WILLIAMS TOSSES 6
SCORELESS, OUTDUELS DEGROM
Pirate’s Manager
Clint Hurdle isn't one to indulge in the hype of pitcher-versus-pitcher
matchups. Trevor
Williams had to focus
on facing the Mets' lineup on Saturday night, not ace Jacob deGrom.
After beating
reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber in his last start, Williams knocked
down another ace on Saturday night. Williams fired six scoreless innings, and
the Pirates rallied late to beat deGrom in a 5-0 victory before a season-high
crowd of 35,900 at PNC Park. The Bucs have won 15 of their last 18 games,
pulling themselves into the thick of the National League Wild Card race as
Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches.
Williams said he
circled the date on his calendar when he realized he was matched up against
Kluber on Monday night in Cleveland, where he completed a rain-shortened,
six-inning shutout. Saturday morning brought similar anticipation.
The Pirates recorded
their Major League-leading 12th shutout of the season, and Hurdle believes it's
no coincidence that Williams has started half of them. Hurdle recalled the
late-2007 performance of then-Rockies pitcher Josh Fogg, who earned the
nickname "Dragon Slayer" for somehow beating a string of No. 1
starters during Colorado's run to the postseason. For all his ups and downs this
season, Williams also may be developing a reputation -- if not a nickname --
against opposing aces.
Williams memorably
threw eight scoreless innings during Rich Hill's extra-inning no-hit bid last August in
Pittsburgh. With a big lead, he beat Kluber in his last start. On Saturday,
Williams outdueled deGrom, who gave up three runs in seven innings and still
ended the night with an MLB-best 1.82 ERA.
After working his
way out of jams in the third, fourth and fifth innings, Williams needed only 13
pitches to get through the sixth and extend his shutout streak to 17 innings.
The right-hander's third straight scoreless start lowered his ERA to 3.89,
behind only Jameson
Taillon in the
Pirates' rotation. Over his last three outings, Williams has allowed 13 hits
and eight walks while striking out nine after a nine-start stretch in which he
posted a 7.02 ERA.
Gregory
Polanco, who went
3-for-4 on the night, helped break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. After
deGrom struck out Adam Frazier and Starling Marte, Polanco knocked a single to right field and
stole second. That put him in scoring position for Colin Moran, who bounced a ground-ball single through
the right side of the infield. Polanco pounded the dirt by home plate after
sliding home safely.
The Pirates padded
their lead against deGrom in the seventh when David Freese, coming off a five-RBI performance on
Friday, slapped a run-scoring groundout to shortstop Amed Rosario. Frazier, who went 3-for-4 against deGrom,
then laced an RBI double to right field.
Frazier made a
mechanical adjustment with his hands after being optioned to Triple-A, but it
took him weeks to regain his timing. Since being recalled on Wednesday, Frazier
is 6-for-11 with four doubles.
MOMENT THAT
MATTERED
ESCAPE ARTIST: One run was enough for Williams, but he had to work
hard to make it that way. Between the third and fifth innings, Williams
stranded six runners -- five of them in scoring position. He escaped a two-on,
nobody-out spot in the third; a bases-loaded, one-out mess in the fourth; and
an almost-pedestrian -- by that point -- two-on, one-out situation in the
fifth.
His biggest pitch
was to Devin
Mesoraco with the
bases loaded and one out in the fourth. Mesoraco rolled over an 89.3-mph sinker
and grounded into an inning-ending double play.
SOUND SMART
The Pirates have won each of their last 13 games when scoring first. Overall
this season, they are 39-15 when scoring first and 16-36 when their opponents
score first. Polanco, who doubled twice, leads all NL outfielders with 46
extra-base hits this season. He is 14 extra-base hits shy of the career-high
mark he set in 2016.
ROSTER MOVES
METS: INF Luis
Guillorme was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. The 23-year-old rookie has a
.172 batting average with four RBIs in 29 games with New York this season.
PIRATES: OF
Austin Meadows and INF/OF Jose Osuna were recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Osuna, who hit .196 with two home runs and seven RBIs in his first 23 games
with Pittsburgh this season, played first base Saturday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
PIRATES: 1B Josh
Bell was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain. He left
Pittsburgh’s game Friday after playing the first two innings. … OF
Starling Marte returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games with
a left hand contusion. He hit second and played centerfield. … OF Corey
Dickerson was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 25 with
left hamstring discomfort.
UP NEXT
METS: RHP Zack
Wheeler (4-6, 4.33) will have the chance to carry momentum from his past two
starts into Sunday against the Pirates. He won each while allowing a combined
six runs on 12 hits in 14 2/3 innings pitched.
PIRATES: RHP Joe
Musgrove (4-4, 3.90) will look to have another strong start when he faces the
Mets on Sunday. In his last outing, Musgrove allowed two runs on five hits in
seven innings of a 9-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.
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