A bad-luck injury knocked Braves starter Williams Perez out of Friday’s game at the Pirates with a 1-0 lead.
Perez had allowed just four hits and no runs through four innings and retired Francisco Liriano for the first out in the fifth. The next batter, Josh Harrison, hit a sharp ground ball that appeared to strike Perez’s left ankle as he followed through on the pitch.
The ball bounced off Perez to first baseman Chris Johnson for the out, but Perez went to the grass and stayed there for several moments. Perez eventually got up and tested the ankle with some warm-up pitches before staying in the game.
Perez walked the next batter, Neil Walker, on four pitches. He fell behind 2-0 to Andrew McCutchen before hitting him with a pitch in the back.
That prompted Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez to summon left-hander Luis Avilan from the bullpen. Starling Marte was called out at first on a throw by second baseman Jace Peterson but the call was overturned on replay review.
Pedro Alvarez followed with a two-run single to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Both runs were charged to Perez.
Braves third baseman Juan Uribe tied it with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.
