PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – For a period of time Sunday it wasn’t as much a get away game for both the Pirates and Braves, but a try to stay out of the trainer’s room afternoon. Braves take the final game of the series behind a dominant performance from Chris Sale in an 8-1 win.
Seven times in the top six in voting for the Cy Young Award the 6’6” lefty befuddled the Pirates with off-speed pitches and high fastballs. The 35-year-old struck out eight giving up only four hits, three singles over seven innings. The Bucs got their only run on a looping double, a ground out to get Edward Olivares to third and a Yasmani Grandal RBI single.
"That's been a question people have been asking for about 15 years,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton when asked what made Sale so difficult. “The thing that's so challenging is he throws the fastball in to right-handed hitters and he tunnels the slider right off it. Today, he's been on a stretch where he hadn't given up a run in I think four starts. Today, the slider was elite. That's why this guy's been so good for so long."
Martin Perez started for the Pirates, but had to exit after three innings after injuring his groin landing awkwardly stepping on first base during an infield single in the third. With the score 1-1, Carmen Mlodzinski gave up a double and a sacrifice fly and then a two-out, two-run double to Matt Olson. The first baseman would later hit 420-foot home run into the Allegheny River off Aroldis Chapman and then Adam Duvall hit a 428-foot homer to left off Chapman. Ozzie Albies drove in Jarred Kelenic off Kyle Nicholas in the ninth and Travis d’Arnaud added a sac fly.
Pirates lost starting catcher Joey Bart to a thumb injury as he was unable to make it out for the second inning, so Grandal had to essentially play in another day game.
Shelton said they would have to wait until Tuesday to have more information on Bart and Perez. However, the Bucs manager said he is ‘very optimistic’ about Ke’Bryan Hayes return. He will work out again during the off day on Monday and they expect him back ‘sooner rather than later’.
Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna, Junior suffering a left knee injury. He was leading off second following a leadoff double in the first inning and after faking a move to third, he quickly turned back to second and dropped to the ground screaming. The reigning National League MVP was able to walk gingerly under his own power, stopping several times as he made his way to the dugout.
The injury was described officially as left knee soreness and the Braves said they will have more information when the team returns to Atlanta Sunday night.
Notes
· After a solid effort on Saturday, the Pirates bullpen gave up five runs in six innings on Sunday
· Olson’s HR was the 72nd all-time into the Allegheny River during a game and second time he did it in his career
· Every Pirates batter but Connor Joe struck out at least once
· Bucs had a streak of five straight strikeouts from Grandal in the seventh inning to Bryan Reynolds to end the eighth
· Quinn Priester gave up only a hit over seven innings in a AAA start on Sunday against Iowa. Priester walked two and struck out three lowing his ERA to 3.28. Catcher Henry Davis had a single.
Up Next
Pirates head north for a couple of series starting in Detroit on Tuesday night and then to Toronto for a weekend series. A couple of promising pitching matchups with Jared Jones (3-4, 3.05 ERA) against Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (6-1, 2.25 ERA) in the opener with the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 5:45p Tuesday and then Paul Skenes (1-0, 2.25 ERA) facing RHP Jack Flaherty (1-4, 3.84 ERA) with pregame at Noon Wednesday on 100.1 FM and AM 1020, KDKA.