Daily Dose: Nationals give up on Milledge - MLB

Pittsburgh made a pair of trades to shake up the outfield Tuesday,
sending Eric Hinske to the Yankees for a pair of mid-level prospects
and then swapping Nyjer Morgan to the Nationals along with Sean Burnett
for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan. Morgan has emerged as a very
solid all-around player, offering elite defense and nice on-base
skills, but Andrew McCutchen made him expendable.

Morgan dramatically upgrades the Nationals’ outfield defense and
certainly has a good deal of value, but he’s also 29 years old with a
modest .286/.351/.376 mark in 157 career games. Milledge has far more
long-term upside even considering his various issues, but clearly
Washington had given up on him and Hanrahan as pieces of the puzzle
going forward.

Morgan was already playing every day in Pittsburgh, so the only big
change from the trade will be his moving back to the leadoff spot. That
should give him a little boost, but his basic value remains the same.
Hanrahan’s value dries up now that he has no chance for another crack
at closing duties and Burnett isn’t worthy of a fantasy roster spot in
any circumstances, leaving Milledge as the deal’s winner.

Demoted to Triple-A all of seven games into the season, he’s
currently rehabbing a broken finger and should get an extended shot in
the Pirates’ new-look outfield once healthy. Milledge has been a large
disappointment both on and off the field so far, but he’s still just 24
years old with a promising power-speed combo. If he can get on track
and live up to some of the hype, the Pirates will have done well.

While the Pirates likely look to trade Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson next, here are some other notes from around baseball …

* Carlos Beltran received good news Tuesday as the second opinion on
his knee injury confirmed the initial diagnosis of a bone bruise. He’s
been advised to rest through the All-Star break, which while longer
than the original return timetable is better than possible year-ending
and perhaps career-threatening microfracture surgery. Fernando Martinez
and Jeremy Reed have been splitting full-in duties.

* Mike Lowell would have been unavailable for as long as week after
receiving a lubrication injection in his surgically repaired right hip,
so the Red Sox decided to place him on the disabled list Tuesday. He’s
expected to return once the 15-day stint is finished, but in the
meantime Kevin Youkilis started at third base Tuesday as call-up Jeff
Bailey went 3-for-4 with a walk while playing at first base.

AL Quick Hits: Josh Hamilton (abdomen) reportedly could come off
the disabled list as soon as this weekend … As expected, Josh Outman
underwent Tommy John elbow surgery Tuesday and will be sidelined until
at least mid-2010 … Erik Bedard (shoulder) has been penciled in to come
off the DL for Saturday’s game against Boston … Adam Jones left
Tuesday’s game with shoulder and neck pain after crashing into the
outfield wall … Scott Downs threw off a mound Tuesday for the first
time since spraining his toe two weeks ago … Ervin Santana (triceps)
threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to rejoin the rotation
at some point this weekend … Adrian Beltre opted to go under the knife
Tuesday and will miss 6-8 weeks following shoulder surgery … Matt Garza
tossed seven innings of one-run ball Tuesday for the Rays’ seventh
straight win … Justin Duchscherer (elbow) has finally been cleared to
begin a throwing program.

NL Quick Hits: Jimmy Rollins went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in
his return to the lineup Tuesday and is now hitless in 24 at-bats …
Albert Pujols had his seventh multi-homer game of the year Tuesday,
extending his MLB lead to 30 … Edinson Volquez (elbow) has been cleared
to begin a throwing program … David Wright homered Tuesday for the
first time in 78 at-bats … Bronson Arroyo allowed six runs Tuesday,
serving up his MLB-high 19th and 20th homers … Colby Ramus is available
to pinch-hit despite being diagnosed with a hiatal hernia that he
blamed on “heavy late-night eating” … Martin Prado went 4-for-5 and
drove in four runs Tuesday, including a walk-off single in the 10th
inning … Yunel Escobar (hip) and Nate McClouth (hamstring) were
scratched from the lineup Tuesday … Chad Tracy came off the disabled
list Tuesday after missing 27 games with an oblique injury … Ross
Ohlendorf tossed seven scoreless innings with a career-high eight
strikeouts Tuesday … Dan Haren allowed just one run and hit a homer
Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH – Andrew McCutchen’s tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning lifted Pittsburgh to a 5-4 victory over Oakland on Monday night, extending the Pirates’ win streak to six games and sending the Athletics to their record-tying 15th consecutive road loss.

