PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A pair of Pirates relievers each with 0.00 ERAs entering the 9th inning gave up runs, but Richard Rodriguez was able to get Javier Baez to ground out for the final out after Kyle Crick allowed a few runners in Chicago's final at bat for a 6-5 Pirates win.
It was a game the Pirates seemingly had under control, as a lineup with only three regulars staked Tyler Anderson to a 4-0 lead before he threw the first of his 102 pitches. Anderson would go 8 innings allowing only a pair of runs.
At one point Anderson would retire 13 in a row, but said he agreed with the decision to come out after 8 innings.
"I thought he executed the fastball," said manager Derek Shelton. "He went up with it. It's probably the best command we've seen him have. The execution of the fastball at the upper quadrants of the zone was elite today."
"A day like today where you have the wind blowing in and the ball's not going out," Anderson said. "You don't always want to pitch up in the zone a bunch, sometimes the circumstances allow you to do that. Force the guys to put the ball in the air because the outfield is playing a lot bigger."
A groundout by Jacob Stallings got the first run home, then a Wilmer Difo looper that fell in center for a 2-run single and an error on a Troy Stokes grounder allowed the other run to score.
"We created some run scoring opportunities," Shelton said. "In the first, we did a really nice job extending. We got the benefit of a ball that wasn't caught, but we built on it, which was nice."
Difo would later triple home a run and Todd Frazier's ground out scored the sixth run.
"Two big hits," Shelton said of Difo. "I thought he did a nicer job staying under control in his at bats today. Sometimes when you are a bench guy and you get starts, you want to try to do too much. Today, I don't think he did that. I think he really stayed within his plan like he was pinch-hitting and we reaped the benefits of it."
"From the beginning of today, we were supporting each other, encouraging each other and really reminding each other that we were here to get that W," Difo said of a number of regulars out of the lineup. "We want to have a happy flight."
Stokes debut
A call-up with Colin Moran going on the injured list, outfielder Troy Stokes, Jr. made it in from the Triple A team and immediately started in right Sunday.
"Tough place to get a draw of playing right field at Wrigley with the way the wind was today and getting no pre-game work on it because it rained all morning," Shelton said.
Stokes would make a diving catch in the sixth, sliding just before he hit the wall.
"As soon as he hit it," Stokes said. "I knew it was going to be close. I took off, peeked at the wall, peeked at the ball, peeked at the wall again. I was like 'alright, I can catch this',"
"It's probably one of the most difficult place in baseball to play because there is no foul territory," Shelton said. "You're catching it or you're wall. He made a really nice catch on it."
The catch happened just before his parents arrived straight on a flight from Chicago to see Stokes make his debut.
Roster moves
Looking for some insurance for the lower-body injury that kept Bryan Reynolds out of the lineup Sunday, the Pirates grabbed left-hitting outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from Cleveland. He was 1 for 14 with the Indians.
The team released right-handed reliever Michael Feliz, who came over in the Gerrit Cole trade. In his career with the Bucs, Feliz 5-6, 5.00 ERA in 113.1 innings with 53 walks and 138 strikeouts.
Right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb recalled from AAA to take Feliz's bullpen spot. In 57.1 career MLB innings, Hartlieb is 1-1 with a 6.91 ERA. Hartlieb appeared in 21 games in 2020 with a 3.63 ERA with only one home run allowed in 22.1 innings.
Pirates put Ke'Bryan Hayes on the 60-day injured list, which really is only a procedural move that lines up when he would start rehab. Hayes could return on June 3.
Colin Moran is on the 10-day injured list with a groin injury.
Up Next
Pirates are back home for the first of three against the Reds. Mitch Keller, even number start, (2-3, 6.29 ERA overall) against Tyler Mahle (1-1, 3.23 ERA). Pirates continue with the 6:35 first pitch with Pirates pregame at 5:35 on 93.7 The Fan.
