The Pittsburgh Pirates will find out if they are back on track Friday night when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the opener of a three-game series.
After losing four in a row, the Pirates took the final two contests of a three-game road series with the St. Louis Cardinals. They won the rubber match 6-2 on Thursday behind seven effective innings from right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who allowed one run and struck out nine.
“Props to the guys,” Ashcraft said. “We kind of got our teeth knocked in a little bit over the past week. The response this week has been unbelievable.”
Brandon Lowe was 2-for-4 with a homer and a walk for Pittsburgh on Thursday.
“It’s kind of flipped the script on a little bit of a skid and got us back to playing good baseball again with the energy up in the clubhouse,” Lowe said. “Going against a good team in Toronto, we need all the good energy we can have.”
The Blue Jays are trying to gain some traction themselves during a slow start to the season.
They are scheduled to start Kevin Gausman (3-3, 3.45 ERA) in the series opener that kicks off a six-game homestand. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.54 ERA in 11 career games (nine starts) against the Pirates. He allowed two runs in five innings and did not factor into the decision in his start against them last season.
Pittsburgh right-hander Bubba Chandler (1-5, 5.14) has lost his last four decisions, including a shutout loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday in which he yielded five runs (four earned). He gave up a total of 17 walks in those four setbacks.
Chandler will face Toronto for the first time.
The Blue Jays will be returning from a 4-3 road trip after taking the last two contests at the New York Yankees, including a 2-0 win Thursday night to split the four-game series. Five Toronto pitchers held the Yankees to three hits while striking out 14 in the series finale.
As for the Pirates, they had lost seven of 10 before winning two in a row in St. Louis. They were shut out in consecutive home games by the Phillies on Saturday and Sunday.
“We’ve responded to a lot of different scenarios and adversity early on this season,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “We’re going to have to continue to do that as the season goes on to get to where we want to get.”
Toronto’s second pitcher of the game on Thursday was Adam Macko, who went 1 1/3 innings to get credit for his first career major league win. The bulk of the work was done by Rule 5 draft pick Spencer Miles, who allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six in 4 1/3 innings. He is becoming a factor in Toronto’s pitching plans.
“It definitely helps (build confidence), just getting back out there, especially inning after inning, knowing I can go multiple ups for 4 1/3,” Miles said. “Throwing strikes, and right now, I’m focusing on strike one and using my sinker. That’s kind of my get out of jail free card right now and I’m using my curveball, as well. All of my pitches.”
Daulton Varsho had an RBI double in the first and George Springer homered in the seventh for the Blue Jays.
The homer was Springer’s second of the series — and fourth of the season. He has struggled this season while playing with a broken toe.
“We were talking in the dugout (about how) it’s nice to have guys touch the pillows, but it would be really nice if one guy touched four at one time,” Schneider said. “That was a big homer from Georgie.”
–Field Level Media
