 lasted just three innings and gave up four runs on five hits. He struck out three.Gregory Polanco homered to lead off the second, his 11th this season and first since August 4.Starling Marte singled and stole second in the fifth inning, giving him 20 steals for the fifth consecutive year, despite an 80-game suspension for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy.Chad Kuhl (8-11) went five-plus innings, allowing three runs on eight hits.All the damage against Kuhl came in the second. Chance Cisco and Anthony Santander hit RBI doubles, sandwiching J. J. Hardy's run-scoring groundout.Pedro Alvarez started the rally with a single in his first game at PNC Park since leaving the Pirates. He played for Pittsburgh from 2010 to 2015.Felipe Rivero pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances.TRAINING ROOMOrioles: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (sore back) and RHP Dylan Bundy (left hamstring strain) will both be shut down for the remainder of the season. ... SS Tim Beckham (right hamstring) missed his third consecutive game. ... CF Adam Jones (leg soreness) did not play for the second straight day.Pirates: SS Jordy Mercer (knee) missed his third straight game.UP NEXTOrioles: After an off day, Wade Miley (8-14, 5.52 ERA) will start the final series of the season Friday against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. Miley is 0-4 with a 9.92 ERA in September.Pirates: Ivan Nova (12-11, 4.24) will start a four-game series in Washington on Thursday. Nova has lost four straight decisions and eight of his last nine dating to July 23.---More MLB baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
McCutchen set for possible Pittsburgh finale vs. Orioles 20m ago• 2 min read PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates will play their final home game of the season when they face the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday at PNC Park.It could be center fielder Andrew McCutchen's final home game in a Pirates uniform. If that comes to pass, he probably would like to go out with a similar performance to the one he enjoyed on Tuesday.McCutchen had a career-high eight RBIs and was 4-for-4 with his first major league grand slam, a three-run home run, a double and a single."It's all about trying to finish strong," McCutchen said. "That's what it's all about. As far as myself, I always know more is in me. I always know more is in the tank. You can say one thing and do it differently."I had the one good month, hitting .400. These last couple months haven't been the months that I wanted them to be, but I was still trying to just do everything I can to finish on a high note going into the offseason." Pittsburgh pulled McCutchen from the game at the start of the seventh inning, allowing the crowd to give him a standing ovation. He now has to refocus for Wednesday."(The curtain call) was cool," McCutchen said. "We still have a game tomorrow. So, it was awesome, but I'm like, 'Shoot, I'm trying to have another good game tomorrow, too'." The Pirates will turn to Chad Kuhl (7-11, 4.31 ERA) on Wednesday. The right-hander will look to rebound from allowing four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings Friday at Cincinnati. Outside of that start, Kuhl has handled himself relatively well lately, yielding fewer than four earned runs in eight of his past 10 appearances.Kuhl could have a tall task Wednesday if he wants to match right-hander Trevor Williams' performance from Tuesday. Williams allowed one run on three hits in six innings to give the Pirates their third straight victory and fourth in the past five games.Kuhl received a no-decision in Pittsburgh's 9-6 loss in Baltimore on June 7 when he allowed a run, four hits and four walks in five innings.The Orioles haven't had as much success lately. They have lost 15 of their past 19 and would like to buck that trend before heading to Tampa Bay for their final series of the season over the weekend.On Tuesday, they turned to an all-rookie outfield of Trey Mancini in left, Austin Hays in center and Anthony Santander in right. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that could be the case again Wednesday."I wish we couldn't play them, but it would require different circumstances than the win-loss record," Showalter said. "That was nothing by design. It was just our best foot for us to be a better organization as we go forward. So, we'll see what tomorrow brings." Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa (2-2, 3.41 ERA) will take the mound for Baltimore. He has allowed more than three runs in only one of his eight appearances (three starts) this season, when the St. Louis Cardinals got five runs off of him in 1 1/3 innings on June 16.In his most recent outing, Ynoa threw eight innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win over the Rays on Thursday. He will be facing the Pirates for the first time in his career.
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