|
 The first baseman drove in four runs, and Neil Walker hit a key
two-run triple in the eighth inning as the Pirates held off the
Kansas City Royals 10-7 Monday night.
"I've been feeling good for the last couple of days," Ishikawa said.
"I've had some decent at-bats. I've just had a few hits taken away.
I was just fortunate for them to fall tonight."
The Royals scored three runs in the seventh, sending Pittsburgh
starter A.J. Burnett to the showers and cutting the Pirates'
advantage to one run. The inning began with third baseman Mike
Moustakas' ninth home run.
After center fielder Lorenzo Cain's single, Burnett was lifted.
First baseman Eric Hosmer brought Cain home with a triple and scored
on designated hitter Kendrys Morales' groundout.
Walker, the Pirates' second baseman, supplied the antidote with a
two-run triple in the eighth.
Burnett (7-4) picked up the victory, although he allowed six runs on
11 hits, a walk, two hit batters and a balk in six-plus innings.
Mark Melancon pitched the ninth to collect his National
League-leading 30th save.
The Pirates pieced together five consecutive hits to begin the
second inning, producing four runs off Royals right-hander Yordano
Ventura.
"Our game plan coming in was getting their pitcher to throw
strikes," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "Our hitters got
pitches to hit, and they put good swings on them. We still did our
fair share of chasing, but (Ventura has) got good stuff. It's tough
to lay off some of the stuff. Out of his hand, it looks like a
strike."
Left fielder Starling Marte and shortstop Jung Ho Kang started the
rally with singles. Designated hitter Pedro Alvarez grounded a
single into left to score Marte. Catcher Francisco Cervelli laced a
single to center, and third base coach Rick Sofield held up Kang.
However, when the ball scooted away from Cain for an error, Kang
scored.
Ishikawa drilled a double high off the left field wall to drive in
two runs.
The Royals scored a run in the first. Shortstop Alcides Escobar
singled on Burnett's first pitch and stole second on his third
pitch. Moustakas' single to left brought home Escobar. Moustakas
tried to stretch it into a double but was out at second.
The Pirates added a run in the fourth when center fielder Andrew
McCutchen's double scored right fielder Gregory Polanco, who led off
the inning with a double.
The Royals stole a run in the fourth. With two outs, right fielder
Alex Rios doubled and moved to third on left fielder Jarrod Dyson's
infield single. Dyson then got caught in a rundown, which allowed
Rios to steal home, beating Kang's throw to the plate.
[to top of second column] |
Kang led off the fifth with a double, which was Kansas City manager
Ned Yost's cue to go to the bullpen, replacing Ventura with Kris
Medlen, who was just activated from the disabled list. Medlen, back
from Tommy John surgery performed in March 2014, made his Royals
debut.
Medlen struck out the first two Pirates before yielding a home run
to Ishikawa. That finished the line on Ventura, who was charged with
six runs on 10 hits and a walk in four-plus innings.
"He just struggled with command," Yost said. "He was behind in the
count a lot. Then pitches caught the big part of the plate. His
stuff was good."
Ventura said, "I just left too many pitches over the plate. That
wasn't my intention, but that's what happened and I got hit."
The Royals cut the lead to 7-4 in the fifth when Morales homered off
the right field foul pole with Hosmer aboard.
NOTES: The Pirates placed SS Jordy Mercer on the disabled list with
a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament left knee sprain and contusion.
It is anticipated he will be out six weeks. The Pirates purchased
the contract of INF Brent Morel from Triple-A Indianapolis and
transferred 1B/OF Corey Hart to the 60-day disabled list. ... Royals
RHP Kris Medlen, out since undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in
March 2014, was activated from the disabled list. Medlen, who made
six rehab starts, will be used as a reliever in the beginning. He
yielded four runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings Monday against the
Pirates in his first outing. ... The Royals sent RHP Yohan Pino to
Triple-A Omaha. ... Royals LHP Jason Vargas will come off the
disabled list Tuesday to start against the Pirates, who will counter
with RHP Gerrit Cole.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
