The Pirates were out of the game almost from the start last night as their losing streak grew to nine. Greg Brown’s report:
Today: The series wraps up in Washington with the Pirates’ Chase De Jong (0-0, 4.80 ERA) facing the Nats’ Paolo Espino (0-2, 2.78 ERA). It’s a 3:40 airtime on WCCS.
Major League Baseball announced yesterday that starting next Monday, umpires will begin randomly checking pitchers and catchers for illegal foreign substances that hitters have claimed is leading to an unfair advantage. Players caught doctoring the ball will be suspended for 10 games, and it has pitchers upset. They say changes in the baseballs are causing them to have to use sticky substances so they can grip them and control where their pitches are going.
Pirates starter Tyler Anderson, who got touched up for five runs in the first inning last night, said some pitchers probably “crossed the line” when they saw how much movement they could get by using a substance on the ball. Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who left his last start because of elbow inflammation, blamed it on trying to pitch without using a sticky substance to help with his grip. He said the changes coming in mid-season are the wrong move. He has a partial tear in his UCL that will probably lead to Tommy John surgery.
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