Miguel Andujar makes solid debut for Pirates, who ride 13-hit effort to beat Reds
Share this post:
The Pittsburgh Pirates liked Miguel Andujar’s bat enough to take a chance on a waiver claim and didn’t hesitate to insert the 27-year-old into their starting lineup at designated hitter.
The 2018 AL rookie of the year runner-up, claimed from the New York Yankees on Sunday, answered by going 1 for 3 with a walk, a single in a four-run seventh inning and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Oneil Cruz had a career-high four hits as the Pirates clipped the Cincinnati Reds for 13 hits in an 8-2 win Monday night before an announced crowd of 8,766 at PNC Park.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton liked that Andujar was aggressive, calling his Pirates debut a “really good first impression.”
“I think this is a kid who has proven that he can hit,” Shelton said, “and we want to give him the opportunity to get some at-bats.”
Jack Suwinski had two doubles and Ke’Bryan Hayes and Kevin Newman each had a pair of singles for the Pirates.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead against right-hander Roansy Contreras in the first inning when Jonathan India doubled to center, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kyle Farmer’s sacrifice fly to left field.
They added to the advantage in the third when Friedl worked an eight-pitch at-bat and finally connected on a full-count fastball that he drove 412 feet to right field for his eighth home run and a 2-0 lead.
Contreras was finished after allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts in four innings, as the game was delayed 38 minutes by rain. Shelton said there was “no reason to send him back out there,” given the 60-degree weather and Contreras’ inexperience in pitching in late September.
The Pirates tied the game in the fifth, thanks to a pair of Reds errors.
Newman led off with a single, advanced to second on a Zack Collins walk and scored when a Cruz bloop single dropped into shallow left field and Friedl’s throw to third base skipped past reliever Reiver Sanmartin, who was screened by shortstop Jose Barrero. Newman broke for home, sliding head first past catcher Chuckie Robinson’s tag to cut the deficit to 2-1.
“Newman made a really good read coming to third, then the ball kicks away and he sees Robinson leaves and is able to score a run,” Shelton said. “I was really happy with how we ran the bases.”
Bryan Reynolds grounded into a forceout at second base, where Barrero sidestepped Cruz’s slide and made a low throw that got past first baseman Matt Reynolds and allowed Zack Collins to score the game-tying run. The Reds challenged the call, arguing that Cruz violated the slide rule and interfered, but the call stood after a video review.
Fernando Cruz walked Andujar and Suwinski to load the bases but snagged a two-out Hayes grounder to escape without giving up the go-ahead run.
The Reds threatened to score in the seventh against Yohan Ramirez, but Oneil Cruz made a terrific backhand stop deep in the hole and threw to second to force out Aristides Aquino. Ramirez then struck out Barrero with runners on first and third to finish unscathed.
The Pirates followed with the four-run seventh off Seton LaSalle graduate Derek Law that was sparked by Suwinski’s two-run double for the lead, an RBI single by Newman and a sacrifice fly by Collins that boosted the Pirates to a 6-2 lead.
Oneil Cruz and Reynolds hit back-to-back singles to start the eighth. Andujar’s sacrifice fly to left scored Cruz for a 7-2 lead, and Hayes singled to right to drive in Reynolds to make it 8-2.
Aquino hit a two-out, 405-foot shot off Robert Stephenson for his 10th home run in the ninth to cut it to 8-3.
Contreras was thrilled about Andujar’s addition to the Pirates, believing his fellow Dominican can make an impact with his selfless attitude and aggressive swings.
“He’s a team player who likes to help young players and people get better, always rooting for people around him,” Contreras said. “I had a really good relationship with him before with the Yankees, and I feel really grateful that he can be on our side now, helping the team win.”