The Milwaukee Brewers sent struggling star outfielder Ryan Braun to Los Angeles on Wednesday for treatment on his achy right thumb.
Braun is expected to rejoin the first-place Brewers on Thursday when they begin a four-game series at Miller Park against St. Louis.
The Brewers planned to play without Braun on Wednesday. Turns out Rasheem Green Color Rush Jersey , they didn’t have to.
The finale of Milwaukee’s three-game series against Pittsburgh was postponed by heavy downpours at PNC Park that turned hallways leading from the dugouts to the clubhouses into raging rivers.
A makeup date was not immediately announced.
Officials delayed the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start Wednesday as showers loomed. Groundskeepers took the tarp off around 8 p.m., but quickly put it back in place after another rain band moved in. The game was called after a delay of 2 hours, 1 minute.
This is the second time this season the Pirates have been forced to postpone a home game due to inclement weather. It was the 39th postponement in the majors this year, matching the total from all of last season.
The Brewers are scheduled to visit PNC Park twice more this season. The teams do have a common day off on Sept. 20 right before the Brewers begin a three-game set in Pittsburgh.
Chad Kuhl, Pittsburgh’s scheduled starter on Wednesday, will instead get the nod when the Pirates begin a four-game series against Arizona on Thursday.
There was no immediate word on if the Brewers would alter their rotation against St. Louis. Brent Suter was scheduled to start Wednesday against the Pirates, with Junior Guerra slated to take the hill on Thursday.
Brewers bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel did his best to have a little bit of fun in the monsoon. He did a series of belly flops on the tarp shortly after the game was called.
By then, Braun was already on the West Coast to have cryotherapy on his right thumb.
”It’s something that he expects from time to time, and when it starts, we try to get in front of it and knock it out right away Will Dissly Color Rush Jersey ,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
Counsell said it’s the fifth time Braun has had the procedure done over the last few years. The six-time All-Star is hitting just .236 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs this season and is mired in a 3-for-17 slump.
The Pirates announced Wednesday that third baseman Jung Ho Kang is dealing with discomfort in his left wrist while playing for Triple-A Indianapolis.
Kang, who is in the process of returning after missing the entire 2017 season following his arrest on DUI charges in South Korea, is considered ”day to day.”
The team also placed outfielder Corey Dickerson on the Family Medical Emergency List and recalled utility player Adam Frazier from Triple-A Indianapolis. The team offered no details on the reason for Dickerson’s departure, but he will be away from the club for at least three days.
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Closer Kyle Barraclough has been exceptional for the Marlins in the last two months, so the novelty of him giving up a run — even in a Miami win — is major news.
“Claw will bounce back, no worries about that,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after he gave up the tying run in the ninth, ultimately earning the victory in a 2-1 win in a series opener against the Rays.
Barraclough had not allowed a run since May 8 — an amazing run of 21 games and 20 2/3 innings with just two hits allowed before Monday, when the Rays matched that with two hits and the tying run. His season ERA had dipped below 1.00 to 0.99 ERA before that run scored.
“To be able to scratch runs and get pitching, it’s nice to be able to get that win in the end Michael Dickson Color Rush Jersey ,” Mattingly said of his Marlins (35-51), who have won three of four games.
The Marlins will try to continue that Tuesday with rookie right-hander Trevor Richards (2-5, 5.06 ERA) on the mound. Richards lasted only four innings in his last outing, giving up six hits and three runs to Arizona, but he has two wins in his last four starts, this after having zero wins in his first six starts of the season.
Richards has never faced the Rays, but his limited work in interleague play has been rough — eight hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Red Sox in April, then nine hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings against Baltimore in June. His interleague record is 0-2 and his ERA is 12.91, with a staggering 17 hits in 7 2/3 innings.
The Rays answer with another rookie who hasn’t faced this team before — Ryne Stanek, spectacular as an “opener” with short outings to open games throughout the month of June Alex McGough Color Rush Jersey , was supposed to start Tuesday but instead got the nod in the 10th inning Monday, surrendering a leadoff walk that quickly became the winning run off an infield single.
Ryan Yarbrough (7-4, 3.76 ERA) has pitched well coming in after the “opener,” but he’ll get the start now against the Marlins. Much like Richards, he’s struggled in interleague play, going 0-2 with a 6.60 ERA, allowing 19 hits in 15 innings. His last outing wasn’t bad at all, lasting 6 1/3 innings in relief, giving up seven hits but only one run in a 1-0 loss to Houston on Thursday. He’ll likely get a rare chance to bat as well with the game in a National League park — he’s just 0-for-2 at the plate in his young career.
One-run games have been a major part of the Rays’ season — they’ve played in 37, matching the most in the majors Sebastian Janikowski Color Rush Jersey , and they’ve lost 21, the most of any team, but Rays manager Kevin Cash said he was optimistic even when his team was down 2-1 in the ninth on Monday. The Rays had won eight of nine coming in and will try to bounce back Tuesday.
“The way we’ve been playing, we’ve been getting the big hit,” Cash said. “I think it was going to work out the entire game.”