PIRATES BLOW ANOTHER LEAD TO D’BACKS TO CAP DISAPPOINTING WEEKEND

The Pirates’ Colin Holderman blew another lead yesterday, and it cost them an important series win against Arizona. Greg Brown has the story.

Manager Derek Shelton says his pitchers didn’t get the job done in the two losses in the series.

Colin Holderman walked two batters before Joc Pederson’s home run. Shelton says he should have gotten strike calls instead of balls on those hitters, but in the end he gave Pederson a juicy fastball to hit for the home run.

The Pirates got a big hit from Bryan De La Cruz to drive in Isaiah Kiner-Falefa in the 4-run second inning. Shelton says that’s what the Pirates were looking for when they got them both at the trade deadline.

The Pirates are off today before opening a three-game series against the San Diego Padres tomorrow night at PNC Park.

In injury news, pitcher Jared Jones threw live batting practice on Saturday, using all of his pitches to the ten batters he faced. On The Ben Cherington Show on WCCS yesterday, the Bucs’ GM said Jones will soon be ready for a rehab appearance for Indianapolis, indicating that he would throw about 45 pitches his first time out and be stretched out in a second start later.

Cherington also had an update on catcher Endy Rodriguez, who has been out all year after having Tommy John surgery last winter. Rodriguez was back in Pittsburgh for a medical evaluation and the switch hitter took batting practice from both sides of the plate. Cherington said he’s been playing first base in workouts just to get him used to throwing again and while he did say it is not a sign that Rodriguez will be changing positions, the catcher position will be the last one he tries because of the volume of the throwing he must do.

When asked if Rodriguez could make his way into a Major League game this season, Cherington said that isn’t likely.

The GM also mapped out a plan for first round draft pick Konnor Griffin, who took BP at PNC Park on Saturday and then got on a plane for Bradenton, Florida, where he’ll be playing some baseball in the Florida Complex League, and then down the road in the fall.