Rusin Will Provide Relief For Ineffective Lyles
PITTSBURGH (The Sports Xchange) - One ongoing problem got worse for the Colorado Rockies in yet another unsuccessful trip to Pittsburgh, but another one got closer to being resolved.
Right-hander Jordan Lyles made a fifth straight ineffective start, allowing four earned runs, walking three, permitting three stolen bases -- and hitting opposing pitcher Ryan Vogelsong with a fastball Monday in a 6-3 loss to the Pirates. Colorado is 3-9 in PNC Park since 2013.
Lyles came back to the Rockies in Friday as a long reliever, only to be pressed into duty as a starter in the makeup game. But he could he headed back to the minors again Tuesday.
Lyles' projected long reliever role likely will be taken by left-hander Chris Rusin, who pitched 4 2/3 shutout relief innings, giving up only two hits and striking out four while lowering his ERA to 3.93.
The Pirates had trouble with what they were seeing in Rusin, but manager Walt Weiss clearly liked what he was watching.
"He can do a variety of things for you," Weiss said. "I talked to Rusin about protecting us in that relief role. It's been a void with a left-hander we can go to earlier in the game.
"He can give us multiple innings or put an inning down against the left-handed part of the lineup. He fills a couple of voids for us out there."
A void the Rockies have had all season.
