New Steelers already pressed for jobs they were just hired for

By Tim Benz
https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-new-steelers-already-pressed-for-jobs-they-were-just-hired-for/
May 22, 2019


Diontae Johnson during rookie mini-camp. (Tribune-Review)

Welcome to town.

Now go fight for the job opening you just thought you were hired to fill.

That is the message being sent by the Steelers to each of their three significant free-agent signees this offseason.

Inside linebacker Mark Barron, formerly of the Rams, inked a two-year, $12 million contract in March. Donte Moncrief’s deal was $9 million over two years after he bolted from Jacksonville. And Steven Nelson came on board for $25.5 million over three years to leave Kansas City.

After signing that trio to play linebacker, receiver and cornerback, respectively, general manager Kevin Colbert then proceeded to use his first three draft choices on Devin Bush, Diontae Johnson and Justin Layne to play — you guessed it — inside linebacker, wide receiver and cornerback.

The Steelers normally are loath to spend in free agency. To do so to the tune of $46.5 million dollars among three players, only then to replicate their positions in the draft, may seem odd.

That’s especially true when you consider free agency and draft capital was spent on inside linebacker and receiver a year ago in Jon Bostic and James Washington.

But those two added less than the Steelers hoped. In fact, Bostic already is gone from the inside linebacker depth chart, as is L.J. Fort. He went to Philadelphia in free agency.

When it comes to pass options downfield for Ben Roethlisberger, Washington’s failure to emerge as a weapon last season is compounded by Antonio Brown’s trade to Oakland.

So there’s room for multiple players at these positions. But are there enough snaps to go around to make these free agents feel they made the right choice?

Did they see the ranks being thin enough here to fit in, even if the Steelers used picks on bodies at their spots?

“It’s not surprising,” Barron said at the Steelers’ first OTA on Tuesday. “It’s a need they were looking to fill. I’m not surprised about it. I’m excited about the situation. (Bush) is a great young talent. I’m always excited to play with great young players.”

Nelson appears to have the least to worry about. And he appears to know it.

“If you pay a guy, you don’t want him sit the bench, right?” Nelson asked. “I’m not afraid of competition. I’ve been doing that my whole career.”

It’s not just money with Nelson. His competition appears to be the lightest from the draft choices. Layne is perceived to be a bit of a project since he was converted from wide receiver while at Michigan State.

Unless Nelson really stinks in the preseason, he has an excellent chance of starting at the cornerback position opposite of Joe Haden.

“It’s great to have somebody in the room like that, 10 years in the league,” Nelson said of Haden. “It definitely helps elevate my game. I ask a lot of questions and see from a different perspective. You want to see how he sees things, through his eyes.”

Nelson would have to get injured or completely whiff on learning the playbook, and Artie Burns, Cam Sutton, Brian Allen or Mike Hilton would have to look like Mel Blount to make him a backup.

For Barron—who pointed out he did get the first snap of the “Seven Shots” goal line drill—and Moncrief, however, reps could become pinched by the presence of Bush and Johnson.

Given the efforts Kevin Colbert made to trade up for Bush, the presumption is the Steelers would like for him to start at inside linebacker within the first few weeks of the season, if not right away.

That’s if he proves physically and mentally ready for that task.

“I’m just getting around him,” Barron said of Bush. “If I see something he needs help with, I’ll most definitely help him out.”

In fact, Barron may find himself fighting Vince Williams for playing time as much as Bush if the first-rounder plays as well as the organization hopes.

“We can all play football,” Barron said. “We are all good players. We’ll see how everything goes.”

Similarly, if Johnson lives up to his draft-day hype, which may be impossible, he’ll be hard to keep on the bench. Moncrief may find himself trying to take looks from Eli Rogers and James Washington more so than Johnson in multiple receiver sets.

“When you are on the board, you’ve gotta take the best guy,” Moncrief said of Johnson. “And obviously he was the best guy for us. You’ve gotta take him in and teach him the game.”

