The Pirates are 0-for-May. Their most recent win was on April 29th against Washington but since then they have lost to the Nationals and then been swept by Tampa Bay and Toronto. Joe Block recaps the latest loss.
The Bucs will try to break the losing streak tonight against a team they swept less than three weeks ago. Mitch Keller [3-1, 3.32 ERA] faces Colorado’s Kyle Freeland [3-3, 3.76 ERA]. The Pirates beat Freeland on April 17th, touching him up for 8 runs, 7 earned, in two-and-two-thirds innings of a 14-3 Pittsburgh win. It will be a 6:10 airtime on WCCS.
Injuries continue to plague the Pirates. Ji Hwan Bae and Andrew McCutchen are both dealing with sprained left ankles. Bae missed the first two games of the series but pinch hit and played second base yesterday, going 0-for-2 at the plate. McCutchen pinch hit and walked, but did not play in the field. He last played a full game on Thursday at Tampa Bay.
On The Ben Cherington Show on WCCS yesterday, the Pirates GM said the team believes Vince Velasquez’s elbow injury is minor. He’s on the 15-day injured list.
MLB
We are still early in the 2023 season, but Major League Baseball is already looking forward to next year. MLB has slated the Dodgers and Padres to open the 2024 season with a pair of games in South Korea. It will be the first-ever MLB game in South Korea.
Oakland A’s legend Vida Blue passed away on Saturday at the age of 73. Blue won the Cy Young and MVP awards in 1971 after finishing the season 24-and-8 with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts. Only 11 pitchers in league history have won both awards in the same season. The lefty was part of three World Series titles and was named to six All-Star games in his 17-year career. He also played for the Giants and Royals before retiring in 1986 with a career record of 209-161, an ERA of 3.27, and 2,175 strikeouts. The Alabama native was a star high school quarterback being recruited by Notre Dame, Purdue, and Houston, among others, but his father steered him to baseball because of the lack of opportunities for Black quarterbacks in football.
ALTOONA CURVE
The Altoona Curve lost at Reading, 4-1. Starter Kyle Nicolas continues to struggle. He gave up three runs on four hits with three walks in three innings. Designated hitter Fabricio Macias was 2-for-4 for the Curve.
The Curve will open a six-game set with Akron at PNG Field in Altoona tomorrow night.
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