PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) — Overshadowing what was the Pirates’ best hitting night of the season Tuesday at Arizona was the loss of starting pitcher Jeff Karstens after just one inning.
Karstens faced just six batters Tuesday night, allowing two runs on three hits. He was pulled at the beginning of the second inning because of shoulder inflammation.
Karstens will be evaluated in Pittsburgh and his status will be updated Thursday.
The Pirates beat the Diamondbacks, 5-4, with their 13th hit of the game — a single by center fielder Andrew McCutchen — proving to be the game winner, as it drove in Alex Presley in the top of the ninth for a 5-4 lead.
Juan Cruz came on in the bottom of the night and earned his first save of the season. Closer Joel Hanrahan wasn’t used because of cramping.
Garrett Jones singled in a run in the first inning to give the Pirates 1-0 lead, which was followed by two runs in the bottom of the first and another in the second as Arizona took a 3-1 lead through two innings.
Neil Walker hit an RBI single in the third, followed by an RBI double by Garrett Jones to tie the game, 3-3. Jones smacked a 402-foot solo home run in the sixth inning to break the tie, 4-3.
Pirates reliever Jason Grilli surrendered a solo homer to the Diamondbacks in the eighth to tie the game, but three straight singles, capped by McCutchen’s RBI, earned Pittsburgh the win.
Jared Hughes came in to relieve Karstens in the second inning and pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Tony Watson and Evan Meek followed with spotless relief — Watson for 2 1/3 innings and Meek for one.
Grilli gave up the homer, his only hit allowed, but earned the win.
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Chris Gates | Bucs Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com
Filed under: Blogs, Pirates, Sports Tagged: Andrew McCutchen, Arizona Dimaondbacks, Bucs Blog, Garrett Jones, Jared Hughes, Jason Grilli, Jeff Karstens, Juan Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tony Watson
