The Pirates were in position to get a fifth straight win, but the bullpen failed them last night. Joe Block has the story.
Manager Donnie Kelly says the Bucs fought hard.
Starter Johan Oviedo was told before the game that he would be limited to only sixty pitches, so he made the most of them.
Andrew Heaney’s struggles continued. The former starter is coming out of the bullpen now and he lasted only two-thirds of an inning, giving up the three-run lead.
Oneil Cruz is back with the Pirates after a weekend rehab stint with Altoona, but the team did not activate him yesterday. He is considered day-to-day and continues to be evaluated as he recovers from a concussion.
In a poll of 37 MLB.com writers, the Pirates’ Paul Skenes is not only the favorite for the National League Cy Young Award, he is fifth in the NL MVP race. Skenes is 8-9 this season but sports an ERA of 2.07, strikes out 10.1 batters per nine innings, and is holding opposing batters to a .195 average.
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