As we predicted weeks before the draft, the Steelers were expected to have this approach. The replication at positions of need isn’t overkill. Because in each case, the Steelers need depth and starters at cornerback, receiver and inside linebacker.

In a perfect world, the rookies will be dynamic enough that the free-agent veterans become the depth and the rookies become the starters.

But any upgrade — in any combination — at those spots will be a welcome relief for Steelers fans.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@tribweb.com or viaTwitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

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Our Stories: Pirates First Baseman Josh Bell

Josh Bell's hot streak continues in San Diego

Pirates slugger Josh Bell's offseason workouts paying immediate dividends

By Bob Nightengale
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2019/05/20/pirates-josh-bell-breakout-star/3738862002/
May 20, 2019


(Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)

It’s like vacationing in Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, traveling to San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, or traveling to the Grand Canyon, without, well, looking into the canyon.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell, a Texas native, spent his entire past winter in Newport Beach, California ... and never went to the beach.

Snubbed the nightclubs.

Skipped the fine dining.

Oh, but he can tell you all about the batting cages, workout facilities, practice fields and health-food spots in Southern California.

“I didn’t go there on vacation,’’ Bell told USA TODAY Sports. “I went there for work.’’

And he returned to the Pirates from his four-month Southern California excursion as a completely changed player.

A year ago, he was labeled as a one-year wonder, changing his batting stance more often than his socks. He set a National League rookie record for a switch hitter with 26 homers in 2017, only to see his power-game vanish last year – his homers plummeted to 12 while his RBI totals dropped from 90 to 62. He was treated as if he lip-synched his rookie year with an anonymous scout in Sports Illustrated calling him a virtual fraud. He was also informed by the Pirates that unless he showed dramatic improvement, he could be spending the season as a platoon player.

Today, Bell is one of the most feared hitters in the game and a legitimate MVP contender. He enters the Pirates’ homestand Tuesday hitting .333 with 14 home runs and tied for the major-league lead with 44 RBI and league-leading 30 extra-base hits. It’s the most homers by a Pirates’ player in the first 44 games since Willie Stargell in 1973, the most extra-base hits since Paul Waner in 1932, and tied for the third-most RBI in franchise history.

Bell, who hit .442 with five homers on the Pirates’ grueling 11-game trip without an off-day, has three multi-homer games in the last two weeks alone. His 1.101 OPS ranks behind only Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We’ve never seen him like this,’’ Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Really, we haven’t seen anybody like this in a Pittsburgh uniform in quite awhile.’’

No one, not Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente or Stargell has ever had a start like this in Pittsburgh. He may still be 6-foot-4, and 240 pounds of muscle, but looking deep inside his soul, he’s a changed man.

“I saw him in Newport Beach in the off-season,’’ Pirates starter Joe Musgrove said, “and you could just see the look in his eyes, that demeanor. He wasn’t going out partying or doing any of that kind of stuff in the offseason.

‘We talked about it, and he knew there were a lot of expectations and a lot of pressure for him to come out and have a big year, and he embraced it. He said, 'I know what’s expected of me. I had a monster year my rookie year, and I don’t want last year’s season to define me as a person and who I am as a player.'

“To see what he’s done, pretty impressive man.’’

The simple narrative would be that Bell wanted to stick it to that anonymous scout, who belittled him in the Sports Illustrated season preview.

It would seem to be the natural driving force for Bell’s phenomenal start, but there’s one little problem.

He never read the article.

Sure, he heard about it later from friends and family, but it actually never bothered him, and certainly never motivated him.

“I feel like everybody is entitled to their opinions,’’ Bell flatly said. “Last year was pretty bad. So, whoever he is, he had a right to say what he said. I’m sure my family was more ticked than I was.

“I’m pretty even-keeled when it comes to stuff like that. I’m just happy to be proving him and others wrong.’’

There was no smirk. No hint of a smile. No sneer. Nothing.

Then again, if you know Bell, it comes as no surprise, with a DNA that has made him perhaps the most popular player among his teammates, who have never seen him distraught, or even rattled.

