Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (72-47) vs. San Francisco Giants (65-56), 7:07 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.31) vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner (14-6, 2.98)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Update 3:04 p.m.: The Pirates have recalled Josh Harrison from Class AAA Indianapolis and returned reliever Josh Wall.
Josh’s five pregame notes:
• Harrison isn’t just back in Pittsburgh, but he’s back in the lineup. Leading off. Against Bumgarner.
Whether Harrison will be a regular in the lineup – the same can be wondered regarding Jordy Mercer, Jung Ho Kang and Aramis Ramirez – wasn’t exactly cleared up by Clint Hurdle on Friday. But he did have some interesting things to say.
Regarding Harrison: “We feel comfortable with where he is (physically). It’s the starting lineup today. I had a conversation with Josh. We are going to use all of our guys. We are going to use his skill set. It’s not just about the skill set, but the guy, the edge he brings. Is he going straight to third base? Obviously not. He doesn’t have to be more than he’s ever been. He’s ready. He’s committed. We’re probably going to use him in a number of different spots.”
Regarding Ramirez: “I wasn’t going to say, ‘Josh, you’re back, you’ll play third base every day.’ We like the way the men are playing out there right now. Ramirez isn’t going to be an every day guy just because he isn’t an every day guy anymore. He’s going to have to catch his breath.”
Regarding Kang: “He has done an admirable job at shortstop. We’ll address that when Jordy comes up.”
Hurdle doesn’t mind having an abundance of good, major league players at his disposal. He was asked how he would keep everyone happy.
“It’s not a problem,” Hurdle said.
Mercer is expected to join the Pirates at some point during the next week. The Pirates will be blessed with a number of options. Harrison will almost always be in the lineup against left-handed starters, playing in either right field or at second base. He’s playing second base tonight while Sean Rodriguez is giving the red hot Gregory Polanco the night off in right.
It remains unclear whether Polanco or Harrison will be the leadoff hitter on nights when both are in the lineup.
“I would encourage you to keep showing up and watch that lineup posted,” Hurdle said. “I like what Polanco has done up there. We’ve got some options. It won’t be everybody all over the place all the time. There will be some continuity.”
Especially when Mercer returns, Hurdle will have the finest bench he’s ever possessed with the Pirates.
“We’ll have some good players that we can use in different ways,” Hurdle said. “We’ll have the benefit of some nice, in-game double switches.”
• Hurdle made it clear that he is very sensitive to the fact that players like knowing what’s going on with the lineup in advance.
“We have good players,” he said. “We’ve spoken to the team along the way. We’ve spoken to the newcomers about the importance of being ready, being involved. We communicate well with our people when they’re going to play or if they aren’t. I’m a firm believer in letting people know the day before if they’re in or out.”
• Harrison is delighted to be back in Pittsburgh. He struggled at the plate during his rehab stint in Indianapolis but doesn’t seem concerned.
“I felt more comfortable as each game went on,” he said. “There are so many things you tend to forget about when you don’t play in 5-6 weeks. Slide steps and everything, make sure I cover every base I need to.”
Playing different positions on a regular basis doesn’t seem to irritate Harrison, who started the season as the everyday third baseman.
“I got a few looks in at different positions in the field I can play in and I feel I’m ready now,” he said. “I’ve got what I got, I feel I’ve got enough to help this push.”
• Harrison’s thumb probably won’t be 100 percent until after the season. He acknowledged that pain occasionally strikes the thumb. But he simply brushes it off.
“I might get a stinger here or there, I got a couple in Triple-A but it’s not going to keep me from doing what I need to do. That’s what happens when guys get injured, there will still be a little soreness but there’s nothing that keeps me back from playing.”
• Oh yeah. Bumgarner. You remember him. The Pirates are using an all right-handed lineup against the great Giants ace tonight. One player to keep an eye on is Ramirez, who is 6 for 18 with a home run lifetime against Bumgarner.
7:15: Buster Posey with a sac fly as Locke is having a rough inning. No command at all. Giants 1, Pirates 0.
7:18: Marlon Byrd, in his first at-bat with the Giants, hits the crap out of a ball to left field. Wow. Giants 3, Pirates 0.
7:35: Kang’s RBI single scores Starling Marte. Kang, Marte and Andrew McCutchen singled off Bumgarner, who doesn’t appear to be in playoff mode tonight. Giants 3, Pirates 1.
7:45: Bumgarner just destroyed his fifth home run of the season to deep, deep left field. My goodness. Locke is a mess. Giants 5, Pirates 1.
8:07: Marte with an RBI groundout but the Pirates could have scored more that inning. Bumgarner has thrown 50 pitches already. Giants 5, Pirates 2.
8:32: Brandon Belt with an RBI single and the beating of Locke continues. Giants 6, Pirates 2.
9:32: Bumgarner is done after Neil Walker’s sacrifice fly. And the Pirates are making noise. Giants 6, Pirates 3.
9:51: Cutch with a double and Ramirez drives him in. Still no outs in the eighth. Giants 6, Pirates 4.
