Opening Day! (Plus Yesterday & Late Notes)

Today: The Bucs open at home against the Cards at 1:05. The pre-game festivities are listed here. The contest will be on ESPN, Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

The pitching: Francisco Liriano (12-7, 3.38) goes against Adam Wainwright (2-1, 1.61). Frankie is 5-2, 2.58 v St Louis lifetime, but was just 1-1, 3.71 against the Redbirds last year. Wainwright missed much of last season with a ruptured Achilles. He's 11-6 in his career against the Bucs, but with a 4.29 ERA, and just 5-3, 5.15 at PNC Park. He only faced Pittsburgh once last year, tossing an inning of relief.

John Jaso will lead it off in 2016 (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

The lineup: John Jaso 1B, Cutch CF, David Freese 3B, Starling Marte LF, Francisco Cervelli C, Gregory Polanco RF, Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy Mercer SS, Liriano P.

Yesterday's Indy Game:
The wind was blowing (20+ MPH w/gusts up to 45; they had to take the flags off the pole for fear they'd be blown away), balls were jet streamed and the Bucs played the field like Keystone Kops, ending the match with five errors. It was 8-2 Reds after three, when the subs came in, and it ended up 13-6. David Freese & Max Moroff each hit two-run dingers, while Jason Rogers brought home the other pair with a double. None of the pitchers who appeared were on the active roster, and just as well to get the clinker out of the way. Losing 21 of 31 spring games is just a month-long clinker too, we hope. Click for the box score.

• Gerrit Cole threw 97 pitches in six shutout innings against a squad of AA Buccos in his final tuneup at Pirate City yesterday. 
• Old Bucco (2011-12) Eric Fryer will be the Cards backup catcher; Brayan Pena needs his knee cleaned out surgically.
• Former Pirate Alex Presley will not be added to Milwaukee's 40-man roster, so Keon Broxton, a 2015 Bucco call-up who became part of the Jason Rogers off-season deal, has made the team.
• Oakland optioned Andrew Lambo to AAA. He had a good spring (.333, 2HR), but faced an uphill fight when the A's traded for Khris Davis and Chris Coghlan.
• The Tampa Bay Rays selected contract of Dana Eveland, who tossed briefly for the Bucs in 2010. 
• Sean Burnett didn't make the Nat's game roster. He has an opt-out, so it looks like he'll be rejoining the FA market.