.
MORE STROMAN
Stroman hadn’t pitched since July 24 and the layoff may have played a factor in his early struggles. He ducked into the clubhouse after the first inning to look at video of his mechanics, made a tweak and eventually got into a rhythm. He retired eight straight at one point but was lifted after walking Josh Bell to put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth.
It wasn’t dominant, but it was enough to keep the Mets close.
“He didn’t have his great stuff,” Callaway said. “I’m sure the energy was off the charts. New team. New York. It’s his hometown. Pitching for the first time and he battled. He was probably rusty because he hasn’t pitched in a long time and he was out there doing everything he can to keep guys from scoring.”
SYMMETRY FOR ARCHER
Stroman’s debut with the Mets came on the same night Pittsburgh starter Chris Archer celebrated his one-year anniversary in Pittsburgh. Archer received a standing ovation after earning a victory over St. Louis in his debut with the Pirates on Aug. 3, 2018, a nod to the optimism the trade to bring him over brought to a young club trying to stay competitive in the NL Central.
The honeymoon ended quickly. Archer is just 6-11 with the Pirates and is winless in his last 10 starts. Still, he overcame a shaky 33-pitch first inning to work six innings, giving up one run on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Archer also kept the ball in the park, a rarity for a pitcher who has allowed 25 home runs on the season.
“When he’s on top of his game, that’s what he does,” said acting Pirates manager Tom Prince, filling in for the suspended Clint Hurdle. “He settled in after that first inning. Thought he did a really good job.”
ROSTER SHUFFLING
Mets: Recalled RHP Jacob Rhame from Triple-A Syracuse and sent down RHP Tyler Bashlor. Bashlor allowed a three-run home run to Marte in Friday night’s loss and has surrendered six runs overall in his last two appearances. … Claimed LHP Donnie Hart from Milwaukee and optioned him to Syracuse.
Pirates: Placed RHP Richard Rodriguez on the paternity list and called up reliever Parker Markel from Triple-A Indianapolis. Pittsburgh claimed Markel from Seattle on July 27. RHP Keone Kela began serving his 10-game suspension for his role in a brawl in Cincinnati on Tuesday. Utility player Jose Osuna (five games) and Crick (three games) are still awaiting word on their appeals.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (left shoulder strain) will rejoin the starting rotation against Milwaukee on Tuesday. Brault last pitched on July 5, leaving after four innings due to shoulder tightness.
UP NEXT
Mets: Noah Syndergaard (7-5, 4.10 ERA) has thrown at least seven innings in each of his last four starts, striking out 36 against just seven walks.
Pirates: Joe Musgrove (8-9, 4.23) is 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA over his last six starts.
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Reds beat Pirates 4-1, both teams behave day after brawl
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) — Clint Hurdle and David Bell had little interaction while exchanging lineup cards one day after their teams fought on the field, and the Pirates and Reds were on good behavior Wednesday during Cincinnati’s 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh behind a strong performance from Luis Castillo.
Bell and three Reds, including now-traded Yasiel Puig, were ejected for a ninth-inning brawl during the Pirates’ 11-4 win on Tuesday night. Four Pirates also were ejected. Major League Baseball was reviewing video of the fight Wednesday and was expected to hand down suspensions over the second fracas between the NL Central rivals this season.
Bell went after Hurdle during the fight and was restrained in a headlock by batting coach Rick Eckstein. Bell repeatedly cursed Hurdle as he left the field. A day later, the two managers didn’t say much while handing lineup cards to the umpires.
They’re not done with each other. They meet again at PNC Park on Aug. 23, and wrap up the season together with three games in Pittsburgh Sept. 27-29.
The series matched two teams that have faded from the NL Central race, but only one of them is already looking to next year.
Puig went to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal for pitcher Trevor Bauer even though Cincinnati had slid to 7½ games out. Puig can be a free agent at the end of the season, while Bauer is under contract control for another year. The Reds also dealt starter Tanner Roark to Oakland on Wednesday for an outfield prospect.
The Pirates have gone 3-16 since the All-Star break, prompting them to deal starter Jordan Lyles to Milwaukee at the start of the series. They couldn’t muster much against Castillo (10-4), who recovered from his worst start of the season. The All-Star allowed a career-high six runs in a 12-2 loss to the Rockies on Friday.
Castillo gave up six hits and a run while pitching into the eighth inning on Wednesday. Raisel Iglesias retired the side in the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances.
Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez homered off rookie Dario Agrazal (2-2), who lasted only 3 2/3 innings. Agrazal hit Tucker Barnhart on the foot with a breaking ball, and got Winker on the arm with a fastball, drawing boos from the crowd of 20,886. The umpires huddled after Winker was hit, but didn’t eject Agrazal.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Hurdle said none of his players was hurt in the brawl.
