PITTSBURGH _ Chad Kuhl bounced back on a rainy afternoon at PNC Park. His five scoreless innings, plus some good work from the bullpen, helped the Pirates to a 1-0 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
Kuhl did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. He didn't allow a ball out of the infield through three innings. Maikel Franco's one-out double in the fifth gave the Phillies their first runner in scoring position, and Kuhl followed with a nine-pitch walk to Brock Stassi.
Pitching coach Ray Searage came to the mound for a talk. Kuhl struck out Andrew Knapp with an inside fastball, then went to work against Aaron Nola, whom he had walked earlier. Nola fell behind 0-2. Then he worked the count full. He fouled off three fastballs before watching a fourth for a called strike three.
Kuhl's 32 pitches thrown in the fifth and nine-and 10-pitch at-bats caused manager Clint Hurdle to remove him despite the fact that he had allowed one hit in five scoreless innings. Wade LeBlanc picked up four outs, Juan Nicasio two. Felipe Rivero made his outing harder than it had to be by turning the third out of the eighth into a baserunner with a throwing error, but he got out of it.
Pittsburgh Pirates chairman of the board and owner Bob Nutting talks with general manager Neal Huntington during workouts in February at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.
As has frequently been the case, Adam Frazier helped generate a scoring opportunity in the sixth inning. He hit a leadoff single and, running on the pitch to Josh Harrison, reached third base on Harrison's single. After Andrew McCutchen grounded out, the Phillies intentionally walked Josh Bell to set up the force for a double play.
That works both ways, so when Nola hit David Freese, he forced in the game's first run.
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