Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (63-44) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (62-47), 4:07 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92) vs. RHP Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Pregame notes 1:28 p.m.: It’s just a gorgeous day for ball, mostly sunny and 77 degrees, with precious little chance of rain. The players aren’t wild about these mid-afternoon starts — especially the hitters, who have to deal with shadows — but this should be a sweet setting. … Clint Hurdle’s lineup is back to the new norm, with Neil Walker batting sixth. He’s expected to start Sunday, as well, even with Los Angeles starting lefty Alex Wood. … The starting matchups are set for the huge upcoming series in St. Louis: Jeff Locke, Gerrit Cole and Liriano for the Pirates, and Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Lance Lynn for the Cardinals. … The Pirates’ win Friday night was their 32nd by way of a comeback, tied for most in the majors with — wait for it — the Cardinals! “We play every at-bat, every pitch,” Starling Marte was telling me. “No quit.” … Liriano hasn’t lost to the Dodgers in three career starts, two of those last season, and has a 1.37 ERA. These pitcher-vs.-team stats generally don’t mean much unless they’re recent, given roster turnover. … That said, the Dodgers’ Howie Kendrick, batting second, is 8 for 17 with a home run lifetime vs. Liriano. … Don’t forget: Gregory Polanco will be going for three leadoff home runs in a row. … Polanco loves the idea that the Pirates’ fortunes could rest on the shoulders of this mega-talented outfield they’ve got: “Good. That’s OK. We can do it.” … This will be the Pirates’ 17th sellout of the season at PNC Park. Their record in the first 16 is 13-3. … For what it’s worth, 58 years ago today, the Dodgers announced their move out of Brooklyn.
4:08: First pitch: Liriano to Jimmy Rollins, 85 degrees, mostly cloudy now.
4:12: Watching this review right now, I’m wondering if the Pirates could, conceivably, challenge both calls, the ones at second and at first. Is it considered one play?
I checked with the official scorer here, and he says yes.
4:16: Courtesy of FanGraphs and via our own JAL in comments, here are the teams that added/cut the most payroll at the recent trading deadline:
4:18: Dodgers, 1-0, 1st: Van Slyke RBI single to left. Of course, that’s Scott Van Slyke, though I’ll bet it sounded pretty good when you first read it.
4:28: Liriano takes 20 minutes and 29 pitches — 14 balls — to get through a single inning, but Los Angeles produces only one run and leaves the bases loaded.
4:34: Wow. Yasiel Puig throws out Polanco on a force play at second. Don’t see that one too often. A truly special arm, and never mind the barehand grab that made it all happen that much quicker. Polanco hesitated a bit to see if the ball would fall — no shame there — but the talking point is the laser that got him.
4:42: Pirates, 1-1, 1st: Andrew McCutchen fights through 11 pitches and a silly delay to drop an RBI single into center.
4:47: Here’s the explanation for the delay: There was unintentional contact between McCutchen’s bat and the catcher. That’s what sent the runner back. Had the runner been out, the out call would have stood. Right from the umps to the press box.
4:56: Dodgers, 2-1, 2nd: Adrian Gonzalez taps an RBI single right through the hole where a shortstop stood for 150 years.
Francisco Liriano is congratulated after his first career home run. — GETTY
5:08: Pirates, 4-2, 2nd: Liriano’s first career home run is a three-run shot the other way just inside the left foul pole. Tremendous reaction from the crowd.
5:22: Dodgers, 4-4, 3rd: Kike Hernandez launches a two-run shot to straightaway center less than a minute after the athletic trainer had to visit Liriano. Coincidence?
5:28: Maybe the most pointless challenge I’ve seen all summer.
5:44: Pirates, 5-4, 3rd: Jung Ho Kang RBI groundout after a Cutch double.
5:46: Pirates, 6-4, 3rd: Neil Walker monster home run to top of Clemente Wall seats. This might be the longest game ever played by the time it’s done.
7:25: For all those asking, there has been zero word of Liriano being hurt. If he had left due to an injury, it would be announced during the game. It wasn’t.
7:33: Pirates, 6-5, 9th: Van Slyke’s one-out RBI double off Mark Melancon pulls Los Angeles within one and puts the tying run in scoring position. Melancon is not at his best. No question about that. Even the lone out was tattooed.
8:18: Hurdle said Liriano was not lifted for any injury. Liriano acknowledged a twinge in his upper right chest but confirmed he was not lifted for any injury, that he could have continued.
