Torres, struck in batting practice, strikes out vs. Mets

March 16, 2012 8:50 pm

Share with others:

By Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NEW YORK -- For the better part of the season, the Pirates were losing games in the first inning.

Now, they are losing them in batting practice.

Reliever Salomon Torres, a right-hander, was struck on the left elbow by a line drive off the bat of Carlos Beltran while walking through the Shea Stadium outfield an hour before the game last night. He was checked by the trainers, then told manager Jim Tracy he would take the ball if summoned later in the evening.

When that happened in the seventh, he was tagged for five runs without recording an out to allow the New York Mets to pull away from the punchless Pirates for a 6-0 shutout.

Beltran later described his shot as a sizzler, and Torres concurred.

"The guy smoked it," he said. "But you're going to have to kill me to keep me off the mound."

Torres entered with New York ahead, 1-0, and Paul Lo Duca led off by reaching on third baseman Freddy Sanchez's second throwing error of the night. Beltran and David Wright singled before Xavier Nady drilled a 94 mph fastball that was up and over the plate over the center-field fence to make the score 5-0.

"That pitch was supposed to be outside," Torres said. "But my sinker was cutting, my straight fastball was sinking ..."

He shrugged off any detrimental impact the elbow might have had on his delivery.

"No, that's not it. It's sore, but I'll be right back out there tomorrow."

Tracy shrugged off Torres' outing altogether.

"They got a few hard hits off one of our best relievers," he said. "That's going to happen."

The blowup nullified a quality, if shaky, start from Paul Maholm.

He limited New York to one run in his six innings, but he also gave up eight hits, most of them thundering off the bats, and walked two. That his line was not much worse was due to stranding eight runners, seven in the first three innings.

The only run came on Nady's bases-loaded walk in the third.

"It's still a loss," Maholm said. "I gave up some hits that were pretty hard and gave up one more run than I could afford to."

One more than zero might be too many, given how the Pirates have performed at the plate in the past two weeks.

They were shut out for the third time, mustered only four singles, struck out 14 times, left the bases loaded twice and, as a result of it all, were limited to three or fewer runs for the 13th time in the past 14 games.

"Offensively ... nothing there," Tracy said.

Asked what could happen to change that, he replied, "Some base hits. We've got to start swinging the bats. I don't know what to tell you other than that. When you're not getting men on base, you're totally limited in what you can do."

It did not help, of course, that Tom Glavine was on the mound for New York. He had 10 strikeouts in his seven innings, perfection through four.

Most effective was a changeup that was diving under bats, one he used even when the Pirates filled the bases in the fifth and sixth.

"Because of it, I've been able to get that called strike," Glavine said. "I'd rather walk in a run than give up a double."

In the fifth, Tracy elected not to pinch-hit for Maholm, who struck out looking for the third out. In the sixth, Craig Wilson flied out to right to end it.

Still, it seems not to matter much anymore whether the opponent is Pedro Martinez or Taylor Buchholz or Sean Marshall or anyone else, given the length of some of the patterns.

How about the leadoff spot, where Chris Duffy went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts? The Pirates are batting a cumulative .194 for the season atop the order.

How about Jeromy Burnitz, whose 0-for-4 night in the No. 5 hole left him hitless in his past 10 at-bats with six strikeouts?

For that matter, how about Jason Bay, the team's most gifted hitter, and his 1-for-12 funk that includes six strikeouts?

As a team, the Pirates have struck out 211 times, third most in Major League Baseball.

Asked if he might consider a change at leadoff, where the futility of Duffy and Nate McLouth has stood out all season, Tracy answered: "You have to look at all the scenarios that go with it. Freddy Sanchez is already in the lineup, and he's hitting third. Your other choice would be Jack Wilson, but he's been one of our better offensive players in the No. 2 spot. What we're hoping for is for somebody to step forward."

He paused.

"Besides, this isn't just about that spot at this point. We're not getting hits from anywhere."

The Pirates fell to 8-22, including 1-3 on this trip and 2-15 away from PNC Park this season.

Next up are the 9-20 Washington Nationals.

Kathy Willens, Associated Press
Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm winds up against the New York Mets in the second inning last night at Shea Stadium in New York. Maholm allowed one run and eight hits in six innings with two strikeouts.
Click photo for larger image.