Pirates’ Ryan Vogelsong Hit In Face By Pitch In 6-3 Home Win Over Rockies

Pittsburgh reliever Ryan Vogelsong left the Pirates’ home game against the Colorado Rockies early on Monday after being hit in the face by a pitch from Rockies starter Jordan Lyles in the bottom of the second inning.

Pirates’ Ryan Vogelsong Hit In Face By Pitch

The Pirates won the game 6-3 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

After loading the bases, Lyles was ahead in the count 2-0 when his 92 mph fastball struck Vogelsong in the left cheek right below his eye. The Pirates right-hander was carted off the field and then admitted to Allegheny General Hospital for an evaluation of an injury to his left eye.

Wilfredo Boscan (1-0) then jumped in to replaced Vogelsong on the mound, pitching four innings of relief. This was just his second major league appearance, and playing after seeing his teammate leave early due to injury proved to be especially difficult for the 26-year-old Venezuelan.

“That’s a serious situation,” Boscan said through an interpreter. “At that moment, mentally, I started speaking to myself and getting myself ready. I started working even harder in the bullpen, so when I came out, I could dominate.”

Boscan allowed two runs on two hits and struck out two batters. He also contributed on offense, hitting an RBI single in his first career plate appearance in the bottom of the third.

Vogelson pitched two scoreless innings before he was hit, holding the Rockies to two hits and earning two strikeouts. The Pirates expect an update on his status on Tuesday.

The Pirates built a big lead on Lyles (1-2) offensively in the second and third innings and then gained the lead definitively. They scored all six of their runs over those two frames. Lyles, 25, walked three, allowed two stolen bases, threw a wild pitch and gave up six runs over 2 1/3 innings. Pittsburgh had six singles from five different batters during that stretch without any extra-base hits.

“It’s all part of your offense being complete,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Maybe you don’t get balls that you can drive into gaps for extra bases. You have to take what you can get, shoot some holes, get some singles, get some men on base and use that type of action.”

Pittsburgh’s Mark Melancon pitched the final two outs of the ninth to collect his 15th save of the season.

Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez snapped a 0-for-17 streak at the plate. He finished the afternoon 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and scored on a D.J. LeMahieu sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Vogelson wasn’t the only one to suffer an injury in Monday’s game, however. Home plate umpire Jeff Nelson was struck in the eye by a piece of debris during a play at home. He was replaced behind the plate by first base umpire Ben May.

Sunday’s game between the two teams at PNC Park was postponed after just one inning because of rain.

PHOTO: PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 23: Francisco Cervelli #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is out at second base as DJ LeMahieu #9 of the Colorado Rockies attempts to turn a double play in the fifth inning during the game at PNC Park on May 23, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)