Pittsburgh will begin a three-game set against the Red Sox in Boston, starting on April 3.
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Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said after Tuesday’s game that he might be onto something.
Right-hander Ivan Nova did not factor in the decision but continues to up his free-agent stock. The rookie got his second major league win in his eighth start, going six innings while allowing two runs on six hits to go with a trio of strikeouts and walks. Phillips had a 4.35 ERA in 51 Triple-A appearances as a reliever this season. Free agent acquisitions in Jonathan Niese and Juan Nicasio failed to replace the level of production of the departed starters from a year ago, while highly touted prospects in Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon have failed to add that significant push that the club needed.
It’s not too hard to find the big bats in the Philadelphia order. Gomez served up a three-run home run off the bat of Sean Rodriguez in the top of the ninth inning. He stepped to the plate with the Pirates trailing 3-2, two men on base, and no one out. Rodriguez then pinch-hit for Rivero and, on a 2-2 pitch, blasted a line drive over the opposite field wall to put the Bucs up 5-3. Maikel Franco holds 127 hits with 55 runs, 22 homers and 74 RBI. “The first inning he got out of the jam with a double play, that was huge”. Harrison was injured Saturday after legging out a two-run double. That display of power is uncommon for a player whose game is built on speed.
Then came the ninth inning. With the Pirates trailing 3-2 and pinch runner Alen Hanson on first base Mercer lined a double down the right field line.
Brault allowed nine hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Cole’s answers were almost as short as his rocky first outing for the fading Pittsburgh Pirates.
The growing pains of a young catcher would not sink the Phillies on Tuesday night, though. Nova walked just his third batter since joining the Pirates in August. Not since July 12, 2014, had they won a game in which they trailed after eight innings, ending a string of 140 consecutive defeats when fighting from behind entering the decisive ninth inning. Philadelphia led 2-1 by the end of the sixth. He has not pitched more than six innings in any of his Major League starts.
With the Phillies clinging to a one-run lead in the seventh inning, Alfaro couldn’t block a Michael Mariot pitch.
Although Marte and Polanco have had strong seasons, it is clear the team is unable to steady its production without its best player being at his regular level of All-Star production.
Polanco went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and two men left on base on Tuesday night.
That will do it for tonight.
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That was Cole’s first start back from the DL and obviously didn’t show the Pirates enough to make them think it was worth running him out there for the rest of the season.
