The Pirates’ bats couldn’t catch up with the Tigers pitchers in another loss yesterday at PNC Park.
Joe Block has the recap.
The Pirates begin a seven-game road swing to Atlanta and St. Louis tonight. JT Brubaker [0-5, 4.70 ERA] starts for the Pirates against Braves lefty Max Fried [5-2, 2.74 ERA]. It’s a 6:55 airtime on WCCS.
The Pirates continue to be plagued by injury, and in his weekly update, Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk said outfielder Ben Gamel should begin running next week as he recovers from a hamstring injury; shortstop Kevin Newman is pain-free and should be ready to come off the 60-day injured list when he is eligible later this month. Newman injured his hamstring while rehabbing a groin injury last month. Infielder Josh VanMeter is experimenting with extra padding in his glove as he deals with a broken finger.
Other injured players still recovering include first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo; relief pitchers Dillon Peters, Heath Hembree, Nick Mears, and Blake Cederlind; outfielder Greg Allen, who has been out all year and has a new hamstring injury; and Tomczyk said pitcher Max Kranick will be out 14 to 16 months after having Tommy John surgery.
ALTOONA CURVE
The Altoona Curve split a doubleheader with Reading yesterday. The Curve took the first game, 4-0 as Mike Burrows went five innings, giving up just one hit and striking out nine as he raised his record to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.13. Blake Sabol homered, Brendt Citta had three hits, and Jared Triolo had two.
Reading won the second game, 6-1, scoring five runs off reliever Tyler Samaniego in the 6th inning to break open the game. Triolo had two more hits for the Curve.
Game three of the series is tonight in Reading, with neither team announcing a starter yet.
