Pirates notebook: Colin Moran leaves game with groin injury

May 8—Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Colin Moran left Saturday's game during the bottom of the first inning because of an injury to his left groin.

Moran caught a line drive off the bat of the Chicago Cubs' Jason Heyward and lunged to attempt a tag on Willson Contreras to double him off. By the time Moran pulled himself off the ground, he was grimacing and noticeably favoring his leg. Eventually, he gingerly made his way to the dugout and was replaced by Todd Frazier.

The team announced Moran's injury as "left groin discomfort."

"He'll get looked at, and he'll be day-to-day," manager Derek Shelton said. "We'll go from there."

Moran struck out looking in the top of the first. He had entered Saturday's game batting .391/.417/.435 in May with four multihit outings in six games. Moran was 2 for 4 in each of the previous three games.

Frazier entered the game 1 for 27 on the season and went 0 for 4 Saturday.

Lots of Chicago

Assuming Sunday's game is played, the Pirates will have faced the Cubs in nine of their first 33 games (27%). They also will have played half as many games at Wrigley Field (six) as PNC Park (12).

Through 11 series this season, the Pirates have faced only one opponent (San Diego Padres) that is not part of the AL or NL Central divisions. That reminded manager Derek Shelton of last season, when the coronavirus pandemic compelled MLB to format its schedule geographically.

"It's really weird," Shelton said of the schedule. "You always get one team that you play a bunch early on, and we've played the Cubs (a lot). Last year, we played 60 games and only (the Central divisions). It seems like we're kind of doing that right now."

The Padres and Cubs are the only teams the Pirates have faced in more than one series thus far. The Pirates have played each of their NL Central rivals and three of the five AL Central opponents they will face under the more traditional interleague format in 2021.

'Pen is mightier

Between April 8 and Friday, the Pirates' bullpen had the third-best ERA in MLB at 2.48.

It was a strong enough run that a reporter was compelled to ask Shelton if he'd sprinkled some "magic dust" on what — on paper — was an unheralded group of relievers entering the season.

"I don't know about magic dust," Shelton said with a smile. "I think these guys are doing a good job, and (pitching coach Oscar Marin) and (bullpen coach Justin Meccage) are doing a nice job with them."

Particularly on the road, where Pirates relievers had compiled a 1.38 ERA over 39 1/3 innings over their prior 13 away games before Saturday.

Entering Saturday, the 3.47 ERA for Pirates' relievers ranks ninth in MLB and fourth in the NL. Their 1.08 WHIP was tied for the NL lead and .206 average against was third. Interestingly, the Pirates bullpen's average of 15.69 pitches thrown per inning tops baseball.

Shelton said the composition of a bullpen — a diversity of styles, arm slots, left/right-handedness and even velocities — can sometimes make the whole better than the sum of its parts.

"Just different looks is something that's important," Shelton said. "I think a lot of people now are putting more stock into that. You've seen the wide variety of arm angles that people put in bullpens and how they have been effective, but I think it's just usage of stuff and differentiating that makes it important."

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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .