Pitchers combine talents

Pirates use six to beat Padres

SAN DIEGO — The proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” was first noted in a Benjamin Jowett’s translation of Plato’s Republic about 16 years before the Pittsburgh Alleghenys became the Pirates in 1887. Neither Jowett nor Plato were likely thinking about baseball back then. But nearly 150 years later on a beautiful Saturday in Southern California the adage may as well have been written for Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.

Being without starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams forced Hurdle and his staff to get innovative in the Pirates’ 7-2 win Saturday at Petco Park. Thus comes the first time the Pirates used an “opener” — who went two innings — as opposed to a traditional starter.

Montana DuRapau was the ideal choice. In his fifth big-league appearance and first career start, he pitched scoreless frames in the first and second innings.

DuRapau walked Franmil Reyes with one out in the first inning. DuRapau ended the inning by striking out Manny Machado, and inducing an Eric Hosmer groundout.

Innovation goes easier when Josh Bell is hitting. Bell hit a majestic 429.9-foot home run over the centerfield wall off an 80-mph slider from Padres starter Nick Margevicius in the second inning. Bryan Reynolds followed him with his own homer, the first time the Pirates hit back-to-back home runs since last July.

Sometimes necessity doesn’t work out. At least not for Margevicius. Bell’s first home run off the slider probably should’ve made Margevicius reconsider the pitch or at least be sure he placed it correctly the next time. Instead, Bell hit a 379foot home run to right field. Bell’s third-inning home run drove in Adam Frazier and Starling Marte to give the

Pirates a five-run lead.

One of the reasons the Pirates went to the opener was because Nick Kingham and Steven Brault struggled as starters. Brault, a San Diego-area native, had a chance to redeem himself in his town and with a five-run lead.

Brault walked Ian Kinsler and Reyes with one out in the third. Machado hit a ball that went under Adam Frazier’s glove at second base. The official scorer credited Machado with a single, which increased his hit streak to 11 games. However, while the ball was hit sharply, Frazier probably should’ve made the play. The single drove in Kinsler. Brault walked Hosmer to load the bases. Hunter Renfroe hit into a double play to end the inning.

Gregory Polanco hit his fourth home run of the season in the fifth inning to give the Pirates 6-1 lead. Brault pitched a scoreless bottom half of the fifth.

Michael Feliz came in the sixth with one out after Brault gave up a run. Feliz got the final two outs.

Feliz started the seventh and left with two outs after giving up a single to Hosmer that moved Kinsler to second. Kyle Crick struck out Renfroe.

Francisco Liriano pitched the eighth, and Geoff Hartlieb a 1-2-3 ninth in his big league debut to preserve the win.

Brault got the win. The Pirates are 23-20.