Bucs Close in Motor City w/Cool Chad v Ryan Carpenter; Notes & First Game Recap of 1-0 Win

First game: In the first frame, Gregory Polanco banged an RBI double into the right-field corner to score Adam Frazier, but was tossed out at third after the throw went home; he watched the ball instead of Joey Cora. But hey, that stood up as Trevor Williams and the suddenly ferocious bullpen took a 1-0 win home in the opener.

Trevor Williams 2018 Topps Series 1

Williams threw six no-hit innings with five walks and a K after 85 pitches; his only struggle was trying to figure out home ump Lance Barrett's strike zone. Michael Feliz gave up a double in the seventh but ended the frame with a whiff. George Kontos dropped a brief bit of sweat in the eighth after two-outs, surrendering a single and walk, but a 4-3 ended the jam. Felipe was the closer we all know and love; he struck out the side in the ninth (Miggy, Nick Castellanos and Victor Martinez) to wrap up the ball game.

The pitchers ruled as the Bucs managed just six hits (J-Bell had two knocks) and El Tigres two. After the first, no runner reached third and each team turned three DPs to blunt any attempted uprising; the Bucs helped Motown by losing three runners on the bases. What else did you expect after a 13-10 opener?

Tonight: The finale of the opening set will start at 6:10. AT&T SportsNet has the television side (the Pens are the National TV game) while 93.7 The Fan will beam the radio waves.

Lineup: Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy Mercer SS, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli DH, David Freese 3B, Gregory Polanco RF, Sean Rodriguez LF, Elias Diaz C (Chad Kuhl P). The bench brigade makes its debut against a lefty.

Pitchers: RHP Chad Kuhl (8-9/4.28) takes on LHP Ryan Carpenter. Chad may be the hinge that the season swings on; he's adding to his toolbox and is considered a potential breakout guy this season. He unfortunately didn't look like an ace in the making during the spring, not missing as many bats as usual and walking nearly five per game, so he's a guy who needs to get ahead early in the count. 27-year-old LHP Ryan Carpenter was brought up as the Tigers' 26th man from AAA Toledo and gets the start, his first in MLB. Carpenter, who was signed to a minor-league deal after spending time in the Rockies system, tossed a strong season in the hitter-friendly PCL last season with the Rockies' farm club in Albuquerque. Carpenter started 25 games and made two relief appearances for the Isotopes, finishing with a 10-9/4.15 slash and 161 strikeouts in 156 IP. (The league's ERA was 4.73.) His bread and butter is the fastball (91-92), with a slow curve for righties and a sweeping, 80-mph slider that he throws mostly to lefties; changing speeds is his thing.

Notes:

• Ex-Bucco Frankie Liriano was scheduled to start this game, but the Tigers pushed him back a day to keep their starting rotation lined up. Because of the weather-related schedule havoc, the Tigers will play six games in five days. 
• Per @joe_block, Trevor Williams became the second Pirates starting pitcher pulled while tossing a no-no going back to 1908; Francisco Cordova, in his combined 1997 no-hitter with Ricardo Rincon, was the other.
• Joe Musgrove will make his first Bucco start on Thursday against the Reds.
• It'll be a quick, hectic turnaround for the Pirates. They have to be back on the field at PNC Park at one o'clock tomorrow for the home opener and may have to drive home through some falling snowflakes after they touch down at Pittsburgh International following this game.