Four hours to first pitch…
Game: Pirates (48-34) vs. San Diego Padres (39-46), 7:05 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99) vs. RHP Tyson Ross (5-7, 3.63)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday / Multimedia / Media notes
Pregame notes 6:03 p.m.: Starling Marte is out of the starting lineup again for the Pirates. Clint Hurdle did not have a status update on the left fielder as he had not yet gotten with the training staff this afternoon, but did confirm Marte was unavailable last night. Marte said he is still feeling a “little sore” and that he’s going to “try something different” in the training room today. He says the pain is between his oblique and ribs. … Rob Scahill was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 26 with right forearm tightness and is eligible for reinstatement July 11. The inflammation in his throwing arm has subsided but Scahill is unsure of when he’ll begin his return, which will likely require a rehab stint. “I think I’ll probably to get start throwing here, probably by the weekend,” Scahill said. After he begins throwing the team will have a better idea of when he’ll be fit once again for active duty with the major league club. The team hasn’t sketched out a return plan for Scahill, per Hurdle, but his activation from the DL probably won’t come the minute he’s eligible Saturday. … After their walkoff win Monday, the Pirates have two games in earn their first series victory against the Padres in the 15-year history of PNC Park. There’s no advanced, analytical explanation for this one. “Shhhh…..we’re due,” Hurdle whispered, when the subject was brought up. “Not that it’s not the law of averages. We’re due. It goes under we’re due.” … Francisco Cervelli was a late scratch from the Pirates’ lineup due to a manager’s decision, per the team. Chris Stewart replaces him and bats eighth. … There was a flash of rain as the players went out to begin pregame activity around 4:00 that left them damp and forced a retreat into the clubhouse. The start of tonight’s game shouldn’t be delayed, but there is a chance of scattered thunderstorms around 8:00 that could impact the proceedings tonight.
7:07: First pitch from Liriano to Derek Norris.
7:10: Nine pitches in an efficient first for Liriano that ends with a nice backhanded play on the third base line by Jung Ho Kang to retire Matt Kemp.
7:22: Liriano is hit in the back of the right arm by a line drive off Jedd Gyorko’s bat. Looks like he’s fine though.
7:32: Pirates give their old friend a workout, hitting five balls in the direction of Clint Barmes. Two two-out hits go for naught, though.
7:36: Nice touch by the Pirates playing Don’t Stop Believin’ for Barmes in his first at-bat in PNC Park since last season. He receives a round of cheers, tips his batting helmet to the crowd.
7:42: Wind starts whippin’, the people are scatterin’ and this one’s in a delay.
7:49: One grounds crew member was swallowed by the tarp as gale-force winds whipped it out of the control of the crew. The efforts of the bullpen pitchers, Andrew McCutchen, Sean Rodriguez and others were required to secure the tarp.
9:05: Game expected to resume at 9:25,
9:24: Game on after a 1:42 delay.
9:27: Padres 2, Pirates 0. Kemp doubles to center after Liriano walks Yonder Alonso to score two two-out runs.
9:30: Frank Garces replaces Ross for the Padres after the rain delay. Two hits and a strikeout for Ross tonight.
9:40: Another mishap on the bases for Gregory Polanco, who takes an ugly slide into second and is thrown out on Neil Walker’s fielder’s choice to left. Polanco couldn’t start running because it appeared Justin Upton had a chance to catch the ball, but that doesn’t excuse the slide.
9:42: Padres 2, Pirates 1. Anyway, McCutchen follows with a double and Walker scores. Hitting streak up to a career-high 14 games.
9:43: It’s raining again.
9:45: Barmes can’t handle a chopper from Jordy Mercer which loads the bases with two outs for Pedro Alvarez against the pitcher the Padres probably should have used in the ninth last night.
9:47: Alvarez strikes out.
9:59: Stew.
10:04: Barmes leads off the fifth with a single. Last night’s pitcher, James Shields, will bat for Garces.
10:10: Alonso slams his helmet after he strikes out with Barmes on second. It’s taken more than three hours, but Liriano is through five.
10:16: McCutchen crushes a high fly ball that looked like a no-doubter, but Upton leaps at the wall to rob a two-run home run. Moisture lingering in the air probably tamped the trajectory down a tad. Walker tags to second.
10:17: Pirates 2, Padres 2. Kang singles to right and the ball gets past Kemp, allowing Walker to score easily and Kang to take third and he’s credited with a triple.
10:21: Mercer grounds out, Alvarez flies out to strand Kang at third.
