Rich Hill solid, long-dormant bats deliver for Pirates in win over Detroit
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For nearly three weeks, the Pittsburgh Pirates had been aiming to play the kind of game they managed Wednesday in Detroit.
In beating the Tigers, 8-0, at Comerica Park, the Pirates had no shortage of hits (14) and runs. They were also bolstered by a quality start courtesy of Rich Hill (4-3, 3.80 ERA), who pitched six shutout innings.
Hill is the first Pirates starter other than Mitch Keller to collect a win since the April 29 doubleheader against Washington. Offensively, the team’s hit and run totals were the most since April 29, as well.
While the Pirates (23-20) are still in the midst of a slump that has limited them to a 3-11 start to May, Wednesday’s win — as complete a victory as the club has produced in weeks — must come as a welcomed relief.
“Baseball is up and down,” said first baseman Carlos Santana during the AT&T SportsNet postgame show. “Mentally, keeping focus, taking it one day at a time and playing hard, it’s a long season. Today is a great win. (Now) we go back home and play with Arizona.”
Hill’s last start, May 10 at PNC Park vs. Colorado, ended after 3 ⅔ innings, his shortest outing of the season. In Detroit, Hill rebounded nicely, striking out seven with two walks over 84 pitches.
A leadoff hit allowed to the Tigers’ Matt Vierling in the bottom of the first would be the only hit Hill allowed.
“He was really good and it was a start we needed: all right-handed lineup with some good hitters,” manager Derek Shelton said to reporters in Detroit. “I thought (Wednesday) was the best curveball he had all year. He kept them off-balance and did a good job of executing his fastball to both sides (of the plate).
“But the fact that he was able to execute the curveball was what really stood out. He got some funky swings today.”
Detroit starter Eduardo Rodriguez entered the game as one of the more dominant pitchers in baseball.
Having produced a 1.72 ERA in April over five starts, Rodriguez took on the Pirates boasting five quality starts over his last six appearances.
Ultimately, the long-dormant Pirates bats roughed him up, as Rodriguez threw 98 pitches in five innings, taking the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.
The Pirates jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, with No. 9 hitter Austin Hedges hitting double to center field that scored Rodolfo Castro and Ji Hwan Bae.
The ball Hedges hit bounced off Vierling’s glove in deep center field but was ruled a hit.
Then, in the fourth, Castro blasted a solo home run off Rodriguez to left field, giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
In the fifth, after Bryan Reynolds got aboard with a two-out double, Andrew McCutchen singled him home, with Rodriguez’s day ending shortly thereafter.
McCutchen went 2 for 5 with a run and RBI, and Castro went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Hedges enjoyed his most productive offensive day with the Pirates, recording his first multi-hit, multi-RBI game with the club.
He went on to drive in another run in the Pirates’ four-run seventh inning, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
In that seventh inning, the Pirates sent nine men to the plate, five of whom got hits. After a single by Reynolds and fielder’s choice by McCutchen, Santana scored them both with a double.
Connor Joe and Castro then hit RBI singles, all of which came off Detroit reliever Tyler Alexander.
After Hill left the game, Robert Stephenson, Jose Hernandez and Dauri Moreta came in to pitch scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
The three relievers posted a total of seven strikeouts, with Moreta striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth.
Source: TribLIVE
