Watch: ARI 11, PIT 2 - Marte's 2-homer game leads D-backs to win

4/24/19: Marte's 2-homer game leads D-backs to win

Arizona waltzes to 11-2 thrashing of Pirates

Looking to win a game against Arizona and avoid any more injuries, the Pirates accomplished one thing in a dismal, 11-2 loss.

Jordan Lyles bore no resemblance to the pitcher from his first three starts, as the Diamondbacks teed off on him from the start. In the first two innings, he gave up six hits, four of them for extra bases. That put Arizona up, 4-0.

Lyles hung around through five, but with the Pirates’ anemic offense, the game was already out of reach. They had some chances early...

Cannonballs Coming: Mason Martin and Dylan Busby are showing power

— Indianapolis (10-8) lost to Gwinnett, 7-6. J.T. Brubaker went five innings and had gopher problems, giving up a solo shot in the first and a two-run home run in the fifth. Those were the only runs; he allowed four hits and a walk, and struck out five. Jesus Liranzo got hammered for three runs in his one inning. The Indians couldn’t do a great deal with Sean Newcomb, but after the bullpen came in a three-run bomb by Patrick Kivlehan, his second home run, got Indy back in it. Steve...

Pirates' Erik Gonzalez to have surgery to repair broken clavicle

The Pirates announced to reporters Wednesday that shortstop Erik Gonzalez will undergo surgery to “repair and internally fixate” his fractured left clavicle, via Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A timeline for his recovery won’t be known until Gonzalez actually undergoes the procedure, but he was already placed on the 60-day injured list over the weekend, so the length of his absence will be substantial. Acquired from the Indians in the offseason trade that sent Jordan...

Game thread: Pirates look to end skid and stay safe

Hospitals are on alert and ambulances are standing by as the Pirates host Arizona at 7:05pm. Jordan Lyles faces Merrill Kelly as Clint Hurdle continues to search for somebody who can hit.

Diamondbacks Ketel Marte, CF Eduardo Escobar, 3B David Peralta, LF Adam Jones, RF Christian Walker, 1B Wilmer Flores, 2B Nick Ahmed, SS Caleb Joseph, C Merrill Kelly, P Pirates Adam Frazier, 2B Melky Cabrera, RF Colin Moran, LF Josh Bell, 1B Francisco Cervelli, C Jung Ho Kang, 3B Jason Martin, CF Cole...

Cannonballs Coming: Mason Martin has three hits

— Indianapolis (10-7) lost to Gwinnett, 5-2. Jake Elmore provided most of the offense, getting three of the Indians’ seven hits. Kevin Newman started his rehab, playing center and going 1-4 with a walk. Alex McRae gave up seven hits and four runs over four and two-thirds innings. Ke’Bryan Hayes was 2-5 and Will Craig 0-3 with a walk. Craig is 0-for-19 in his last five games.

Kevin Kramer: 0-3
Geoff Hartlieb: IP, H, R, K
Dovydas Neverauskas: IP, K

— Altoona (8-10) lost to...

Bucs’ bats once again fail to back studly pitching

Another game where both teams scraped for any run they could find, but in the end the Pirates’ drop their third straight Tuesday night at PNC Park, 2-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was the first time in five games that the Pirates had lost when Trevor Williams was the starting pitcher. Tonight he only allowed two runs in seven innings, but Arizona’s Luke Weaver, frequently aided by home plate umpire Gerry Davis’ wide strike zone, was just a run better.

The Pirates broke onto the...

Game Thread: Trevor Williams faces Diamondback in game two

A day after a depressing loss the the vising Arizona Diamondbacks, Trevor Williams will try to stop the Pirates two-game losing streak. He’ll be faced by right-hander Luke Weaver.

Williams has a 2.59 ERA after four starts, making his last appearance six days ago against the Tigers, allowing a pair of runs in six innings in a game won by the Pirates 3-2. Pittsburgh has yet to lose a Williams start this season.

Weaver came to Arizona from the Cardinals this winter as part of a package for...

Nick Burdi may not need surgery

Jeff Passan is reporting that Nick Burdi has a strained biceps tendon and flexor mass.

Considering how awful it looked, the preliminary exam on Pirates reliever Nick Burdi is promising: Nothing is fully torn or broken, source tells ESPN. MRI did reveal strained biceps tendon and flexor mass, which will sideline him indefinitely, but diagnosis would mean no surgery.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 23, 2019

This sucks, but it’s far from a worse case scenario considering how bad things...

