Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Vince Velasquez delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 24, 2016.
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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (51) walks off the mound with shoulder discomfort …
Glasnow was a wreck Saturday in his second career start.
Glasnow lost to the Cardinals at St. Louis on July 7, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-8 22-year-old is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle credited Taillon’s maturity for him to allow big hits early but remain focused and effective.
“He didn’t notice or tell us or share anything with us until just visually we saw him moving his arm around like it was uncomfortable”, Hurdle said.
“You’re going to go through various conditions, and it’s something that you’ve got to really take into consideration – to really lock in, stay hydrated because it can mentally drain you”, he said. “It was kind of a progression, I guess, inning by inning got a little worse and they felt like it was time for me to come out”. He has a 3.94 ERA in 33 appearances with the Pirates this season. Freese’s hit off Severino Gonzalez pushed the lead to three runs, and Francisco Cervelli capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to help Pittsburgh win for the fourth time in six games.
Cesar Hernandez had three hits for the Phillies while Andres Blanco and Odubel Herrera hit solo home runs off Pirates rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon. Marte led off the inning with a single and Elias Diaz drove him in with a groundout to record his first career RBI.
Juan Nicasio (8-6) gave up a run in two innings in relief of Glasnow for the win.
With a runner at first and two out in the second, Ramiro Pena lofted a double to the left-center gap. After Tony Watson handled the eighth, Mark Melancon pitched a ideal ninth for his 30th save. He hit two batters, including Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp. Rupp did not display any concussion symptoms but will be re-examined Sunday as part of Major League Baseball’s protocol for head injuries.
Philadelphia countered with one of its own young pitchers in Aaron Nola (5-9), who gave up six runs on six hits in four-plus innings. That was a step backward from his last start when he pitched six shutout innings against the Miami Marlins on the heels of giving up 30 combined runs in his previous five outings.
Blanco took a throw from catcher Carlos Ruiz and applied a tag in time to get Gregory Polanco, who was attempting to steal third base.
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The Pirates responded in the bottom of the first when Andrew McCutchen doubled to the Northside notch with two outs and scored on Starling Marte’s single past diving third baseman Blanco. Franco is considered day-to-day. Phillies 3B Maikel Franco missed his second straight start since leaving Friday’s game a couple of innings after he was hit on the top of the left wrist by a pitch. RHP A.J. Schugel was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, one day after he was optioned there by the Pirates to make room for Glasnow. He is filling in for C Eric Fryer, who is on paternity leave.