August 8, 2015
Final: Pirates 6, Dodgers 5
by Dejan Kovacevic • Game previews
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (63-44) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (62-47), 4:07 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92) vs. RHP Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Pregame notes 1:28 p.m.: It’s just a gorgeous day for ball, mostly sunny and 77 degrees, with precious little chance of rain. The players aren’t wild about these mid-afternoon starts — especially the hitters, who have to deal with shadows — but this should be a sweet setting. … Clint Hurdle’s lineup is back to the new norm, with Neil Walker batting sixth. He’s expected to start Sunday, as well, even with Los Angeles starting lefty Alex Wood. … The starting matchups are set for the huge upcoming series in St. Louis: Jeff Locke, Gerrit Cole and Liriano for the Pirates, and Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Lance Lynn for the Cardinals. … The Pirates’ win Friday night was their 32nd by way of a comeback, tied for most in the majors with — wait for it — the Cardinals! “We play every at-bat, every pitch,” Starling Marte was telling me. “No quit.” … Liriano hasn’t lost to the Dodgers in three career starts, two of those last season, and has a 1.37 ERA. These pitcher-vs.-team stats generally don’t mean much unless they’re recent, given roster turnover. … That said, the Dodgers’ Howie Kendrick, batting second, is 8 for 17 with a home run lifetime vs. Liriano. … Don’t forget: Gregory Polanco will be going for three leadoff home runs in a row. … Polanco loves the idea that the Pirates’ fortunes could rest on the shoulders of this mega-talented outfield they’ve got: “Good. That’s OK. We can do it.” … This will be the Pirates’ 17th sellout of the season at PNC Park. Their record in the first 16 is 13-3. … For what it’s worth, 58 years ago today, the Dodgers announced their move out of Brooklyn.
4:08: First pitch: Liriano to Jimmy Rollins, 85 degrees, mostly cloudy now.
4:12: Watching this review right now, I’m wondering if the Pirates could, conceivably, challenge both calls, the ones at second and at first. Is it considered one play?
I checked with the official scorer here, and he says yes.
4:16: Courtesy of FanGraphs and via our own JAL in comments, here are the teams that added/cut the most payroll at the recent trading deadline:
4:18: Dodgers, 1-0, 1st: Van Slyke RBI single to left. Of course, that’s Scott Van Slyke, though I’ll bet it sounded pretty good when you first read it.
4:28: Liriano takes 20 minutes and 29 pitches — 14 balls — to get through a single inning, but Los Angeles produces only one run and leaves the bases loaded.
4:34: Wow. Yasiel Puig throws out Polanco on a force play at second. Don’t see that one too often. A truly special arm, and never mind the barehand grab that made it all happen that much quicker. Polanco hesitated a bit to see if the ball would fall — no shame there — but the talking point is the laser that got him.
4:42: Pirates, 1-1, 1st: Andrew McCutchen fights through 11 pitches and a silly delay to drop an RBI single into center.
4:47: Here’s the explanation for the delay: There was unintentional contact between McCutchen’s bat and the catcher. That’s what sent the runner back. Had the runner been out, the out call would have stood. Right from the umps to the press box.
4:56: Dodgers, 2-1, 2nd: Adrian Gonzalez taps an RBI single right through the hole where a shortstop stood for 150 years.
Francisco Liriano is congratulated after his first career home run. — GETTY
5:08: Pirates, 4-2, 2nd: Liriano’s first career home run is a three-run shot the other way just inside the left foul pole. Tremendous reaction from the crowd.
5:22: Dodgers, 4-4, 3rd: Kike Hernandez launches a two-run shot to straightaway center less than a minute after the athletic trainer had to visit Liriano. Coincidence?
5:28: Maybe the most pointless challenge I’ve seen all summer.
5:44: Pirates, 5-4, 3rd: Jung Ho Kang RBI groundout after a Cutch double.
5:46: Pirates, 6-4, 3rd: Neil Walker monster home run to top of Clemente Wall seats. This might be the longest game ever played by the time it’s done.
7:25: For all those asking, there has been zero word of Liriano being hurt. If he had left due to an injury, it would be announced during the game. It wasn’t.
7:33: Pirates, 6-5, 9th: Van Slyke’s one-out RBI double off Mark Melancon pulls Los Angeles within one and puts the tying run in scoring position. Melancon is not at his best. No question about that. Even the lone out was tattooed.
8:18: Hurdle said Liriano was not lifted for any injury. Liriano acknowledged a twinge in his upper right chest but confirmed he was not lifted for any injury, that he could have continued.