Reds: Reliever David Hernandez was activated off the injured list and took Puig’s roster spot. Hernandez had been sidelined by shoulder fatigue.
UP NEXT
Pirates: After a day off, Pittsburgh opens a six-game homestand against the Mets on Friday.
Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (6-5) opens a four-game series in Atlanta. Bauer is expected to join the Reds there, although he hasn’t yet been slotted into the rotation.
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Going out swinging: Puig brawls again as Reds finish trade
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jared Hughes’ errant pitch threw a load of fuel on one of the majors’ most flammable rivalries.
Call it Pirates vs. Reds, round two — and a fitting farewell for Yasiel Puig.
Hughes hit Starling Marte with his first pitch in the ninth inning Tuesday night, setting the stage for the latest dust-up between the Ohio River rivals. Four Pirates and four Reds were ejected in Pittsburgh’s 11-4 win, including Puig, who was in the process of being traded.
“The ball just slipped and it was real unfortunate and a lot of bad things happened afterward,” Hughes said.
And it’s not over.
Reds manager David Bell faces a suspension for coming back onto the field and going after Pirates manager Clint Hurdle during the fracas. Bell had already been ejected for arguing a strike call an inning earlier.
And there was Puig, who’s headed to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal for starter Trevor Bauer, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced.
Puig prolonged the fight that started when Reds reliever Amir Garrett went toward the Pirates dugout and threw several punches.
Puig’s summary of the inning: “That’s crazy.”
The NL Central rivals have been going at each other for years. The nastiness resumed this season when Derek Dietrich admired his homer at PNC Park in April, touching off a fracas.
On Tuesday, Dietrich got into the lopsided game late, and Keona Kela threw a fastball up-and-in that set off the Reds.
“I just wanted to show them that we didn’t agree with the way things went down, and you have to pitch in,” Kela said. “I was just going my part.”
Between innings, Joey Votto exchanged words with Kela.
“Today was an example of us standing our ground for what we think is right,” Votto said. “At some point, a group of players has to do that.”
Both benches had been warned when Hughes plunked Marte, so the reliever and Reds bench coach Freddie Benavides were ejected. Garrett relieved and, during the inning, traded words with Pirates starter Trevor Williams, who was in the dugout.
Garrett ran from the mound toward the dugout and started swinging as players came onto the field. Garrett was upset over the up-and-in pitch to Dietrich.
“I definitely do think they teach that in that organization,” Garrett said. “I don’t think it’s right to throw at somebody. That’s not something you should do. If you have a problem, handle it like a man.”
When the fight began, a livid Bell ran back onto the field and went after Hurdle, who got knocked to the ground in the scrum. Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein got Bell in a headlock. Bell yelled at Hurdle as he left the field.
“It’s a shame that this is allowed and that they’re able to get away with it,” Bell said of the up-and-in pitch. “They celebrate it, they support it, they clearly allow it. I don’t know if they teach it, but they allow it. It’s dangerous.”
Four Pirates were ejected: Williams, Chris Archer, Kyle Crick and Francisco Cervelli, who is on the injured list.
“No one likes getting shown up,” Williams said. “Alphas don’t like it. You hope it’s done. You hope it’s over. Hopefully, it won’t escalate. Today was pretty bad for us, pretty bad for baseball, pretty bad for everybody.”
Puig was given a warm ovation from Reds fans as he left the field after his ejection, knowing he was headed to Cleveland. He was also at the center of the memorable fight that followed Dietrich’s homer in April, taking on nearly the entire Pirates team at one point — a striking image with Pittsburgh sporting bright yellow throwback uniforms.
As for the game, Pittsburgh ended a nine-game losing streak behind trade candidate Corey Dickerson, who had another big game at Great American Ball Park. He drove in a career-high five runs with a pair of homers and a single. In 14 career games at Great American, Dickerson is batting .431 with nine homers and 18 RBIs. He’s had three four-hit games and three multi-homer games.
Joe Musgrove (8-9) set a career high with his eighth win. He went six innings and gave up solo homers by Votto and Jose Iglesias . Tanner Roark (6-7) had a rough time Tuesday. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings — his shortest start of the season — and gave up five runs.
The teams conclude the series Wednesday, with neither one looking for another confrontation but not backing away, either.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it sparks again,” Musgrove said, noting that Bell ran back onto the field to join in the fight. “We don’t take lightly what happened tonight.”