“He is just so focused on the present,’’ Pirates starter Chris Archer said, “nothing bothers him. I remember the first time we met was at the All-Star game in Cincinnati in 2015. I made the All-Star team and he was in Class A playing in the Futures Game. I go up to him one night and say, 'Hey, nice to meet you dude. When are you going to get to The Show?’

“He says,'I don’t know. I’m just trying to be in the moment. How about you? When are you going to The Show?’

“He had no idea who I was, or that I was an All-Star. He thought I played for the World Team. I think he thought I was Latin or something.

“But that’s him. He’s still the same way. Nothing has changed. He’s always looking for ways to improve, and not focused on other people’s opinions or outside influences.’’“But that’s him. He’s still the same way. Nothing has changed. He’s always looking for ways to improve, and not focused on other people’s opinions or outside influences.’’

The problem a year ago was that Bell perhaps was looking for too many ways to improve. He couldn’t even keep up with his own batting stances and different approaches. One day he was trying to be a power-hitter. The next, a contact hitter. He wanted to drive the ball some weeks, and simply get on base other days.

“I needed to have a moment with him last year,’’ Hurdle said. “He was changing, but not committing to anything. It wasn’t like he was chasing a hit, but in essence, it was chasing stances to find a hit or power.

I told him, ‘You need to give me two core convictions that you believe in that are going to make you a successful hitter. I’m going to give you some time to think about it.'’’

Bell spent four days soul searching, talking to coaches, teammates, friends and family. He sat down with David Freese, the Pirates’ veteran clubhouse leader before being traded to the Dodgers. Freese suggested getting away, starting over, and having a complete make-over in almost complete privacy.

“He wanted me to listen to my own voice, and start growing,’’ Bell said. “I was in a place where I wasn’t having success on a nightly basis, and he said, 'Hey man, if you want to change some things up, go out to Southern California. You’re going to work your tail off, you’re going to eat clean, and you’re pretty going to grow the way you want.'’’

Said Freese: “Everybody was telling him what he should do, but he had to identify what was best for him. He had to be himself and do what he thought was right. He had so much talent, but he had a bullseye on his back. Those first few years are trying years, some guys make it. A lot don’t.’’


(Kamil Krzacynski/UPI)

Bell contacted his agent, Scott Boras, told him he was coming to work out at his facility for the winter, and sought recommendations for a personal hitting instructor. He was introduced over the telephone to Joe DeMarco, a former Big 12 batting champion, minor-league player and coach at Kansas and the University of California Irvine. They talked for the first time on Oct. 9. They began working together Oct. 10. And, except for a 10-day stretch during the Christmas holidays, never stopped.

“If you could spend every day with this man,’’ DeMarco said, “you’d see why he’s doing what he’s doing. His work ethic was unreal. He has insane mindset and preparation. He’s such a good athlete, but he was in Defcon 4, just fighting himself instead of letting his body get in better position.

“It was like having a Harley, but he was on a kickstand. We had to let this Harley run.’’

The two broke down old video, going back to even his Class AAA days when he was the Pirates’ minor-league player of the year. They adjusted his stance, standing taller in the box instead of being so spread out at the plate, giving his bat path more freedom and space, enabling him to dictate the rhythm and pace of his at-bats. Slowly, Bell started to believe in the adjustment himself, and new Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein came to see the new approach, while assistant hitting coach Jacob Cruz voiced his approval.

Now, two months into the season, Bell can hardly believe the results himself. He’s on pace to hit 52 homers and drive in 162 runs, with five of his homers this season traveling at least 450 feet.

“It feels like I’m living a dream,’’ Bell said. “It’s awesome.’’

Oh, and that anonymous talent-evaluator who ridiculed Bell, believing he would never get better?

Nothing but silence.

“I’m excited to show that whoever that guy is,’’ Bell said, “and most important, my friends, my family and my pops who watch every game, that my hard work is paying off.’’

