Ryan Vogelsong hurt in Pirates' 6-3 win

Ryan Vogelsong was hit in the head by a pitch and had to be carted off the field in the Pirates' 6-3 win in a makeup game against the Rockies Monday afternoon.

The Pirates had already scored one run and had the bases loaded in the second when Jordan Lyles threw a 92-MPH fastball that struck Vogelsong in the batting helmet. On the broadcast, the sound it made might have seemed worse than it actually was, due to the very small and quiet crowd at the ballpark. But it was a terrible sound. Fortunately, Vogelsong seemed to be alert as he was carted off. We'll likely learn more about his status after the game.

Wilfredo Boscan took over after Vogelsong's departure. It's lucky, actually, that Boscan, a starter in Indianapolis, was available -- Vogelsong was already making a spot start.

The Pirates did the rest of their scoring in the third. They had already loaded the bases when Mark Reynolds -- who's no stranger to weird-looking defensive plays -- made a throwing error that led to two runs. Josh Harrison singled in another run later in the inning, and Boscan drove in another on a single. (If you placed any bets on Wilfredo Boscan getting an RBI single today, congrats on your newfound wealth.)

Boscan got through four innings and allowed two runs, a solid performance that prevented the game from turning into a debacle. He also picked up his first big-league win. Neftali Feliz and Tony Watson pitched scoreless innings after that. In the ninth, Jared Hughes continued the shaky start to his season, allowing two line-drive singles and only recording one out before giving way to Mark Melancon, who allowed one of Hughes' runs to score.

This was, by the way, a strange game, and not just because of the nearly-empty ballpark and Vogelsong's departure. There was a delay when an umpire got dirt in his eye, as well as a botched replay call. (Harrison was called out on a pickoff in which he was plainly safe.) There was also a funny-looking balk from Boscan. On a more positive note, Jung Ho Kang made a pinch-hitting appearance after injuring his hand over the weekend.

After taking three of four from the Rockies, the Bucs are now 24-19. They'll host the Diamondbacks for a three-game series starting tomorrow.