PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates trade rumors have almost entirely surrounded second baseman Adam Frazier and closer Richard Rodriguez so far.
There was early-season speculation that left-hander Tyler Anderson might be an attractive piece for teams needing a veteran lefty, but that has cooled off as Anderson has cooled off throughout the year.
Maybe his effort on Sunday will bring the rumors back.
Anderson was great in the Pirates’ 2-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching seven shutout innings with six strikeouts along the way. Just six Brewers reached base against him all game. Right-hander David Bednar and Rodriguez slammed the door from there, finally snapping the Pirates’ six-game losing streak.
The 31-year-old left-hander did find himself in a little bit of trouble in the second inning. He walked Brewers catcher Manny Pina, and then Jackie Bradley Jr., singled against him. Anderson then hit Daniel Robertson to load the bases with one out.
Luckily for he and the Pirates, that brought Brewers starter Freddy Peralta up to the plate. The Brewers asked him to bunt to try to score a runner, but he failed dramatically. Peralta’s bunt went straight to first baseman Phillip Evans, who scooped the ball to catcher Michael Perez. Perez relayed it to Frazier, who was covering first, for an unconventional, 3-2-4, inning-ending double play.
That was really the best opportunity the Brewers had all day against Anderson. No other baserunners reached second base, even, while the lefty was on the mound.
There was a bit of drama in the ninth inning, when Rodriguez allowed a leadoff double to Willy Adames, but three straight flyouts ended the inning, and the game, without too much trouble.
It’s seemed like the Pirates would need an effort like Anderson’s to win a game recently. Their offense has struggled so greatly in their last two series, with just 10 runs in the last seven games. That has left such a small margin for error for any Pirates toeing the slab, and it hasn’t bred success. This was the 51st time in 83 games that the Pirates have scored three or fewer runs. They are now 5-46 in those games.
For Anderson, at least, none of that mattered. Shortstop Kevin Newman homered in the second, his first since June 14 and just his third all season.
Outfielder Ben Gamel and third baseman Wilmer Difo then combined for an insurance run in the sixth, with Gamel singling and Difo doubling down the left field line to make it 2-0.
It still wasn’t exactly the offensive onslaught that the Pirates are surely craving right now, but it did the job this time, as Anderson dominated to bring home the win.
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