Buc Notes-Hammerin’ Hank, Dotel 1st W, DK tossed

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s been a struggle this season at the plate for Henry Davis, but a second home in three games for the 2021 first round pick gave the Pirates (28-26) the lead in the seventh inning and a 2-1 win over the Cubs (29-25) Monday afternoon at PNC Park. It marks a ninth straight loss for Chicago.

Cubs had come back to tie the game with a home run in the fifth before Davis pounded a 91 mph, Trent Thornton cutter 413 feet to left field for a solo homer, his fourth of the season.

Davis has two hits in his last 23 at bats, both are home runs.

Carmen start

A lot of speculation as to where Jared Jones would fit in the Pirates rotation, if indeed he is activated this week and returned to being a starter. Bucs management has been noncommittal, but if he takes Carmen Mlodzinski’s spot, the right-hander goes out with a no-decision.

Mlodzinski gave up only a solo home run in six innings to go with four hits, three walks and two strikeouts against the Cubs in the first game of the series. The outing Monday lowered the 27-year-old right-hander’s ERA to 3.76 in his 11^th appearance.

Dotel solid

Rookie right-hander Wilbur Dotel threw three scoreless innings allowing only one hit and striking out four for his first career MLB win. Dotel’s ERA is now 1.69.

Ejected

For the second time in three games, Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected. It came after a pitch high-and-tight came close to hitting shortstop Konnor Griffin on the visor of the helmet. It was ruled that it didn’t hit him, but the Pirates challenged. It appeared that maybe the ball changed direction slightly, therefore clipping the visor, but the replay upheld the original call. Kelly was ejected for arguing the call by third base umpire Dan Bellino.

Notes

• Brandon Lowe doubled in Spencer Horwitz with the other Pirates run in the third inning. Now with 33 RBIs, he is one shy of Oneil Cruz for the team lead.
• Cruz, Lowe and Spencer Horwitz each had two hits
• Gregory Soto earned a save in back-to-back games, six on the season with a one-two-three ninth inning.

Up Next

Second game of the series Tuesday with RHP Braxton Ashcraft (3-2, 2.89 ERA) starting against a yet to be named pitcher for the Cubs. Dan Zangrilli has the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 5:45p with first pitch at 6:40 on 93.7 The Fan.

“Braxton in particular has done a fantastic job of being efficient, getting ahead and taking on the challenge of strike one and the race to two strikes, getting two of the first three,” Kelly said. “He's done an awesome job with that and I think as he continues to earn that, as all these guys continue to earn it, they have, going back to last year. When we talked about them being in the pen, Braxton filled so many different roles, starting games, closing games, pitching bulk in the middle, just dominating the innings that they've been out on the mound and he's continued to show that throughout this year."