And everyone in baseball, from the beer vendors at Busch Stadium to Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo to the cooks at the Petco Park taco stands, all took notice on Bell’s glorious road trip.

“He’s turning into a superstar in this league,’’ Lovullo said, “right before our eyes.’’

The Pirates, who have gone 45 years without having a player hit 40 homers in a season, finally have that star slugger again,

“Good for him,’’ Freese said. “Good for the city. Good for the organization. Good for all of Pittsburgh. They need a guy like him.’’

The Pirates have gone 27 years without winning a division title and 40 years without a World Series, and if anything is ever going to change, they’ll need Bell in the middle of the renaissance.

“This is a bell that’s going to ring loudly,’’ Boras said, “and it will ring with eloquence.’’

Follow Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale

Moran, Musgrove lead Pirates to 6-4 win vs Padres

The Associated Press
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/05/19/moran-musgrove-lead-pirates-to-6-4-win-vs-padres/39495815/
May 19, 2019


Joe Musgrove pitches in the first inning of the Pirates' 6-4 win in San Diego on Sunday. (Gregory Bull/AP)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove of the Pittsburgh Pirates is undefeated against his hometown San Diego Padres.

Musgrove pitched well enough to survive a rough seventh inning and Colin Moran had a three-run home run and four RBIs for the Pirates, who won 6-4 Sunday to take three of four.

"I love it," Musgrove said of pitching at Petco Park, some 15 miles from where he grew up in suburban El Cajon. "I love pitching regardless, but getting to do it in my own stadium at home, in front of my family and friends always elevates my game. I'm bummed I wasn't able to get out of the seventh clean but I still feel really good about how I threw the ball."

Musgrove (3-4) was the second straight alum of Grossmont High to beat the Padres. Steven Brault won Saturday night in relief of opener Montana DuRapau. Musgrove graduated from Grossmont in 2011 and Brault in 2010.

"We had our coaches out there today and a lot of family and friends from the area," said Musgrove, who is 2-0 against the Padres after also beating them here last season. "For me and him to both snag wins in San Diego is pretty cool. I think everyone out there is pretty proud of Grossmont."

The big right-hander took a one-hit shutout into the seventh before the Padres broke out for four runs, the big blow coming on Hunter Renfroe's three-run homer.

Greg Garcia, who played at Valhalla High in El Cajon, was the first Padres baserunner to reach second against Musgrove when he hit a leadoff double. He scored on a single by Alex Dickerson, who played at suburban Poway High.

With one out, Eric Hosmer hit a comebacker and Musgrove tried to go to second but his throw was wide for an error. Renfroe followed with a shot into the Padres' bullpen beyond the left-center fence, his 11th, to pull the Padres to 5-4.

Moran got his fourth RBI in the eighth when he drove in Bryan Reynolds, who doubled.

Musgrove retired his first six batters and didn't allow a hit until Hosmer singled to left leading off the fifth. He allowed four runs, three earned, and four hits in 6 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts and one walk.

"Joe probably had one decision he'd like to take back as far as location of a pitch," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Had a play in front of him to make, maybe get an out at first, that could have changed the direction of the inning as well, but he's so athletic sometimes, what makes you laugh makes you cry. That's the outing we wanted from him. The three-run homer maybe puts a dent in the numbers but his drive, direction, and conviction to pitch out there sets the tone for a lot of things that happened afterward.

"Moran has a big day at the plate. Drives in four runs. Every day somebody new stepping in and doing something significant," the skipper said.

Musgrove said everything was working well for him.

"It's kind of unfortunate I let things get away from me there in that last inning but I felt I was still making pitches. The one I'd take back obviously is the cutter to Renfroe. Maybe I go to first base with Hosmer's ball instead of second base. Overall, I think I threw the ball well."

Padres manager Andy Green said Musgrove "attacks well, uses multiple pitches and pitches to multiple locations. You look up and you put a four-spot on him, that's not a bad thing at the end of the day."

