It was business as usual for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds to begin Tuesday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers. Batting third and playing right field, he had one plate appearance (a strikeout) and played one inning in the field before being replaced in the second inning by Alexander Canario.
Was Reynolds leaving the game with an injury? Not quite.
It turns out Reynolds was removed from the game for a heartwarming and totally understandable reason. According to SportsNet Pittsburgh’s booth, Reynolds received news that his wife went into labor. The two-time National League All-Star was removed from the game and off to witness the birth of the couple’s third child.
Meanwhile, his team had business to take care of on the diamond. Despite establishing a 3-2 lead during the third inning, Pirates starter Bailey Falter surrendered a solo home run to Javier Báez to tie the ball game. Pulled from the game after tossing 78 pitches, Falter wouldn’t factor into the decision.
Taking the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning, Carmen Mlodzinski, who was recently recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, had a tough time during his two innings of work. The former starter allowed four earned runs, four hits, two walks, and two home runs, to earn his fifth loss of the season
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The Pirates and Tigers will play again on Wednesday. Andrew Heaney (3-5) opposes Tarik Skubal (7-2) in game two of the series.
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Featured image via Sam Navarro/Imagn Images