Mitch Keller was outstanding for the Pirates last night, but it was a big swing by a Pittsburgh guy which won the game for the Mariners at PNC Park.
Greg Brown has the story.
With the loss, the Pirates are a game under .500 and now ten games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Game two of the series is tonight, with a matchup of good young right-handers. The Bucs’ Braxton Ashcraft (6-3, 3.18 ERA) takes on the M’s Bryan Woo (6-5, 3.94 ERA). Airtime is 6:15 with first pitch at 6:40 on WCCS.
The Pirates’ injury outlook is looking better. Expect a big crowd at tonight’s Altoona game as shortstop Konnor Griffin will play for the Curve tonight in the first outing of a rehab assignment. Griffin has been on the injured list since May 31st after suffering a forearm strain to his right flexor tendon. Senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk says the team is hopeful that Griffin will be ready to return to Pittsburgh in time for this weekend’s series against the Reds.
Tomczyk also said that further imaging on the right elbow of pitcher Jared Jones show no damage, just a contusion after he was struck by a batted ball Sunday in Colorado. Jones played light catch yesterday and will throw a bullpen session today to help determine his availability.
Oneil Cruz had his broken fingers examined on Monday and is now cleared to begin gripping a baseball and a bat, with a goal of starting to swing a bat later this week or early next week.
Pitchers Wilbur Dotel and Chris Devenski are making progress toward returning from injury, and at Indianapolis, pitcher Hunter Barco is in the evaluation stage after suffering inflammation in his elbow and infielder Nick Yorke is out at least a month after he broke his right middle finger when he was hit by a pitch.
