The Pirates could manage only two hits, doubles by Konnor Griffin and Jared Triolo, as they opened their six-game road trip with a loss to the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
Joe Block has the story.
The Pirates played without manager Donnie Kelly, who served a one-game suspension, which is an automatic penalty drawn when reliever Chris Devenski was suspended for two games for deliberately throwing at the Reds’ Sal Stewart on Saturday. Devenski was initially suspended three games but it was reduced to two on a players’ union appeal. Bench coach Kris Negron ran the team last night.
The Bucs will try the D-backs again tonight. Paul Skenes [4-2, 3.18 ERA] pitches for the Pirates against Arizona’s Michael Soroka [4-1, 4.70 ERA]. Airtime is 9:15 with the first pitch at 9:40 on WCCS.
Bob Skinner was an outfielder on the 1960 Pirates World Series champions, and the hitting coach for the Bucs’ 1979 World Series champs. He passed away yesterday at age 94. Skinner played nine of twelve MLB seasons with the Pirates and made the All-Star team in 1958 and 1960. He also played for the Reds and Cardinals, winning a World Series with St. Louis in 1964, and he managed the Phillies for two seasons.
Skinner’s death leaves only pitcher Vernon Law still living from the 1960 Pirates. Law is 96 years old.
ALTOONA
Derek Berg flared a two-run triple down the right field line in the seventh inning to erase a 3-2 deficit and give Altoona a 4-3 win over Chesapeake. Titus Dumitru and Shawn Ross both homered for the Curve. Po-Yu Chen throws for Altoona tonight in Game Two of the series.