Felipe Vazquez pitched the ninth for his 13th save.

After a 26-minute rain delay, Moran's homer off rookie Cal Quantrill (0-2) with two outs in the first inning helped stake Musgrove to a 4-0 lead before he threw a pitch. It was Pittsburgh's fourth hit in a span of six batters. Josh Bell, who homered twice in Saturday night's win, was aboard on an RBI single and rookie Reynolds, who homered Friday and Saturday nights, also singled ahead of Moran's homer.

Moran added an RBI single in the eighth off Robbie Erlin.

Quantrill was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to make the spot start, his third this season. He allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings, struck out two and walked two.

Quantrill said it was a matter of "just falling behind too many guys early in the game, making it too difficult. I survived it the first couple of games and came back to bite me. I've really got to figure out the first inning."

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (1-3, 5.58) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game home series against Colorado.

Padres: Rookie RHP Chris Paddack (3-2, 1.99) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Arizona on Monday night. He's coming off his worst start, when he allowed season highs with five hits and six runs, although only three were earned.

Moran's HR, 4 RBIs lead Pirates - 5/19/19

5/18/19: Bell's 2 homers lead Pirates to win

Lyles dominates on the hill in 5-3 Bucs win - 5/17/19

Reynolds homers, Lyles fans 12 in Pirates' 5-3 win vs Padres

The Associated Press
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/05/18/reynolds-homers-lyles-fans-12-in-pirates-5-3-win-vs-padres/39492245/
May 18, 2019


Jordan Lyles pitches in the first inning of the Pirates' 5-3 win in San Diego on Friday night/ (AP)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — It's been nearly three years since the Pittsburgh Pirates have had a pitcher strike out 12 batters in a game.

That's how good Jordan Lyles was Friday night, when he dominated his former team for seven innings and helped the Pirates to a 5-3 victory against the San Diego Padres. Rookie Bryan Reynolds hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fourth.

"It was complete command from start to the end," manager Clint Hurdle said. "I think he retired nine guys on three pitches or less. It was just a really well-pitched game. He just continues to show us good stuff. He's building some street cred a lot of different places."

Lyles struck out a career-high 12 while walking one and allowing one run and five hits. He struck out the side in the seventh.

"We stepped it up in the seventh. We were hitting our spots really well," Lyles said. "We were on the same page and we were doing our thing."

Reynolds homered to right-center with one out in the fourth off left-hander Joey Lucchesi (3-3), his second, for a 2-1 lead. Josh Bell was aboard on a single.

"I knew I got it pretty well but I didn't know if it was going to get out," Reynolds said.

He said Lucchesi's fastball "was moving a lot. In my first at-bat he kind of showed me everything. Second at-bat I saw his changeup, curveball, whatever you want to call it. That let me get a good fastball to hit."

Lyles (4-1) allowed Franmil Reyes' 14th homer with one out in the first, and then didn't allow a baserunner past first until the sixth, when he got into and out of trouble. Manny Machado extended his hitting streak to 10 with a single to right with one out in the sixth and advanced to third on Eric Hosmer's hit-and-run single. But Lyles struck out Wil Myers and got rookie Ty France to fly out.

"You put yourself in a first-and-third situation, that's when you need to score, that's when you need to cash it in," San Diego manager Andy Green said. "That changes the trajectory of the ballgame."

Lyles pitched for the Padres for parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

"We didn't have great at-bats against him," Green said. "It was good to see Franmil get one."

Lucchesi allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, struck out six and walked two.

After Reynolds' homer, the Pirates added on with Melky Cabrera's two-run double in the eighth and RBI singles by Cole Tucker and Colin Moran in the ninth.

San Diego rookie Ty France hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his second.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: Placed RHP Trevor Williams on the 10-day injured list with a strain in his right side. Williams, who played at San Diego's Rancho Bernardo High, came out of Thursday night's game after just 3 2/3 innings. To take his roster spot, RHP Clay Holmes was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis for his second stint with the Pirates this season.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Montana DuRapau (0-0, 1.93) will be the opener Saturday night in his first big league start and fifth appearance. A 32nd round selection — the 971st overall pick — in the 2014 draft, he made his MLB debut on May 9.