10:28: Liriano works a clean sixth, he’s thrown 86 pitches but is due up third in the home sixth. Whether someone hits for him or not, he’s made Hurdle look pretty good for leaving him in after a long rain delay.
10:32: Steve Lombardozzi up to hit for Liriano after Chris Stewart. Score it two runs and four hits in six innings from Liriano. Walked one and struck out six.
10:36: And by Lombardozzi, I mean Travis Ishikawa hits after Stew works a 10-pitch at-bat.
10:40: Norris heads to the mound after Marcos Mateo walks Polanco with two outs, two batters after he hit Stew. Pat Murphy double-switches Shawn Kelley in to pitch and Yangervis Solarte to play second base. Walker to bat.
10:42: Rain’s picked up again, and I honestly wondered if the Padres were looking to induce another delay from the umpires. Swing and a miss on that one, though. Just more manager’s decisions.
10:45: Walker strikes out, whiffing over a 3-2 slider that dove low and in on him.
10:54: Jared Hughes keeps the Padres off the board in the seventh, but not before Barmes drops his second hit of the game into left with two outs.
11:07: McCutchen leads off with a single to push his average over .300 for the first time in three months, but he is stranded there. Tony Watson entering for the eighth.
11:18: Watson gives up a pair of hits and runners take second and third on a wild pitch. Like last night, though, he comes up with a huge strikeout as Will Venable swings through his two-seamer.
11:24: Rodriguez is hit by Joaquin Benoit leading off and moves to second with one out on Stew’s bunt. Lombardozzi (for real this time) batting for Watson.
11:28: Lombardozzi continues to befuddle. He strikes out on three pitches, one of which he took a half-swing at and then whiffed over a 0-2 changeup nowhere near the zone. Anyway, Polanco up with a chance to take the lead before the ninth.
11:29: Pirates 3, Padres 2. Polanco shoots a two-seam fastball Benoit left up and out over the plate to left-center and the ball rolls to the wall for a RBI triple.
11:31: Mark Melancon entering. Will Middlebrooks, Melvin Upton Jr. and Barmes are due up.
11:40: Upton singles with one out but that’s all the Padres can muster as Melancon converts his 26th consecutive save and secures the Pirates first series victory against San Diego in 15 years at PNC Park.
It all starts with taking care of the field. PNC Park this afternoon. -- NATE BARNES
July 7, 2015
Final: Pirates 3, Padres 2
281by Nate Barnes • Game previews
Four hours to first pitch…
Game: Pirates (48-34) vs. San Diego Padres (39-46), 7:05 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99) vs. RHP Tyson Ross (5-7, 3.63)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday / Multimedia / Media notes
Pregame notes 6:03 p.m.: Starling Marte is out of the starting lineup again for the Pirates. Clint Hurdle did not have a status update on the left fielder as he had not yet gotten with the training staff this afternoon, but did confirm Marte was unavailable last night. Marte said he is still feeling a “little sore” and that he’s going to “try something different” in the training room today. He says the pain is between his oblique and ribs. … Rob Scahill was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 26 with right forearm tightness and is eligible for reinstatement July 11. The inflammation in his throwing arm has subsided but Scahill is unsure of when he’ll begin his return, which will likely require a rehab stint. “I think I’ll probably to get start throwing here, probably by the weekend,” Scahill said. After he begins throwing the team will have a better idea of when he’ll be fit once again for active duty with the major league club. The team hasn’t sketched out a return plan for Scahill, per Hurdle, but his activation from the DL probably won’t come the minute he’s eligible Saturday. … After their walkoff win Monday, the Pirates have two games in earn their first series victory against the Padres in the 15-year history of PNC Park. There’s no advanced, analytical explanation for this one. “Shhhh…..we’re due,” Hurdle whispered, when the subject was brought up. “Not that it’s not the law of averages. We’re due. It goes under we’re due.” … Francisco Cervelli was a late scratch from the Pirates’ lineup due to a manager’s decision, per the team. Chris Stewart replaces him and bats eighth. … There was a flash of rain as the players went out to begin pregame activity around 4:00 that left them damp and forced a retreat into the clubhouse. The start of tonight’s game shouldn’t be delayed, but there is a chance of scattered thunderstorms around 8:00 that could impact the proceedings tonight.
7:07: First pitch from Liriano to Derek Norris.
7:10: Nine pitches in an efficient first for Liriano that ends with a nice backhanded play on the third base line by Jung Ho Kang to retire Matt Kemp.
7:22: Liriano is hit in the back of the right arm by a line drive off Jedd Gyorko’s bat. Looks like he’s fine though.
