{"id":33320,"date":"2022-06-02T08:32:01","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T08:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/pirates-find-ways-to-survive-while-7-players-heal-injuries\/"},"modified":"2022-06-02T08:32:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T08:32:01","slug":"pirates-find-ways-to-survive-while-7-players-heal-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/pirates-find-ways-to-survive-while-7-players-heal-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates find ways to survive while 7 players heal injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shortstop Kevin Newman went on the injured list April 27, the first of seven Pittsburgh Pirates regulars or semi-regulars who remained inactive through Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium.\n<\/p>\n

The list touches almost every area of \u200b\u200bthe Pirates’ roster: infield, outfield, catcher and the bullpen. It includes:\n<\/p>\n

\u2022 Newman (left groin strain, eligible to return June 26).\n<\/p>\n

\u2022 First baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo (lumbar muscle strain, Saturday).\n<\/p>\n

\u2022 Designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach (right hamstring strain, Friday).\n<\/p>\n

\u2022 Relief pitcher Heath Hembree (right calf strain, Sunday).\n<\/p>\n

\u2022 Catcher Roberto Perez (left hamstring strain, out for the season).\n<\/p>\n

\u2022 Outfielders Jake Marisnick (left thumb surgery, eligible to return anytime) and Ben Gamel (left hamstring strain, June 8).\n<\/p>\n

Yet, signs of life have emerged. The Pirates’ record still was significantly below .500 before Wednesday’s game (21-27). But while winning four of their first five against the Dodgers (including two of three May 9-11 at PNC Park), the Pirates battered the National League’s best team with a .307 batting average (83 points above their 48-game average), nine home runs, six doubles and three triples in the four victories.\n<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Dodgers ‘$ 259 million payroll (compared to the Pirates’ $ 68.9 million, according to spotrac.com) produced a .177 batting average and only 12 runs in the four defeats.\n<\/p>\n

The Pirates’ run of success might be the mere fact that anything’s possible in a six-month season. But it’s also instructive to note who has been making contributions.\n<\/p>\n

Start with corner outfielders Tucupita Marcano and Jack Suwinski, two-thirds of the return from the San Diego Padres in the Adam Frazier trade last year. Both came directly from Double-A Altoona this season, although Marcano played 93 games in Triple-A before and after the trade.\n<\/p>\n

Marcano hit home runs in consecutive games against the Dodgers and has six hits in 17 at-bats since he was recalled from Altoona on Friday for the second time this season. Marcano took Tsutsugo’s roster spot and already has matched his home run total in 29 fewer games.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sent him back to Double-A (April 30) to work on some things,\u201d manager Derek Shelton said, \u201cand he’s come up and played really solid. He’s not afraid. He likes the lights, and he’s really shown that.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cHe takes a really short, compact swing. He gets the ball up front, and when you get it up front, you can get it elevated and that’s what he’s done. ”\n<\/p>\n

Marcano, 22, said he feels confident at the plate.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m seeing the pitches very well, taking good at-bats, getting good reads on the pitches,\u201d he said Tuesday through interpreter Mike Gonzalez.\n<\/p>\n

Before hitting the home run, Marcano was looking for a fastball from Dodgers starter Julio Urias.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cHe threw it and I connected it well, and you saw the results,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

Suwinski, 23, never played above Double-A before he joined the Pirates on April 26 when Bryan Reynolds and Cole Tucker went on the covid-19 injured list. He’s hitting only .186, but he has five home runs (third-best on the team) and only one fewer RBI (11) than Reynolds in 24 fewer games.\n<\/p>\n

He threw out Freddie Freeman at second base from right field in the seventh inning and made a diving catch to retire Mookie Betts in the ninth Tuesday.\n<\/p>\n

Losing Vogelbach, who has six home runs, looked like a problem when he went on the 10-day injured list May 24. But Michael Chavis and Marcano filled the power void with home runs in the first two innings Tuesday. For Chavis, it was his first at-bat di lui since he missing three starts with an elbow injury.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was pretty banged-up,\u201d Shelton said. “One thing we know about Michael is he takes really good, aggressive swings, and we just had to make sure he could get back to that.”\n<\/p>\n

Aside from Marcano, who is hitting .353 in 17 at-bats, Chavis was leading the team with a .293 batting average (before Wednesday).\n<\/p>\n

Hembree wasn’t the only reliever unavailable Tuesday. David Bednar, who leads the team with nine saves, took the night off after throwing 50 pitches Monday.\n<\/p>\n

Four relief pitchers worked the final four innings, giving up only an unearned run and two hits. Wil Crowe worked a spotless ninth for his second save while a Dodger Stadium crowd of 52,686 was pleading for a rally.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMake them hit the ball, make them earn it,\u201d Crowe said after lowering his ERA to 2.35 and his WHIP to 1.01.\n<\/p>\n

“Adrenaline is pumping. You’re just trying to stay calm, stay grounded. Remember what you’re doing. You’re playing a game. You’re having fun, and that’s what I was going out there to do. Go get guys out and just do what I’ve been doing all year. ”\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .<\/p>\n