SUSPENDED
The Pirates suspended bullpen coach Euclides Rojas for two games for an undisclosed contract violation. Rojas started serving the penalty Tuesday. The club had no further comment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Dickerson was back in left field after missing three games with a sore groin.
Reds: Reliever David Hernandez will be activated before the final game of the series on Wednesday. He’s been on the injured list with shoulder fatigue.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Dario Agrazal (2-1) makes his seventh start since his major league debut June 15. He gave up a career-high three homers in a 6-3 loss to the Mets on Friday.
Reds: Luis Castillo (9-4) is coming off his worst start of an All-Star season. He gave up a career-high six runs in five innings of a 12-2 loss to the Rockies on Friday.
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed from Cleveland.
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Pirates trade Lyles, lose to Reds 11-6 on 10-run inning
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) — All nine Reds crossed the plate in a parade unseen in Cincinnati since the days of the Big Red Machine. All the down-and-out Pirates could do was watch glumly.
Jose Iglesias’ grand slam completed Cincinnati’s 10-run second inning and the Reds beat the Pirates 11-6 Monday night after Pittsburgh traded scheduled starter Jordan Lyles to the Brewers.
The last-place Pirates lost their ninth straight, their longest skid since they dropped 10 in a row in 2011.
“It’s hard right now, there’s no doubt about it,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We battle adversity in different areas just about every night.”
Lyles was dealt to Milwaukee — which has an injury-depleted rotation — in the afternoon for pitching prospect Cody Ponce. Alex McRae (0-3) took Lyles’ spot, his first major league start after seven relief appearances. He retired only four batters and was replaced during Cincinnati’s biggest inning in four years.
McRae learned when he got to the ballpark about four hours before game time that he was going to make his first start.
“I was excited, obviously a little bit of nerves the first inning,” McRae said. “No excuses though.”
Ten days earlier, the Reds gave up a 10-run inning by the Cardinals during a 12-11 loss at Great American Ball Park. This time, they were on the other end of one .
They piled up six hits and three walks while sending 13 batters to the plate. Joey Votto singled home a pair of runs, first baseman Josh Bell had a throwing error, and Iglesias’ second career grand slam off Montana DuRapau made it 10-1.
After he rounded the bases, Iglesias rubbed his hair in the dugout and told teammates he’d make good on a promise.
“I told them before the game that ‘If I hit a home run, I would paint my hair like you guys,'” Iglesias said.
What color?
“Purple or yellow,” he said.
Every Reds player scored in an inning for the first time since Sept. 3, 1975, when they beat the Dodgers 13-2, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Cincinnati hadn’t scored so many runs in an inning since it also had 10 in the sixth against Detroit on Aug. 24, 2015.
“That doesn’t happen a lot, but we’ve been so in tune with our players and our offense these days,” manager David Bell said. “An inning like that can be really good for offense.”
Sonny Gray (6-6) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings, including Starling Marte’s 18th homer and Bryan Reynolds’ ninth. Colin Moran hit his third career grand slam off Wandy Peralta.
The game matched the NL Central’s bottom teams. The Pirates have anchored themselves in last place by going 2-15 after the All-Star break, prompting them to trade Lyles two days before the deadline.
BAD KARMA
During that 17-game stretch, the Pirates have led only three times after the fifth inning.
NEWCOMER
DuRapau was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Lyles’ spot on the roster. He pitched in 10 games during three previous stints with the Pirates this season.
KEEP GOING
Hurdle says the Pirates have incentive to keep playing hard even as they trade away players.
“There’s an honor code out there about continuing to play,” Hurdle said pregame. “And the one thing we do mention is the name on the front of the jersey is important. It’s important for the fan base, it’s important to your organization, the people who work for your organization. And that name on the back should be important to you because you’re carrying your family name out there every day.”
TERRIBLE TWOS
The Pirates’ previous worst inning? They gave up nine runs — also in the second inning — during a 14-8 loss to the Cardinals on July 24.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Left-hander Steven Brault could start a rehab assignment Thursday. He’s been in the injured list since July 6 with a strained left shoulder. … Corey Dickerson missed a third straight game with a sore groin. He might return during the series.
Reds: Reliever David Hernandez might be activated during the series. He’s been sidelined since July 18 with a sore right shoulder.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Joe Musgrave (7-9) has matched his career high with seven wins, accomplished with the Astros in 2017. He won his other start against the Reds this season, throwing seven scoreless innings for a 2-0 victory on April 5 at PNC Park.
Reds: Tanner Roark (6-6) is 3-1 in eight career starts against the Pirates. He had no decision in a 6-5 loss on April 30 at Pittsburgh.
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