PIRATES CAN’T HOLD OFF D-BACKS AFTER TAKING EARLY LEAD

For the second time in three games, the Pirates blew a big lead and lost, this time to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Joe Block has the details.

The Pirates will conclude the three-game series this afternoon in Phoenix (3:15 airtime on WCCS).  Max Kranick [1-1, 3.38 ERA] gets the start for the Bucs, pitching on his 24th birthday against former Cy Young Award winner Madison Bumgardner [4-6, 5.35 ERA]

Pitcher Chase De Jong was placed on the 10-day injured list yesterday after being hit on the left knee by a line drive in Monday’s loss.  He’d already been dealing with some pain in the knee before taking the hit.  Pitchers Kranick and Nick Mears were recalled before yesterday’s game.

The Pirates yesterday signed second-round draft choice Anthony Solometo, a pitcher out of Bishop Eustace Prep in New Jersey.  They also inked deals with four other pitchers, 11^th rounder Jack Carey, 13^th rounder Owen Shorts, and 15^th rounder Tyler Samaniego, along with free agent Nick Dombkowski.

High draft choices Lonnie White Jr. and Bubba Chandler are still unsigned.  Both also have big-time scholarships to play college football, White as a four-star recruit at wide receiver for Penn State and Chandler as a quarterback at Clemson.