The 15 straight defeats away from home matches the Athletics’ record since they moved from Kansas City in 1968. Oakland set that mark in 1986.

The major league-worst Athletics (12-50) have lost five games in a row overall. They are on pace to finish the season exactly 100 games under .500 at 31-131.

“It’s tough,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “Tonight’s game, we didn’t play well enough to win the game. I don’t want to say we gave the game away but there were a lot of instances where we had a chance to capitalize on opportunities and didn’t do it.”

McCutchen also singled and drew three walks to go with two RBIs. The 2013 NL MVP now has 1,998 career hits.

With the score tied at 4, Ji Hwan Bae led off the decisive eighth inning with a single off Sam Moll (0-3) and advanced to third on Austin Hedges’ one-out single. McCutchen’s sac fly plated Bae.

“I was just trying to get the job done. I understand the situation there,” McCutchen said. “We just need to get the run. I was trying to bear down against a hard thrower and trying to get that run in as much as I can, and I was able to do it and have a good at-bat.”

Angel Perdomo (1-0) retired both hitters he faced. and Colin Holdeman pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first career save. It was an eventful inning for Holderman as the first three batters reached base, but he struck out Carlos Perez with runners on the corners to end it.

“I began my career as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues but ever since I was switched to relief, this has been the goal, to get a save in the big leagues,” Holderman said.

Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo gave up three runs and four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

Oakland left-hander JP Sears did not allow a hit until Mark Mathias’ leadoff single in the fifth but was unable to make it through the inning. Sears was charged with one run in 4 2/3 innings while allowing two hits, walking five and striking out six.

Sears has not allowed more than two runs in five consecutive starts. His nine no-decisions are the most in the major leagues.

Ryan Noda and Brent Rooker had two hits each for the Athletics.

The Athletics tied the score at 4-4 in the eighth inning on pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz’s run-scoring double. Oakland left the bases loaded, though, when Nick Allen hit an inning-ending flyout.

Consecutive bases-loaded walks keyed a three-run sixth inning that put the Pirates 4-3. McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds each worked bases on balls off Shintaro Fujinami to tie the score at 3-all and pinch-hitter Jack Suwinski followed with a sacrifice fly.

The Athletics opened the scoring in the first inning when rookie Esteury Ruiz reached on catcher’s interference, stole his MLB-leading 30th base of the season and scored on Noda’s single. Seth Brown doubled in a run in the third and came home on Perez’s sacrifice fly to push Oakland’s lead to 3-0.

Connor Joe hit an RBI double for the Pirates in the fifth.

The Pirates drew 10 walks, their most in a game in nearly two years.

“We had a bunch of opportunities that we didn’t capitalize (on), but the thing I think I was most proud of is we got down and we didn’t rush to get back,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We were still patient.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: LHP Kirby Snead (strained shoulder) is expected to pitch in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday, which will be his first game action since spring training. … RHP Freddy Tarnok (strained shoulder) will throw a bullpen on Tuesday.

TOP PICK PROMOTED

Pirates catching prospect Henry Davis was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis from Double-A Altoona. In 41 games at Double-A this season, the 23-year-old hit .284 with 10 home runs and seven stolen bases.

“He was performing offensively at a level where we felt like he was more than ready to meet the challenges,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “He improved as an offensive player even since spring training, focusing on the things we were challenging him on. Defensively, he’s made strides too.”

Davis was the first overall selection in the 2021 amateur draft from the University of Louisville.

UP NEXT

Athletics RHP James Kaprielian (0-6, 8.12 ERA) will make his first start in June after taking the loss in all four starts in May and face RHP Mitch Keller (7-1, 3.25). Keller has eight or more strikeouts in seven consecutive starts, the longest streak by a Pirates pitcher in the modern era (since 1901).