August 21, 2015
Final: Giants 6, Pirates 4
372by Josh Yohe • Game previews • Pirates
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (72-47) vs. San Francisco Giants (65-56), 7:07 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.31) vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner (14-6, 2.98)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Update 3:04 p.m.: The Pirates have recalled Josh Harrison from Class AAA Indianapolis and returned reliever Josh Wall.
Josh’s five pregame notes:
• Harrison isn’t just back in Pittsburgh, but he’s back in the lineup. Leading off. Against Bumgarner.
Whether Harrison will be a regular in the lineup – the same can be wondered regarding Jordy Mercer, Jung Ho Kang and Aramis Ramirez – wasn’t exactly cleared up by Clint Hurdle on Friday. But he did have some interesting things to say.
Regarding Harrison: “We feel comfortable with where he is (physically). It’s the starting lineup today. I had a conversation with Josh. We are going to use all of our guys. We are going to use his skill set. It’s not just about the skill set, but the guy, the edge he brings. Is he going straight to third base? Obviously not. He doesn’t have to be more than he’s ever been. He’s ready. He’s committed. We’re probably going to use him in a number of different spots.”
Regarding Ramirez: “I wasn’t going to say, ‘Josh, you’re back, you’ll play third base every day.’ We like the way the men are playing out there right now. Ramirez isn’t going to be an every day guy just because he isn’t an every day guy anymore. He’s going to have to catch his breath.”
Regarding Kang: “He has done an admirable job at shortstop. We’ll address that when Jordy comes up.”
Hurdle doesn’t mind having an abundance of good, major league players at his disposal. He was asked how he would keep everyone happy.
“It’s not a problem,” Hurdle said.
Mercer is expected to join the Pirates at some point during the next week. The Pirates will be blessed with a number of options. Harrison will almost always be in the lineup against left-handed starters, playing in either right field or at second base. He’s playing second base tonight while Sean Rodriguez is giving the red hot Gregory Polanco the night off in right.
It remains unclear whether Polanco or Harrison will be the leadoff hitter on nights when both are in the lineup.
“I would encourage you to keep showing up and watch that lineup posted,” Hurdle said. “I like what Polanco has done up there. We’ve got some options. It won’t be everybody all over the place all the time. There will be some continuity.”
Especially when Mercer returns, Hurdle will have the finest bench he’s ever possessed with the Pirates.
“We’ll have some good players that we can use in different ways,” Hurdle said. “We’ll have the benefit of some nice, in-game double switches.”
• Hurdle made it clear that he is very sensitive to the fact that players like knowing what’s going on with the lineup in advance.
“We have good players,” he said. “We’ve spoken to the team along the way. We’ve spoken to the newcomers about the importance of being ready, being involved. We communicate well with our people when they’re going to play or if they aren’t. I’m a firm believer in letting people know the day before if they’re in or out.”
• Harrison is delighted to be back in Pittsburgh. He struggled at the plate during his rehab stint in Indianapolis but doesn’t seem concerned.
“I felt more comfortable as each game went on,” he said. “There are so many things you tend to forget about when you don’t play in 5-6 weeks. Slide steps and everything, make sure I cover every base I need to.”
Playing different positions on a regular basis doesn’t seem to irritate Harrison, who started the season as the everyday third baseman.
“I got a few looks in at different positions in the field I can play in and I feel I’m ready now,” he said. “I’ve got what I got, I feel I’ve got enough to help this push.”
• Harrison’s thumb probably won’t be 100 percent until after the season. He acknowledged that pain occasionally strikes the thumb. But he simply brushes it off.
“I might get a stinger here or there, I got a couple in Triple-A but it’s not going to keep me from doing what I need to do. That’s what happens when guys get injured, there will still be a little soreness but there’s nothing that keeps me back from playing.”
• Oh yeah. Bumgarner. You remember him. The Pirates are using an all right-handed lineup against the great Giants ace tonight. One player to keep an eye on is Ramirez, who is 6 for 18 with a home run lifetime against Bumgarner.
7:15: Buster Posey with a sac fly as Locke is having a rough inning. No command at all. Giants 1, Pirates 0.
7:18: Marlon Byrd, in his first at-bat with the Giants, hits the crap out of a ball to left field. Wow. Giants 3, Pirates 0.
7:35: Kang’s RBI single scores Starling Marte. Kang, Marte and Andrew McCutchen singled off Bumgarner, who doesn’t appear to be in playoff mode tonight. Giants 3, Pirates 1.
7:45: Bumgarner just destroyed his fifth home run of the season to deep, deep left field. My goodness. Locke is a mess. Giants 5, Pirates 1.
8:07: Marte with an RBI groundout but the Pirates could have scored more that inning. Bumgarner has thrown 50 pitches already. Giants 5, Pirates 2.
8:32: Brandon Belt with an RBI single and the beating of Locke continues. Giants 6, Pirates 2.
9:32: Bumgarner is done after Neil Walker’s sacrifice fly. And the Pirates are making noise. Giants 6, Pirates 3.
9:51: Cutch with a double and Ramirez drives him in. Still no outs in the eighth. Giants 6, Pirates 4.