|
 "It wasn't always easy and my pitches weren't always going where I
wanted them to go but I kept the runs off the board," the Pittsburgh
Pirates right-hander said. "In the end, that's what matters most."
Worley (2-1) grinded through 5 2/3 innings for his second straight
win, needing 106 pitches to get 17 outs, as the Pirates held off the
Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Wednesday night.
He allowed one unearned run on six hits while walking two and
striking out five.
Right fielder Gregory Polanco hit his first home run of the season
and made a pivotal catch to help the Pirates (7-8) after they lost
to the Cubs (8-6) the previous two nights.
Polanco's homer, a line shot to right field in the fifth inning,
increased the Pirates' lead to 4-1. In the top of the inning, he
made a running catch of Cubs rookie third baseman Kris Bryant's
two-out bases-loaded fly ball just inside the right-field foul line
to end the threat.
Polanco also doubled as he finished with two hits.
Left-hander Tony Watson pitched two scoreless innings for his first
save of the season as closer Mark Melancon was unavailable after
throwing 25 pitches Tuesday night while taking the loss.
Watson replaced right-hander Jared Hughes with the bases loaded and
none out in the eighth and the Pirates holding a 4-1 lead.
Cubs catcher Miguel Montero singled in a run and left fielder Chris
Coghlan drove in another with a fielder's choice grounder to cut the
gap to 4-3. However, Watson escaped the jam by getting pinch hitter
Jonathan Herrera to foul out and rookie second baseman Addison
Russell to line out.
"It wasn't the plan to use Tony that long but it was a gritty
performance on his part," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "It
was really a gritty-kind of game for us. We ground out a win."
Watson wasn't surprised that he wound up pitching multiple innings.
"All of us in the bullpen knew the situation with (Melancon) down
and how we might have to do a little extra," Watson said. "That's
what a bullpen does, though. The guys pick each other up. It's part
of the gig."
Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel (1-1) surrendered four runs -- three
earned -- and six hits in five innings with no walks and five
strikeouts.
"Those are the types of outings that leave you scratching your
head," Hammel said. "Some balls dropped here and there. I honestly
felt I threw the ball well when I really needed to."
First baseman Anthony Rizzo had two of the Cubs' 10 hits. Russell
singled off Worley in the third inning for his first major league
hit, a day after making his debut.
[to top of second column] |
Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler left the game after two innings
with tightness in his right groin and Pirates left fielder Starling
Marte exited in the fifth with a soft tissue contusion in his right
hand, the result of being hit by a pitch by Hammel two innings
earlier.
The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the second inning as catcher
Francisco Cervelli hit an RBI double high off the right-field wall
and rookie shortstop Jung Ho Kang followed with a sacrifice fly.
First baseman Pedro Alvarez's sacrifice fly in the third pushed the
Pirates' lead to 3-0.
The Cubs got on the board in the fourth when Bryant led off with a
double and scored on a groundout by shortstop Starlin Castro.
"They got us," first-year Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. "We just
couldn't get a hit when we needed to. If we keep playing with that
kind of intensity and effort on a nightly basis we're going to win a
lot of games this year."
NOTES: Pirates RHP Mark Melancon will remain in the closer's role
despite posting an 8.63 ERA through his first seven appearances.
Melancon suffered his first blown save of the season Tuesday night
when the Cubs rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to win 9-8.
... Pittsburgh SS Jordy Mercer missed his third straight game
because of a bruised chest and his status remained day-to-day. ...
Cubs LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (left groin strain) made his first rehab
start for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, pitching 5 1/3 innings and
throwing 89 pitches against New Orleans. He allowed two runs and six
hits with four walks and five strikeouts. ... Chicago RHP Kyle
Hendricks (0-0, 6.10 ERA) faces Pittsburgh LHP Jeff Locke (2-0,
1.93) on Thursday.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
