Pirates at Padres
The Pittsburgh Pirates got just what they needed in the second contest of their four-game series against the host San Diego Padres and hope for a similar performance when the teams continue the set Saturday. Jordan Lyles registered a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings as Pittsburgh posted a 5-3 victory Friday.
Lyles' lengthy start in which he allowed one run and five hits was much-needed by Pittsburgh, which has several members of its starting rotation on the injured list and hoped to avoid taxing its relievers. Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer while Melky Cabrera recorded two hits and an RBI as the Pirates avoided a third straight loss and improved to 5-4 on their 11-game road trip. San Diego scored all of its runs Friday via the long ball as Franmil Reyes belted a solo shot in the first inning and Ty France launched a two-run blast in the ninth. Reyes leads the Padres with 14 homers and is two shy of matching his total in 87 games as a rookie last season.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Montana DuRapau (0-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Padres LH Nick Margevicius (2-4, 4.14)
DuRapau will be summoned from the bullpen to make the first start of his brief career. The 27-year-old Floridian made his major-league debut May 9, allowing one run and three hits in two innings of relief at St. Louis before working 2 2/3 scoreless frames over his next three appearances out of the bullpen. DuRapau, who hasn't started since 2014 with Class A Jamestown, has gone 1-1 with a 0.63 ERA in 12 relief outings for Triple-A Indianapolis this season.
Margevicius will be making the ninth start of his rookie season as he looks to record his first victory in four turns. The 22-year-old native of Ohio suffered the loss at Colorado on Sunday after yielding five runs and eight hits in five innings. Margevicius, who has yet to face Pittsburgh, has struggled to a 5.03 ERA over four starts at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Pirates placed Trevor Williams (side) on the 10-day injured list and optioned fellow RHP Richard Rodriguez to Indianapolis on Friday while recalling Clay Holmes and purchasing the contract of fellow RHP Geoff Hartlieb from the Triple-A affiliate.
2. Reyes has homered in back-to-back contests and four of his last five.
3. Pittsburgh has had 20 players land on the IL already this season, marking the first time it has hit that mark since 2013.