7:32: Pirates give their old friend a workout, hitting five balls in the direction of Clint Barmes. Two two-out hits go for naught, though.
7:36: Nice touch by the Pirates playing Don’t Stop Believin’ for Barmes in his first at-bat in PNC Park since last season. He receives a round of cheers, tips his batting helmet to the crowd.
7:42: Wind starts whippin’, the people are scatterin’ and this one’s in a delay.
7:49: One grounds crew member was swallowed by the tarp as gale-force winds whipped it out of the control of the crew. The efforts of the bullpen pitchers, Andrew McCutchen, Sean Rodriguez and others were required to secure the tarp.
9:05: Game expected to resume at 9:25,
9:24: Game on after a 1:42 delay.
9:27: Padres 2, Pirates 0. Kemp doubles to center after Liriano walks Yonder Alonso to score two two-out runs.
9:30: Frank Garces replaces Ross for the Padres after the rain delay. Two hits and a strikeout for Ross tonight.
9:40: Another mishap on the bases for Gregory Polanco, who takes an ugly slide into second and is thrown out on Neil Walker’s fielder’s choice to left. Polanco couldn’t start running because it appeared Justin Upton had a chance to catch the ball, but that doesn’t excuse the slide.
9:42: Padres 2, Pirates 1. Anyway, McCutchen follows with a double and Walker scores. Hitting streak up to a career-high 14 games.
9:43: It’s raining again.
9:45: Barmes can’t handle a chopper from Jordy Mercer which loads the bases with two outs for Pedro Alvarez against the pitcher the Padres probably should have used in the ninth last night.
9:47: Alvarez strikes out.
9:59: Stew.
10:04: Barmes leads off the fifth with a single. Last night’s pitcher, James Shields, will bat for Garces.
10:10: Alonso slams his helmet after he strikes out with Barmes on second. It’s taken more than three hours, but Liriano is through five.
10:16: McCutchen crushes a high fly ball that looked like a no-doubter, but Upton leaps at the wall to rob a two-run home run. Moisture lingering in the air probably tamped the trajectory down a tad. Walker tags to second.
10:17: Pirates 2, Padres 2. Kang singles to right and the ball gets past Kemp, allowing Walker to score easily and Kang to take third and he’s credited with a triple.
10:21: Mercer grounds out, Alvarez flies out to strand Kang at third.
10:28: Liriano works a clean sixth, he’s thrown 86 pitches but is due up third in the home sixth. Whether someone hits for him or not, he’s made Hurdle look pretty good for leaving him in after a long rain delay.
10:32: Steve Lombardozzi up to hit for Liriano after Chris Stewart. Score it two runs and four hits in six innings from Liriano. Walked one and struck out six.
10:36: And by Lombardozzi, I mean Travis Ishikawa hits after Stew works a 10-pitch at-bat.
10:40: Norris heads to the mound after Marcos Mateo walks Polanco with two outs, two batters after he hit Stew. Pat Murphy double-switches Shawn Kelley in to pitch and Yangervis Solarte to play second base. Walker to bat.
10:42: Rain’s picked up again, and I honestly wondered if the Padres were looking to induce another delay from the umpires. Swing and a miss on that one, though. Just more manager’s decisions.
10:45: Walker strikes out, whiffing over a 3-2 slider that dove low and in on him.
10:54: Jared Hughes keeps the Padres off the board in the seventh, but not before Barmes drops his second hit of the game into left with two outs.
11:07: McCutchen leads off with a single to push his average over .300 for the first time in three months, but he is stranded there. Tony Watson entering for the eighth.
11:18: Watson gives up a pair of hits and runners take second and third on a wild pitch. Like last night, though, he comes up with a huge strikeout as Will Venable swings through his two-seamer.
11:24: Rodriguez is hit by Joaquin Benoit leading off and moves to second with one out on Stew’s bunt. Lombardozzi (for real this time) batting for Watson.
11:28: Lombardozzi continues to befuddle. He strikes out on three pitches, one of which he took a half-swing at and then whiffed over a 0-2 changeup nowhere near the zone. Anyway, Polanco up with a chance to take the lead before the ninth.
11:29: Pirates 3, Padres 2. Polanco shoots a two-seam fastball Benoit left up and out over the plate to left-center and the ball rolls to the wall for a RBI triple.
11:31: Mark Melancon entering. Will Middlebrooks, Melvin Upton Jr. and Barmes are due up.
11:40: Upton singles with one out but that’s all the Padres can muster as Melancon converts his 26th consecutive save and secures the Pirates first series victory against San Diego in 15 years at PNC Park.