You hear it every spring from just about every team: It
takes all 25 players, and usually more, to win. The Pirates proved the adage
true on Saturday at PNC Park.
Right-hander Clay Holmes, the 26th
man, pitched six scoreless innings and picked up his first Major League win in
only his second start. Max Moroff homered
and Jordan Luplow went
deep twice after spending most of the season in Triple-A. Tyler Glasnow and Michael Feliz, who
didn't pitch in Game 1, got the ball to closer Felipe Vazquez as
the Pirates completed a doubleheader sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Brewers,
their fifth straight win.
The Bucs have won seven of their last eight games, pulling
within two games of .500 as they prepare for Sunday's first-half finale against
Milwaukee at PNC Park.
Holmes made his first big league start on July 4 at Dodger
Stadium, where a streaking Los Angeles lineup scored four runs during his 2 1/3
innings on the mound. With the Pirates in need of a sixth starter on Saturday,
Holmes flew down to Florida and made one start for Class A Advanced Bradenton
to stay on track.
Holmes broke camp behind right-hander Nick Kingham (now
a part of the rotation with Chad Kuhl injured)
and starters-turned-relievers Steven Brault and
Glasnow on the Pirates rotation depth chart. He made his debut as a reliever in
April when the Bucs needed an extra arm capable of pitching multiple innings.
He was thrust into action in his first start due to Joe Musgrove's
unexpected finger infection.
Holmes, 25, fared much better in his return to the Majors.
The rookie right-hander struck out six while allowing only four hits and two walks.
He relied primarily on his power sinker, which maxed out at 99.1 mph, and
recorded eight outs on the ground.
Glasnow pitched a scoreless seventh and left after loading
the bases with one out in the eighth. The Pirates' top four high-leverage
relievers sealed their 2-1 victory in Game 1, so Hurdle turned to right-hander
Feliz to escape the eighth.
The only Pirates reliever who didn't pitch on Saturday was
left-hander Brault. Their entire position-player group got involved, too,
as Austin
Meadows (who pinch-hit in the opener) was the only hitter
who didn't start either of the two games.
Moroff and Luplow didn't start in the first game, but they
made a big impact with a trio of solo shots in Game 2. So, too, did
catcher Jacob
Stallings, who caught the second game after being recalled on
Saturday morning. It wasn't lost on Holmes, Stallings, Moroff and Luplow that
they were all with Triple-A Indianapolis a month ago.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Starling
Marte and Gregory
Polanco hit back-to-back homers in the eighth, just as they
did in the first inning of Game 1, before Luplow bashed his second homer 441
feet to left-center field. Feliz couldn't finish the game, exiting after Jesus Aguilar hit
a two-run single with two outs in the ninth, so Hurdle summoned Vazquez to
record his second save of a successful well-rounded day at the ballpark.
SOUND SMART
Marte and Polanco hit back-to-back homers in
both halves of the Pirates' doubleheader sweep, becoming
the third duo in Major League history -- and the second set of Pirates -- to do
so. Frank Thomas and Dick Groat twice hit consecutive homers on
MITEL REPLAY OF THE
DAY
With the Pirates up by two in the seventh, Glasnow issued a leadoff walk
to Jonathan
Villar. Perez hit a single to left field, and Villar tried
to take third base on the play. But Luplow quickly fired the ball to third
baseman Colin Moran,
who tagged out Villar. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell challenged the call,
but it was confirmed after a replay review.
Rather than having two on with nobody out, the Brewers were
left with only Perez on and one out. Glasnow struck out the next two hitters to
end the inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
BREWERS: OF Eric
Thames (right hamstring tightness) and RHP Junior Guerra (right forearm) were
placed on the 10-day disabled list. Thames sustained his injury while tracking
a ball hit to right field in the second inning Friday.
PIRATES: C
Francisco Cervelli was placed on the seven-day disabled list with
post-concussive symptoms. C Jacob Stallings, who started the second game and
hit, seventh, was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace him on the
25-man roster.
UP NEXT
BREWERS: RHP
Jhoulys Chacin (8-3, 3.78) will look to win a third straight start. In his last
start against Miami on July 10, he allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3
innings in an 8-3 win.
PIRATES: RHP Joe
Musgrove (3-4, 3.77) will attempt to carry momentum from his previous two
starts. He has surrendered a combined two runs on 12 hits in 12 innings pitched
during that span.
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