 and we all knew why,'' said Josh Bell, who came home and tied the score against the Texas Rangers with a two-run double in the ninth.Reynolds put the Pirates ahead with his blast to the hill in center field off Jesse Chavez (0-1), and Starling Marte then added a two-run homer as the Pirates ended their eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 win Tuesday night.''I kind of blanked out, and then I realized what was going on,'' Reynolds said.The Pirates were scoreless until getting three-run ninth off closer Jose Leclerc that Reynolds started with a double.''Puts a big smile on your face. I mean, he had a double off the glove to keep the hitting streak alive and then he puts an exclamation point on the end of his night,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ''Marte puts an exclamation point on the end of his night for a guy that's been out 10, 11 days, hadn't seen any live pitching. ... But for Reynolds, what a charge. His first RBI. First home run. Off a veteran pitcher, a good pitcher. Pretty swing.'' Reynolds has hit safely in all eight of his games since his big league debut April 20, when the outfielder was called up the same day Marte was put on the injured list with bruises to his abdominal wall and ribs.Marte played his first game since he was involved in a full-speed collision with shortstop Erik Gonzalez on April 19 that sent both players to the injured list - Gonzalez broke his collar bone and is on the 60-day injured list.Kyle Crick (1-1), who was born in nearby Fort Worth and lives in Sherman about 90 miles north, pitched a perfect 10th. Felipe Vazquez worked the 11th for his seventh save after allowing Joey Gallo's leadoff homer - his 10th being a 467-foot drive into the second deck of seats in right field.Pittsburgh had three consecutive hits off Leclerc to start to the ninth, including Adam Frazier's RBI single for their first run. Leclerc then struck out two before Bell, who was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and grew up a Rangers fan, tied the game at 3 with a two-run double driven the opposite way into the left-center gap.''That was huge, I felt that support from my friends and family,'' Bell said. ''To be able to come through and pull through for the team right there, I can't ask for much more.'' It was the second blown save in seven chances this season for Leclerc, who became the Rangers' closer after Keone Kela was traded to Pittsburgh last July. Kela pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pirates.Manager Chris Woodward said there would be a discussion about Leclerc's role moving forward.''Obviously with a young guy, you don't want to kill the kid's confidence,'' Woodward said. ''I would love to just keep giving him the ball, but I do have to be mindful where his mental state. He wants the ball, but he also doesn't want to feel like he's letting his teammates down. It's a tough situation for him.'' SOFT RUNSAsdrubal Cabrera blooped a two-run single to right in the fourth - MLB stats registered the exit velocity off the bat at 59 mph - to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. They went ahead 3-0 in the eighth on Gallo's third walk, which came after a passed ball on a strikeout and two other walks had loaded the bases.STILL LOOKING FOR NO. 1Rangers starter Adrian Sampson was denied his first big league victory after 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out five without a walk, and hit a batter, in his 13th career appearance (eighth start) since his big league debut for Seattle in 2016. He was a fifth-round pick by the Pirates in 2012.TRAINER'S ROOMPirates: C Francisco Cervelli was hit on his left wrist by a pitch in the second inning. He initially remained in the game, but two pitches later left the game. He was examined by Rangers team physician Dr Keith Meister, and the Pirates expect an update Wednesday.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (1-3, 4.06) is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his three road starts this year.Rangers RHP Shelby Miller (1-1, 7.52) has allowed exactly four runs in each of his last four starts. He is 2-7 with a 4.88 ERA in 10 career starts against Pittsburgh.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Pirates bring eight-game losing streak to Texas The Texas Rangers ended their losing streak in a big way over the weekend. The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to do the same thing when they open an interleague two-game series Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.Texas pounded out 29 runs and 37 hits in back-to-back 15-1 and 14-1 wins at Seattle. That breakout came after a five-game losing streak."I don't think there's really any difference in our approach," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. "We're just getting pitches to hit and not missing. Our plan has been the same. Our guys are prepared. They're ready."They're really doing a good job of taking advantage of the pitches that we're given, and we just keep coming. It's just a testament to the ballclub and what we pride ourselves (on) offensively. We're going to keep coming at you." After briefly climbing to the top of the National League standings, Pittsburgh has lost eight straight, including back-to-back sweeps at home against Arizona and at Los Angeles.The Pirates have found various ways to lose, including giving up leads and falling just short. They did the latter Sunday in a 7-6 loss to the Dodgers and were competitive in all three games of that series after getting blown out twice and shut out once in four game against Arizona."This isn't the try-hard league; it's the do-good league," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "You learn lessons. There's winning and losing, and there needs to be some learning with the losing." Both clubs had a day off Monday."We're going to recollect our thoughts on this off-day and then come out looking to take two from Texas," said Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams, who gave up five runs and eight hits on Sunday.The Pirates could be getting regular center fielder Starling Marte back from an abdominal wall and rib contusion. He is eligible to come off the injured list Tuesday, and reports from the team have indicated he has progressed well.In the series opener Tuesday, Pittsburgh right-hander Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.05 ERA) is set to face Texas right-hander Adrian Sampson (0-1, 4.50 ERA).Lyles will be looking to regain the form that had him riding a 0.53 ERA before he allowed five runs, four of them earned, in five innings Wednesday in an 11-2 loss to Arizona."Sour taste," Lyles said after he left too many pitches up.Against the Rangers, Lyles is 1-5 with an 8.15 ERA in nine career appearances, seven of them starts. He last faced them Aug. 10, 2016 in a scoreless third of an inning of relief.Sampson, 27, is looking for his first major league win as he goes into his seventh appearance and third start this season. He is 0-0 with a 9.72 ERA in two starts. In four relief appearances, he is 0-1 with a 1.32 ERA.He is getting some time with the rotation following the elbow injury to Edinson Volquez."It's a very unfortunate situation for Edinson, and it makes you feel sick. I've been there with that injury," Sampson told the Dallas Morning News. "But if you get an opportunity in this game, you have to run with it. They can be pretty rare." Sampson has never faced the Pirates, or any National League team.--Field Level Media
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