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Bucs let down Locke by stranding 10 runners
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
This was the same Jeff Locke that made the All-Star team a year ago. Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it also was a terrific outing for Yovani Gallardo.
Locke pitched seven sharp innings in a spot start, but the Pirates left 10 runners on base in a 1-0 loss to Gallardo and the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Locke was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to start in place of Charlie Morton, who was pushed back a day to Monday.
Pittsburgh also put right-hander Gerrit Cole on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue.
The Pirates needed a big strong game from Locke, and the left-hander allowed three hits and one run.
He also struck out five and walked one while throwing just 75 pitches.
“That’s the young man we saw pitching in the first half of the season last year,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
“Good tempo, good rhythm, he didn’t mess around, man, he got right after it.”
It was Locke’s second start of the season for the Pirates.
He allowed six runs and eight hits in 51/3 innings against San Francisco on May 5.
Locke (0-1) said he was on the same page with catcher Russell Martin.
“We just knew I was going to pitch my game,” Locke said. “[Martin] just put down the right fingers and moved the ball around a little bit.”
Gallardo (4-4) had a season-high eight strikeouts in his second win in his last three starts. He allowed four hits and walked one.
The Pirates had at least one baserunner in five of Gallardo’s seven innings, but the right-hander got sharper as the game progressed.
“I was able to get out of some big situations and make pitches,” Gallardo said.
“That’s always something positive to go from.”
Milwaukee got the only run of the game in the seventh. Jonathan Lucroy led off with a liner down the left-field line that was grabbed by a fan while it was in play. He was awarded a ground-rule double on the interference.
Lucroy went to second on Carlos Gomez’s lineout to center and scored on Aramis Ramirez’s bouncer to first.