Padres: Rookie LHP Nick Margevicius (2-4, 4.34) is scheduled to make his ninth big league start.

Bell homers twice to lead Pirates past Diamondbacks 6-2

By Jose M. Romero (AP)
http://www.startribune.com/bell-homers-twice-to-lead-pirates-past-diamondbacks-6-2/509943252/
May 15, 2019


Josh Bell celebrates his two-run homer in the fifth inning with Gregory Polanco. (Matt York/AP)

PHOENIX — Josh Bell is on the best hitting streak of his career, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are along for the ride.

Bell homered twice and Joe Musgrove allowed one hit through seven strong innings as the Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 Tuesday night.

Phoenix native Cole Tucker hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to cap off the victory. The 22-year-old rookie gleefully circled the bases in front of a large gathering of family and friends, and received a hearty welcome from his teammates in the dugout.

The Pirates snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Diamondbacks that dated to last season. Pittsburgh has won four of its last five.

Bell is on a career-best 14-game hitting streak, and is batting .421 over that span with seven doubles, six home runs and 21 runs batted in, including the four he picked up Tuesday.

"Just trying to sync up fastballs, get on a starter's fastball and understanding how guys are going to attack me and sell out to an approach and just go from there," Bell said. "It feels like I'm living in a dream a little bit."

Carson Kelly homered with two outs in the eighth and Adam Jones drove in David Peralta in the ninth to account for the Diamondbacks' runs.

Starling Marte scored the game's first run in the top of the third, hustling home from third base on Bell's fielder's choice. Bell's fourth-inning homer to straightaway center off Arizona starter Luke Weaver came with two out and Gregory Polanco on base.

The only hit Musgrove (2-4) allowed was a fourth-inning single to Eduardo Escobar. He struck out five and walked two after allowing 13 total earned runs in his previous two starts.

"We've lost a lot of games to these guys consecutively, so it feels good to be the guy to come in and put a stop to that," Musgrove said. "The bounce-back outings are really important."

Bell had his second multi-home run game in 10 days. His second homer landed high up in the seats in right field and came on the first pitch of the eighth inning by Diamondbacks reliever Zack Godley.

Bell raised his season home run total to a team-best 12.

Tucker's second home run of the season was a two-run shot off Godley that just cleared the fence in right field. In between innings, the Pirates' position players stayed in the dugout briefly to let Tucker run out to shortstop by himself while the crowd behind the Pittsburgh dugout cheered.

Melky Cabrera had three hits for the Pirates, and is 28 for 63 with a.444 average in 15 career games at Chase Field. Marte added a pair of doubles.

"Just a fun night for the Buccos," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Bell is just mauling the ball."

Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver (3-2) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. Arizona has lost four of five.

"We couldn't get anything going offensively," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "Their starting pitcher was effective with early count pitches and kind of beating us to the spot."

TUCKER'S TIME

Tucker was still giddy in the visiting clubhouse after the game about his home run at the ballpark he grew up going to for Diamondbacks games.

"It was nuts, man. I couldn't even play it cool. I tried to, but the 12-year-old in me came out and I was just smiling and cheesing and laughing," Tucker said. "Literally audibly laughing. I couldn't have drawn it up any better."

Tucker homered in his major-league debut earlier this season, and his second homer came in his hometown. He was incredulous to hear that Diamondbacks legend and Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson was at the game in the broadcast booth, and said that to hit a home run at Chase Field "means the world to me."

"I always dreamed about winning baseball games in this stadium," he said. "It was really fun to do that tonight."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: OF-IF Lonnie Chisenhall (calf strain) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (1-2, 4.33 earned run average) is expected to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list for his sixth start of the season Wednesday afternoon against Arizona. He's been dealing with thumb pain in his throwing hand.

Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (5-1, 3.16 ERA) takes the mound against the Pirates needing nine strikeouts to reach 2,500 in his career.

5/14/19: Bell, Musgrove dominate in win vs. D-backs

Bell has 5 RBIs, Pirates take 3rd straight from Cards, 10-6

By Steve Overbey
https://sports.yahoo.com/bell-5-rbis-pirates-3rd-straight-cards-10-220934714--mlb.html
May 12, 2019

Josh Bell (Jeff Curry - USA Today Sports)

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Josh Bell put on a show for his mom on Mother's Day.

With his mother Myrtle in the stands at Busch Stadium, Bell homered and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Adam Frazier added a two-run, tiebreaking pinch-hit double as the Pirates scored five times in the seventh inning and twice in the eighth to rally from a 6-3 deficit.

Pittsburgh has won six of eight, including the final three of its four-game series at St. Louis.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle had warned Bell that he'd better come through.

''Jokingly, before the game, I said, 'You need to do something special for Myrtle,''' Hurdle said. ''He said, 'Yeah, I've got this.'''

Bell went 4-for-4, extending his hitting streak to a major league-best 12 games. He reached base five times, including an intentional walk, and is 20-for-49 (.408) during the streak with four homers and 16 RBIs.

''It was awesome,'' Bell said. ''It's one of those scenarios where I know my mom would be just as excited to watch me play if I go 0-for-4. To be able to celebrate the win with (her) watching, it's unbelievable.''

Myrtle lives in Louisiana and travels to see her son play at least once a month.

''His work ethic is one of the best I've ever seen,'' Pittsburgh infielder Kevin Newman said. ''He's in the cage all the time. He works his tail off on defense. I couldn't be any happier for him.''

Bell's three-run homer off John Brebbia (1-2) in the seventh tied the game at 6-6. Francisco Cervelli, who had three hits, followed with a double, Melky Cabrera drew a walk and then Frazier smacked a two-run double to right.

Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Martinez homered for the Cardinals, who have lost five of six and nine of 11.

Chris Stratton (1-2), acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, worked a scoreless sixth for the win.

Brebbia (1-2) gave up three runs on three hits in one inning.

''When you make bad pitches to guys who are taking good swings, it's not going to be good,'' Brebbia said.

Colin Moran added two-run double in the eighth to conclude the scoring.

After the Pirates scored three times in the first, Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer off Steven Brault in the bottom half to start a four-run outburst.

Martinez, who went 3-for-5, had a two-run homer in the third. Bryan Reynolds made a leaping catch in the ninth to rob him of a possible second homer.

St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson gave up three runs on nine hits over six innings.

Brault, making his second start of the season, lasted 3 2/3 innings. He gave up six runs on nine hits.

Goldschmidt, who was 9-for-17 in the series, snapped an 18-game streak without a home run.

''We obviously haven't won as many games as we've wanted to the last 10 or 11 games,'' Goldschmidt said. ''The focus is just to go out there and win the next one.''

FULL HOUSE

The crowd was announced at 48,555, the largest in the history of the new Busch Stadium, which opened in 2006. It was St. Louis' fourth sellout of the season.

ON THE WAY BACK

Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez threw a scoreless inning on Friday for Triple-A Memphis. He has not given up a run in three rehab appearances covering three innings. Martinez has not pitched in the majors this season because of a right shoulder cuff strain.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Nick Burdi was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He has pain in his right biceps.

Cardinals: INF Matt Carpenter was held out of the starting lineup for a day of rest. He walked as pinch-hitter in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Nick Kingham (1-0, 5.94 ERA) will start in the opener of a three-game series at Arizona on Monday night. Kingham, who has nine appearances as a reliever and one as a starter this season, is 5-7 in 16 lifetime starts.

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (3-3, 4.32) will face Atlanta RHP Mike Foltynewicz (0-2, 5.94) as the teams begin a three-game series Tuesday. The Cardinals were shut out in each of Flaherty's last two starts