Nick Burdi receives promising diagnosis following frightening arm injury

Pirates reliever Nick Burdi received some preliminary encouraging news on Tuesday concerning the arm injury he suffered during Monday night’s game, a positive development given how devastating it first looked. Burdi collapsed on the mound and ultimately was in tears after throwing a pitch during the eighth inning of Monday’s 12-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that Burdi, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2017, suffered a...

Report: Pirates' Nick Burdi Avoids Tear, Break After Suffering Scary Arm Injury

It appears Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Nick Burdi has avoided the worst possible fate after a scary-looking injury Monday night...

Pirates' Nick Burdi suffers arm injury

Pirates reliever Nick Burdi was removed from his appearance Monday night after suffering an apparent arm injury. After throwing a pitch, he immediately fell to the mound and grabbed his biceps in obvious pain. There’s no indication as of yet as to the seriousness of the injury, but the clubhouse reaction left no more cause for optimism than did the scene that unfolded on the field. As MLB.com’s Adam Berry reports (Twitter links), Burdi’s teammates described the situation as...

Cannonballs coming: Shutout pitching from Dario Agrazal and Osvaldo Bido

The Pirates had several award winners in the system. Mitch Keller and James Marvel were named pitchers of the week in the International and Eastern Leagues, and Chris Sharpe was named hitter of the week in the Florida State League.

Indianapolis was off.

Altoona (8-9) wasted seven shutout innings from Dario Agrazal in a 1-0 loss to 15-2 Harrisburg. Agrazal needed only 79 pitches to get through seven as he allowed just three hits and walked nobody, while striking out eight. Unfortunately,...

Burdi Leaves With Trainer In Tears, Pirates Lose to Arizona 12-4

The Pirates got Gregory Polanco back Monday, but may have lost Nick Burdi in a 12-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Recap to be posted soon.

On Deck

Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.59) will take his turn in the rotation on Tuesday, squaring off against Luke Weaver at 7:05 p.m..

NUMB3RS

1. Bell is hitting an MLB best .643 with runners in scoring position (9-14).

2. The Pirates have lost more games after leading through six innings this year (4) than they did in 2018 (3).

3. Cole Tucker joins Jack...

Pirates activate Gregory Polanco, option Steven Brault

We’re a smidge late on this one, as he’s already in action tonight, but it’s nevertheless worth highlighting that the Pirates have activated outfielder Gregory Polanco. To create active roster space, the club optioned Steven Brault. When Polanco underwent surgery late last season with a torn shoulder labrum, it wasn’t entirely clear how long he’d be out. Indeed, that’s the sort of injury that can hamper a player even when he is back on the field. As it turns out, Polanco was...

Game Thread: Coffee’s Ready

Gregory Polanco and Elias Diaz will make their 2019 debuts Monday when the Pirates play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Polanco, who has been out since September after left shoulder surgery, will bat third and play right field. Catcher Elias Diaz was sidelined this spring with an illness. He was activated off the injury list Sunday, but did not enter the game. He will bat seventh.

Adam Frazier will also be returning to the lineup after missing the past three games with back spasms.

Joe...

Gregory Polanco Returns From IL, Brault Optioned

OF Gregory Polanco will be activated off the 10-day injury list Monday, taking P Steven Brault’s place on the 25 man roster.

Polanco has been sidelined since Sep. 8 of last year when he sustained a knee and shoulder injury while sliding into second base. The left shoulder injury required surgery that has a normal 7-9 month recovery time, so his return is on the earlier end of that time frame. He’s coming back just in time, as the Pirates are already lost outfielders Starling Marte, Corey...

Series Preview: Diamondbacks at Pirates

The post-Paul Goldschmidt Diamondbacks feel a little like the post-Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole Pirates in a way. Former playoff teams stripped of the guys for whom casual fans tuned in, but, upon closer inspection, groups with a bunch of solid, decent ballplayers. If one doesn’t spend a lot of time following the Diamondbacks (or Pirates), they can quickly be dismissed as a bit irrelevant, but, these are teams well above the tanking organizations, with a cautious eye pointed toward...

The Bucoccast 18: Taylor’s Table Setter - Week of 4/22

In his latest installment of TABLE SETTER, Josh Taylor of 93.7 The Fan sets you up for the week to come in Pittsburgh Pirates baseball.

Each week on The Buccocast, Josh Taylor of 93.7 The Fan/KDKA will get you ready for the week ahead in Pirates baseball. He’ll review the week prior and preview the upcoming matchups you need to know about. Here’s the latest episode:

Pittsburgh Pirates fans – Subscribe, Rate, Review!

The Buccocast is a twice-weekly podcast talking all things...

Watch: Josh Bell's mammoth 2-run HR

SF@PIT: Bell crushes a towering 2-run homer to right