Scratched from the lineup with groin discomfort, Pittsburgh Pirates iron man Bryan Reynolds delivered a pinch-hit RBI single on Friday night.
The Pittsburgh Pirates received some potentially bad injury news in the hour leading up to Friday night’s game when left fielder Bryan Reynolds was scratched from the lineup because of left groin discomfort.
However, the injury turned out not to be severe. Reynolds pinch hit and delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning in a game the Pirates lost 4-3 to the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series at Coors Field in Denver.
Reynolds’ single was part of a three-run eighth that put the Pirates ahead 3-2. However, the Rockies’ Braxton Fulford hit a two-run double in the bottom of the inning that sent Pittsburgh to its ninth loss in 13 games and dropped it to .500 at 38-38. The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth but failed to score when pinch-hitter Tyler Callihan struck out, and Jared Triolo grounded into a double play.
“Really tough when you battle back,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly told reporters after the game. “I didn’t think our at-bats were very good at the beginning. In the ninth, to get the bases loaded, we’ve got to find a way to come through in that situation and at least get one, or more at times.”
Reynolds came through in the eighth inning. That was a good sign, though the Pirates had Jake Mangum pinch run for Reynolds as a precautionary measure.
Kelly was pleasantly surprised when Reynolds approached him in the dugout about possibly coming off the bench. Reynolds has reached base safely in 25 consecutive games and is the only Pittsburgh player to appear in all 76 games this year.
Reynolds is having a fine season, hitting .285/.402/.474. The Pirates could ill afford to lose him for any extended period with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin and center fielder Oneil Cruz on the injured list and not expected to return until after the All-Star break next month.
“He came up and said he was good to go,” Kelly said. “(We checked) with the trainer just to make sure because we don’t want to do something that’s going to set him back even more. And Bryan and the training staff felt comfortable with it, and he came up with a really big at-bat.”
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