The Pirates turned to three rookies to drive in their runs as they beat the White Sox and won their fifth series in a row.
Joe Block has the recap of an intense night in Chicago.
Manager Donnie Kelly said it was a total team win, and he especially liked that rookies Valdez and Griffin were disciplined at the plate and didn’t “chase” with two strikes on them.
Jared Triolo made two spectacular plays at third base, picking a grounder and starting 5-4-3 double play and then spearing a line drive and tagging third for an unassisted double play. Kelly says he’s as good as there is with the glove.
The benches emptied after an inning-ending double play in the seventh when the White Sox’ Sam Antonacci stuck out his elbow and contacted Brandon Lowe’s left thigh on a hard slide. Lowe and Antonacci had words because, Lowe said, it was the second bad slide in two games by the Sox infielder. No fighting broke out.
The Bucs are back at .500, with a 73-73 record, but are still having trouble gaining ground in the NL Wild Card race. They trail the Padres by five games for the third and final spot.
The Bucs go for the sweep of the AL Central-leading White Sox tonight with Jared Jones (3-6, 4.46 ERA) facing left-hander Hagen Smith (3-1, 0.56 ERA). Pregame is at 7:15, first pitch at 7:40 on WCCS.
In his second rehab game with Indianapolis last night, Ryan O’Hearn was 0-for-3 in a 9-1 Indians’ win that was highlighted by a 3-run bomb by Nick Yorke.
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