Brewers down Pirates 8-5 on Saturday

For example: Pittsburgh’s scheduled starter, left-hander Francisco Liriano, was scratched just moments before the game, leaving reliever Vance Worely to take over on short notice. The right-center field gate opened, and the lefty walked back to the visiting dugout at Miller Park. He had entered the start having been charged with six earned runs in his last 29 innings of work. He took off his hoodie, jogged to the bullpen and began to throw. The 25-year-old outfielder appeared in five games with the Pirates last season. “It’s a very stiff neck”. “You could see that in the strikeouts”.

A key component of the Pirates’ success has been excellent health. The Pirates are 3-0 in those outings. Parra doubled in the first off Charlie Morton and scored on a groundout. The Erie Times-News says federal bankruptcy court documents filed Friday confirmed the deal has closed.

Liriano’s exit meant the Pirates downgraded from a top-of-the-rotation starter to their long man making an emergency start.

“We gave Worley a yell 25 minutes before the game that he was going to start”. He had 10 minutes Saturday. I was trying to throw and I couldn’t throw, ” Liriano said. “I came in and did as much as I could.”.

The Pirates spotted Worley a 3-0 lead after one inning.

BREVARD COUNTY (A):The Fort Myers Miracle pounded out 19 hits and drew eight walks in humbling the Manatees, 12-1.

Home runs from Jonathan Lucroy, Aramis Ramirez and Khris Davis powered the way to an 8-5 victory at home Saturday night.

The fourth was Worley’s last inning. Quickly in the top of the first, the Pirates were poised to stake Worley to a big early lead.

■ Will Smith, who surrendered the game-winning homer to Adrian Gonzalez as the Brewers lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the all-star break Sunday, wasted no time redeeming himself Friday.

The Brewers picked up a seventh run in the sixth. An inning later, Ramirez singled to score Ryan Braun.

The Pirates rallied in the seventh. Polanco led off with a double off Nelson, who then struck out Neil Walker before Brewers manager Craig Counsell brought in Jeremy Jeffress to face McCutchen.

Parra continued to increase his value before the trade deadline with a single and a 10-pitch walk just before Lucroy’s homer into the left-field bleachers in the fourth. Pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa, in to bat for Guerra, hit a grounder up the middle that scored McCutchen, but Segura made a great play to record an out, keep the ball in the infield, and prevent Marte from scoring from third. McCutchen scored to make it 7-5. Five batters into the game, the Pirates had four hits.

Jimmy Nelson (6-9, 4.21 ERA/1.29 WHIP) to the hill.

The bases were loaded with no outs when Francisco Cervelli flied out to right. In the next inning, Jordy Mercer booted a routine grounder by Braun with one out.

©2015 The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.).