The Dodgers had won eight straight Fourth of July games and the Pirates were in the midst of a three-game losing streak, but some ninth inning fireworks led to a Bucco win in LA. Joe Block recaps the win.
The series continues tonight with the third of four games at Dodger Stadium. The Bucs send rookie right-hander Osvaldo Bido [0-1, 4.74 ERA] to the mound against Dodgers’ rookie Bobby Miller [4-1, 4.23 ERA]. It’s a 9:45 airtime, 10:10 first pitch on WCCS.
Before the Pirates left for Los Angeles on Sunday, manager Derek Shelton bought a case of IC Light to take to LA just in case David Bednar was named to the National League All-Star team. He didn’t make the team, but Shelton brought it with him anyway, and yesterday Bednar was named to his second straight All-Star game, replacing the Dodgers’ injured star Clayton Kershaw. Bednar left a cooler of the beer for Kershaw with a note saying “Dear Mr. Kershaw: Pittsburgh’s finest beer. Enjoy.”
Bednar joins teammate Mitch Keller and manager Shelton representing the Pirates in Seattle.
The Pirates’ Indianapolis farm team won its game yesterday, 8-5 over Memphis, and it featured some notable performances. Rehabbing Pirates first baseman Ji Man Choi had two hits including a two-run homer and outfielder Miguel Andujar had three hits and five RBIs, raising his batting average to .356. Pirates relief pitcher Jose Hernandez started the game on his first rehab assignment and threw two-thirds of an inning with two walks and a strikeout.
MLB
- Angels star Mike Trout is out four to eight weeks with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist. The three-time AL MVP is batting .263 with 18 home runs and 44 RBI this season.
- The Dodgers lost a starting pitcher for the second time in two days. Clayton Kershaw was put on the injured list with a sore shoulder on Monday. Now Dustin May will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow. He’s been out since May after starting the season 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA.
ALTOONA CURVE
Matt Gorski hit two home runs but it wasn’t enough for Altoona, which lost to Erie, 6-4. Matt Fraizer had two hits for the Curve and Abrahan Gutierrez walked four times.
The Curve’s Liover Peguero finally got the call to Indianapolis. The Pirates promoted him yesterday. He hit .260 with 11 home runs for Altoona in the first half of the season. Infielder Jackson Glenn was promoted from Greensboro to Altoona to replace Peguero.
Nick Dombkowski pitches for the Curve tonight in the series’ second game.
