He pitched mostly in long relief for the Pirates before the injury, making 10 relief appearances with two starts and going more than two innings just once.
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Interim manager Brian Snitker said after the Phillies game that Teheran looked unusually worn out. If pressed, even the most intransigent pessimist might have acknowledged at least a non-zero chance that, if Locke didn’t pitch one of his rare gems, he at least might be able to bluff his way through some innings and allow the Pirates offense and bullpen to earn a win against a reputedly inferior opponent.
“You have to experience it”, Snitker said. “Hopefully we can build on it tomorrow”. Tyrell Jenkins (1-2, 4.91 ERA) gets the starting nod for Atlanta. The Pirates are just three games back of the second wild card spot in the National League but they haven’t done themselves any favours of late as they are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and are throwing games away against bottom of the ladder type teams and need a rebound outing here.
Pirates starter Jeff Locke (8-7) blew the four-run lead and was chased on Inciarte’s single.
Cole (7-6) struck out four and allowed seven hits, two walks and two runs – one earned – in five innings.
“I think he got a little exhausted”, Frazier said. Matt Joyce’s single brought home one run, Jung Ho Kang’s double produced another and Adam Frazier’s second hit of the night provided some cushion.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Eric Fryer (24) follows through on a two-run base hit as Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski looks on in the fifth inning for a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, in Atlanta.
“Obviously, I didn’t feel completely 100 percent, but I still went out there and competed like I always do”, Teheran said. “It makes it a little easier”.
It was the first Braves hit for Kemp in his second game since the veteran slugger arrived in a trade from the San Diego Padres, and he added his first RBI on a sacrifice fly in a two-run sixth inning.
The Atlanta Braves, last in the majors with 65 homers, will finally have a right-handed power bat in the lineup when they open a three-game series Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner Field. He has a.377 average since July 19.
Pittsburgh’s Matt Joyce celebrated his 32nd birthday by hitting a three-run homer that bounced on the top of the fence and just eluded center fielder Enter Inciarte.
The two teams have split the first two games of the series. The first one in the first grazed his left hand, but the next one in the fifth hit his left hand solidly. Marte has been hit by 15 pitches, third-most in the NL.
Foltynewicz didn’t allow a hit until the fifth, but squandered a 1-0 lead after his 82 miles per hour changeup hit Francisco Cervelli in the left side of the helmet. On the one hand, 10 baserunners and four runs in five frames isn’t great; on the other hand, he notched five strikeouts and showed enough composure to battle back and not fall apart after a terrible first inning. He will throw again on the side and pitch a simulated game before being activated.
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Whalen has certainly proven down on the farm that he has what it takes to get hitters out at every level he’s appeared at, and now that he’s won his first big league game as a 22-year-old, he’ll get to see if he can make it continue. He has never faced Pittsburgh.
