Tuesday: One More Before They Count; Lineup, Pitching & Notes

Game: The spring fun ends at 2:10 EDT when the Bucs close it out against the 'Stros at Minute Maid Park. The game will be on KDKA-1020 AM radio.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Melky Cabrera RF, Erik Gonzalez SS, Will Craig DH, Jake Stallings C (Brandon Maurer P).

Pitchers: RHP Brandon Maurer gets the start against RHP JB Bukauskas; the rest of the crew is TBA.

Brandon Maurer (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Yesterday's Game: The Bucs and Astros got together for a preseason softball kegger, with Houston belting out a 12-9 win. Keone Kela couldn't throw a strike, Geoff Hartleib gave up more hits than he got outs, and Alex McRae served up a couple of gopher balls; the three of them were charged with all 12 runs. Adam Frazier (two hits, two runs, two RBI) and Fran Cervelli's two-run homer weren't enough to keep pace.

Notes:

• Lonnie Chisenhall was hit in the hand with a pitch last night and pulled from the game; the extent of the injury is TBD, although it appears to just be a bruise.
• Fran Cervelli is riding a nine-game hitting streak.
• Jose Osuna didn't make the trip to Houston because of lower neck pain, instead heading to Pittsburgh to be evaluated. 
• Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com picks the Pirates rotation as the seventh strongest in baseball.
• RHP Jacob deGrom joins the contract extension club, inking a five-year/$137.5M deal with the Mets.