Pirates stymie Brewers
inning when the game entered a rain delay. He did not return when play resumed. In three scoreless innings, Kuhl allowed two base hits and struck out two. It was an impressive outing, if only because Kuhl pitched at all.
Five days earlier, in a series finale in Miami, Kuhl exited early after taking a one-hop ground ball off his right knee. He dropped to the ground in pain and clutching the knee, as manager Clint Hurdle and an athletic trainer rushed toward the pitcher’s mound to check on Kuhl.
“I asked him if he was digging somewhere,” Hurdle joked before the game Friday. “I’ve got enough experiences going out there [to visit an injured player] that I just let that go. I’ve seen Wandy Rodriguez go out and hold a Pilates class after he caught a cramp. We were trying to chase him around the infield to slow him down just to get a read [on his condition].”
Despite a bit of bruising and swelling around the knee, Kuhl received treatment and was tested regularly the day after the incident, and his mid-week bullpen session proceeded smoothly. Friday night, he threw 32 of his 43 pitches for strikes before rain turned the game over to the bullpens.
Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson also failed to return for the fourth. He was nearly perfect, allowing only one base-runner — Kuhl, on shortstop Orlando Arcia’s fielding error. It was left to Scahill, the righthander who played for the Pirates in 2015 and 2016, to preserve the no-hit bid.
Scahill missed the mark. Bell jumped on a first-pitch fastball and banged a leadoff double over center fielder Keon Broxton’s head. Polanco’s sinking line drive dropped inches in front of Broxton’s glove for a run-scoring single, the cleanup hitter’s fifth RBI this season.
The inning continued once first baseman Eric Thames threw away a potential double-play ball, scoring Polanco. The Brewers (15-15) elected to intentionally walk Jordy Mercer with two outs to bring the pitcher LeBlanc to bat. LeBlanc smacked the first pitch to left field. Francisco Cervelli scored, and Jose Osuna was thrown out easily at home plate to end the inning. The sharp single was LeBlanc’s first hit since May 1, 2013, and it was his first RBI since Aug. 31, 2011.
Former Pirates reliever Jared Hughes pitched the sixth inning for the Brewers. He induced two weak grounders, then put two men on base before striking out Josh Harrison. Hughes, a popular player in Pittsburgh, received a friendly ovation from the fans still scattered in the seats.
The shutout, the Pirates’ second this season, was sealed in the ninth by righthander Daniel Hudson. He completed an effort started by Kuhl and carried forth by LeBlanc, right-hander Juan Nicasio and lefthander Felipe Rivero.