MIAMI — When Clint Hurdle’s postgame meeting with the media commenced Sunday afternoon, director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk stood beside the manager’s desk. A bad omen, given that Josh Harrison had left the game after being hit in the hand with a pitch, but the message from Tomczyk and Harrison was wait-and-see.
The Pirates headed home with a 4-2 road trip after a 7-3 victory against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park Sunday, but lost Harrison in the third inning. Harrison would not say what, if any, type of examinations he underwent at the ballpark. His hand was not in a cast or brace.
“We’re going to get him back to Pittsburgh to be evaluated by our group of physicians and specialists so we can come up with the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment plan,” Tomczyk said.
Starling Marte went 5 for 5 with a home run, Josh Bell had three hits and Ivan Nova pitched 62/3 strong innings, striking out nine without walking a batter.
Harrison took an 0-2, 96-mph fastball from Marlins starter Jose Urena off the left hand in the third inning. He walked to first, where head athletic trainer Bryan Housand and Hurdle examined him, before he left the game.
“I don’t know if I really have the words right now that are appropriate for TV, but I’m pretty frustrated,” he said.
Harrison was hit by a pitch 23 times last season, more than anyone but Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who stands close to the plate. Harrison steps toward the plate as the pitcher delivers. The 23rd and final hit-by-pitch fractured the fifth metacarpal, the bone below the pinky on the outside of his left hand, and cost him the final month of 2017.
“You get hit by 96, you’re going to be frustrated,” Harrison said. “It’s one of those things, I stayed in to run last year. This year I knew, let’s go ahead and take precautionary measures, let’s go ice it. … I would hate to get out there and have to dive, because I’m sure they would have tried to pick me off or something.”
Nova retaliated, hitting the first batter of the bottom of the third, J.B. Shuck, in the butt with the first pitch of the inning. Nova declined to comment on the hit-by-pitches.
“We’ve got each other’s back,” Harrison said. “At the end of the day you never want anybody to get hurt.”
The same thing happened to Francisco Cervelli in the seventh. Odrisamer Despaigne threw a two-seamer that ran up and in and hit Cervelli on the back of the left hand. Housand examined him too, but Cervelli stayed in the game, giving a little wave to Despaigne as he ran to first.
“We’ve had a lot of hit batsmen here, for whatever reason,” Hurdle said [the Pirates had three batters hit in a game at Marlins Park 2016]. “… I don’t believe the situations had any intent today. You don’t like getting hit, though, at the same time. You play on. I thought both teams handled it very professionally.”
Home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher issued warnings after Nova hit Shuck, but he deemed Despaigne’s pitch unintentional and allowed him to stay in the game.
Bad luck on three well-placed ground balls loaded the bases with no outs in the first before a grounder struck Nova in the left foot. The ball got Nova good, below the ankle, because he was wearing special low-top spikes for Jackie Robinson Day. He changed them after the first inning.
After the three singles, Nova gave up only one hit and didn’t allow a man in scoring position until the seventh, when Cameron Maybin doubled. Justin Bour hit Nova’s 106th and final pitch, a hanging curveball, into the upper deck. A (mostly) strong curveball and elevated fastballs contributed to Nova’s success.
“You don’t want to stay down in the strike zone all the time,” he said. “… I put that [high fastball] in play and it’s been working really good.”
Marte singled in the first, third, fifth and seventh innings before homering in the ninth. The five hits were a career high.
“Jackie Robinson Day? Five for five?” Hurdle said. “From where he was at this point in time last year to where he is this year, there’s some growth.”
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: April 15, 2018, 8:25 p.m.