Pirates bounce back, dent Brewers, 5- 1
Bullpen does its part after performing poorly on Saturday
MILWAUKEE — Sunday was more than likely the last time the Pirates will look like this and play a game, as the MLB trade deadline arrives Monday afternoon. Even if it’s small, general manager Ben Cherington will almost assuredly do
At least this group can say that it went out with a bang.
A couple, actually, including a blast from Josh Bell that dented the hood of a Toyota Highlander that’s parked on the concourse beyond the rightcenter field fence at Miller Park.
The Pirates used Bell’s homer, another from Gregory Polanco and six shutout innings from the bullpen to earn a 5- 1 victory over the Brewers that gave Pittsburgh some good vibes during uncertain times.
“I’ve been trying to hit that for three years now,” Bell said of his 428- foot homer off Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff.
“There’s going to be an unlucky fan with a dent in their hood whenever they get that car.”
Sunday’s win sets up a possible series split for the Pirates ( 10- 21) on Monday, while it also snapped a seven- game losing streak for them in this building.
The day after the Pirates went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left a seasonhigh 11 runners on,
Sunday was Milwaukee’s turn; the Brewers went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base.
In addition to Bell looking more like himself, a big takeaway from this one was the bullpen. A night after blowing two late leads, the Pirates got key contributions from several relievers in this one, including 2⅔ scoreless innings from Nick Tropeano, making his second appearance with Pittsburgh.
Tropeano worked four scoreless innings Tuesday in Chicago and continues to make a
MILWAUKEE — Before their game Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, the Pirates placed outfielder Bryan Reynolds on the paternity list and recalled infielder Will Craig.
Reynolds’ wife, Blair, had been pregnant with the couple’s first child, a boy due in September, and manager Derek Shelton said Reynolds got the call around 5 a. m. Sunday.
“He’s en route back right now,“Shelton said, ” so hopefully he gets there in time.”
While major league teams have been trying to limit commercial travel, for a situation like this, it’s sort of unavoidable, the manager said.
“When you’re dealing with kids and being there for a moment of your life, we have to be a little more lenient in allowing him,” Shelton said. “We’d like him to get there for the birth. Then we’ll just protocol him back in when we come back.”
Without Reynolds, Adam Frazier received another
Pirates notebook
start in left field. Frazier played his first game there since 2018 on Friday.
Craig was sent to Altoona Saturday when the Pirates activated pitchers Carson Fulmer and Kyle Crick. Craig made his MLB debut last week in St. Louis.
The time off probably comes at a good time for Reynolds, who was in a 1- for- 21 slump that dropped his batting average to .184.
Excited for Alford
Shelton had no update on recent acquisitions Anthony Alford or Austin Davis, an outfielder and a pitcher. Both are navigating Major League Baseball’s extensive COVID- 19 protocols.
As for Alford, he’s clearly someone Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington have liked dating to their time in Toronto, where Alford was once a highly touted Blue Jays prospect. The Pirates know they have their work cut out for them in Alford, a career .155/. 200/. 254 hitter at the major league level. But they also see potential from a two - sport athlete in college who apparently runs well.
“He’s unbelievably athletic,” Shelton said. “He’s explosive. He’s a kid who was a college football player. He’s going to be a guy on the bases that’s going to be exciting, because once he gets moving, it’s fast and it’s powerful. I know [ first- base coach] Tarrik [ Brock] is champing at the bit to get his hands on him and talk to him about baserunning stuff.”
Shelton and hitting coach Rick Eckstein have had conversations about how to fix flaws in Alford’s swing. The 26- year- old has struck out in 30 of his 71 at- bats at the major league level.
“There are definitely some things offensively we can work on, some things before we acquired him we identified,” Shelton said. “The fact that I do have a little bit of history with him, Rick and I have already started to talk about it a little bit.”
Musgrove close
Shelton offered a couple of updates on injured pitchers Joe Musgrove and Mitch Keller, and it sounds like Musgrove ( right triceps inflammation) might be back sooner rather than later. In fact, Shelton said Musgrove might do much of his buildup at the major league level, the result of not having a minor league season.
Musgrove, who is rumored to be drawing trade interest from the Atlanta Braves, will throw a side session this week, and Shelton said the Pirates would know more then. Keller has thrown off a mound once.
It’s an interesting situation for Keller, as the Pirates have fewer than 30 days remaining in the season. For a veteran pitcher and under normal circumstances, there’s a good chance the Pirates wouldn’t bother trying to bring that guy back. But this year is definitely unique because it was late and short. Keller also needs the work, Shelton said.
“The mound touches are extremely important,” Shelton said. “And getting him back into game action, regardless of what it is, is extremely important not only for this year but building forward next year.”