Pirates 'LeBlanc' Brewers after delay
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have asked Wade LeBlanc to do a little bit of everything out of the bullpen the first month of the season. Long relief. One-batter matchups. Tight situations. Blowouts inning eater.
LeBlanc has thrived in them all. Now he can add another item: hitter. LeBlanc tossed three scoreless innings after a lengthy rain delay and added his first RBI since 2011 as the Pirates opened a brief homestand with a 4-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.
LeBlanc (2-0) allowed just two hits and struck out four. His single to left in the fifth off Rob Scahill (0-1) plated Francisco Cervelli, the first run LeBlanc has driven in since Aug. 30, 2011 while playing for San Diego.
“I wasn’t ready to get to anything else besides a fastball,” LeBlanc said. “Put a swing on it, close your eyes, hopefully it finds some grass.”
LeBlanc trimmed his ERA to 2.33. His 19 1/3 innings lead Pittsburgh relievers.
“He’s one of those guys that more often than not can get overlooked within the game with all the analytics that are running right now,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Josh Bell drove a ball into the Allegheny River on a bounce for his fifth homer for the Pirates. The first baseman’s solo shot off Scahill landed on the concourse behind the wall in right-center field at PNC Park then splashed into the river.
“It’s not the big fly that I’d hoped for, but maybe another time I’ll make it in the air,” said Bell, who also doubled. “I’ll see. One bounce, not eight.”
