Felipe Vazquez was treated by Pirates team doctors after experiencing discomfort in his left forearm on the final two pitches he threw Sunday against the Cardinals at PNC Park.
Vazquez, called upon to pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, allowed all three of his inherited runners to score and the Pirates went on to lose, 6-4, in the series finale. Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates' director of sports medicine, told reporters that Vazquez didn't inform team doctors of the pain until after Clint Hurdle removed him from the game.
Tomczyk said this was the first time Vazquez has complained of forearm pain since he was acquired by the Pirates in July 2016, and the Pirates may have more information on the injury before first pitch Monday afternoon.
"The command has been inconsistent," Hurdle said after the loss. "I'm stating the obvious. However, he's doing the side work. He's watching video. We haven't seen him in this lane before as far as the inconsistent command, especially the fastball. As a matter of fact, the command is something that's really been in a good place. We'll keep hunting it and so will he."
TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE, STANDINGS, VIDEOTrailing 4-3, the Cardinals loaded the bases on Michael Feliz in the eighth inning with a single and two walks. Feliz, acquired from the Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade, struck out Tyler O'Neill before Hurdle called on Vazquez to attempt a five-out save. Vazquez allowed a bloop single to Harrison Bader, walked a batter to give the Cardinals a second run and allowed the third run to score on a fielder's choice. Vazquez then walked another batter before he was pulled from the game.
He threw only five of his 16 pitches for strikes, and the final two pitches he threw were 98-mph four-seam fastballs that missed well out of the zone arm side. Vazquez was replaced by Steven Brault, and the Pirates' closer clutched at his forearm before leaving the dugout.
Vazquez, signed by the Pirates to a four-year contract extension in January, has a 3.54 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in in 20 1/3 innings this season. Nine of his 12 inherited runners have scored, and the whiff rate on both his four-seam fastball and curveball are down from last season.
He allowed only one run in a stretch of 18 innings from April 1 to May 17, but he's struggled to command his four-seam fastball and changeup over his past three appearances. Vazquez first blew a save on May 20, when he threw 24 pitches against the Padres without recording an out, allowing three earned runs on four hits in an 8-5 loss.
Then, he gave up two hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Reds earlier this week, allowing both of his inherited runners to score.
"It has more to do with the consistency and the quality of his pitches," Neal Huntington said on his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan. "Again, I come back to Mark Melancon just spoiled us. He showed up and it seemed like he’d save 60 out of 62. … Even the good ones blow some games here or there. Felipe has had a couple in a row and the consistency and the sharpness of the breaking ball hasn’t been the same."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Pirates vs. Cardinals, PNC Park, May 27, 2018,.- MATT SUNDAY / DKPS