 for his second home run of the season.The Pirates had a chance to win it in the ninth when they put runners and first and second with no outs. But speedy Jarrod Dyson was picked off second base by catcher Roberto Perez and the inning eventually ended when Nick Wittgren (1-0) struck out Josh Bell with two on.''That's what our team does,'' Wittgren said. ''(Perez) picked me up. He gunned the guy down at second and it changed the whole scenario. It changes the way I pitched to the next two guys.'' Brad Hand pitched a scoreless 10th for his sixth save in as many chances. Six Indians relievers combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings.Bell made it 3-all in the sixth with a two-run double that chased Carlos Carrasco. Oliver Perez came on and avoided further trouble by striking out Colin Moran and Bryan Reynolds to end the inning.Santana hit a two-run single and Franmil Reyes followed with a sacrifice fly to put Cleveland ahead 3-1 in the third.The Pirates, who got three hits from Newman, were playing for just the third time in nine days.They had a three-game series at St. Louis postponed last week because of the Cardinals' COVID-19 outbreak. Pittsburgh then split two games at Cincinnati before the last two games of the scheduled series were called off because a Reds player tested positive for the coronavirus.The Pirates also had a regularly scheduled off day Monday.''I would say it's probably more challenging mentally,'' catcher Jacob Stallings said of the uneven schedule. ''It's been obviously a very weird season and continues to be a weird season.'' SHORT STARTSCarrasco needed 91 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs, five hits and three walks while striking out five.Pittsburgh rookie JT Brubaker went just three innings and allowed three runs on three hits and three walks in his second career start.NO TITOFrancona will miss the series and, according to GM Mike Chernoff, undergo a medical procedure this week. Francona also missed seven games from Aug. 3-9 before returning to the dugout last week.ROSTER MOVESIndians: Perez was activated from the injury list, C Sandy Leon was placed on the family emergency leave list and OF Greg Allen was recalled from the alternate training site in Eastlake, Ohio.Allen takes the roster spot of OF Oscar Mercado, who was optioned Monday to the alternate site. Mercado hit just .111 in 17 games and lost his starting center fielder's job to OF Delino DeShields.Pirates: RHPs Tyler Bashlor and Nick Mears were recalled from the alternate training site in Altoona, Pennsylvania, RHP Cody Ponce was optioned there and RHP Yacksel Rios was placed on the 10-day IL.Bashlor was acquired from the New York Mets for cash considerations Aug. 2. He made 24 relief appearances for the Mets each of the past two seasons.TRAINER'S ROOMIndians: Perez, the AL Gold Glove catcher last season, had been out since July 29 with a strained right shoulder. . Reyes was back in the lineup after getting hit on the left wrist by a pitch Sunday in a win at Detroit and leaving the game.Pirates: Rios is sidelined because of right shoulder inflammation.UP NEXTIndians: RHP Aaron Civale (2-2, 3.60) starts Wednesday night in the middle game of the three-game series. He won his previous start Friday at Detroit, giving up four runs in six innings.Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (0-0, 5.14) will make his first start since Aug. 9.---More MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
After latest postponement, Pirates ready for IndiansThe Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates are in much different spots -- and perhaps mindsets -- entering their series opener Tuesday at PNC Park.For the visiting Indians, an 8-5 win Sunday at Detroit featured five home runs and produced a weekend three-game sweep. It also kept the beat going on what has been a successful run and as normal a schedule as possible this shortened season.For the Pirates, Tuesday's game is their first since Friday after the final two of their four games in Cincinnati were postponed because a Reds player tested positive for COVID-19, followed by a day off Monday.Pirates manager Derek Shelton expects to have all his players available Tuesday, with no positive tests for the virus. Pittsburgh also had a series against St. Louis wiped out this season because of a series of positive tests among the Cardinals organization."The immediate reaction is obviously concern because of the fact that somebody has tested positive," Shelton said of the latest postponements his team experienced because of the pandemic. "Regardless of whether it's one of your own players or somebody else, you're concerned for that player and for their group. After that, you have to start to be aware of the contact that possibly is had among your group." The Pirates have played just two games in eight days going into the series against the Indians. One of those games was a win, 9-6 over Cincinnati on Thursday. It was just their fourth win this season.The Indians, on the other hand, have won eight of their past 11 games. Their offense has started to catch up with a strong pitching staff, which is paying off. Cleveland is 10-0 when scoring at least three runs.Cleveland is expected to get top catcher Roberto Perez back from a shoulder strain for this series, and likely for Tuesday's opener. He has been out since July 28."I think that's a legitimate target," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I think, all things considered, it's probably still quick. But the trainers have signed off and ... I think we're all on board with that." In the series opener Tuesday, Cleveland right-hander Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 3.22 ERA) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh right-hander J. T. Brubaker (0-0, 3.38).Carrasco is coming off his shortest and only non-quality start of the season, giving up three runs and four hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs."He was pitching out of danger the entire time," Francona said.With injuries among Pirates pitchers abounding, most recently to starter Joe Musgrove, Brubaker will be making his second career start.In his first, Aug. 6 against Minnesota, he gave up three runs (on a first-inning three-run home run) over three innings. Those are the only three runs the rookie has allowed this year in eight innings. He has struck out nine and walked three.--Field Level Media
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