Today's Game:
Chad Kuhl took the hill, and after him came Wil Crowe, Clay Holmes, Geoff Hartlieb, Chasen Shreve and Dave Bednar,. Kevin Newman is at short, with Eric Gonzalez and Phil Evans making up a shake-and-bake right side. Tony Alford started in center.
Kuhl lasted two innings after his nine-day daddy layoff, and gave up a run on a hit with two walks and two fans. Crowe, who's had a strong spring, tossed a pair of scoreless frames. Holmes added a goose egg until the roof fell in on Hartlieb in the sixth, who was charged with six runs (four earned; Alford muffed a ball that hurt) on five hits, all singles, and a walk while getting just one out; Shreve finally shut off the Bosox. Bednar struck out the side in the seventh around a single. And that was it; the teams called it a day after seven innings and Boston took the W 7-4.
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| You can only hope to contain Newman this spring - photo 2020 Pirates |
The Bucs left runners on second and third in the first; Pittsburgh's singles attack creates lots of chances but a couple of big blows would help the cause. The Pirates put up a three-spot in the third with two-out singles by Gregory and Evans and a boot by Boston, though the Buccaneers stranded three more runners. A fourth run came across in the next frame when El Coffee doubled and Bryan Reynolds' deflected single chased him home. In the seventh, they left two more runners on, stranding 12 in seven innings.
Notes:
- K-Man had three more hits; his spring BA is now .714. Bryan Reynolds (.317 BA in camp) also had a three-pack and Phil Evans (.406 BA) added two more raps.
- The two clubs combined for 20 hits; 18 were singles and the other pair were two-baggers, one per squad.
- Todd Frazier has exercised his opt-out from the Pirates (he had to be placed on the 40-man by 3/25) and now is a free agent. Seems likely now that the team will carry 14 pitchers and four bench players (frontrunners by my ouija board being IFs Erik Gonzalez, Wilmer Difo, OFs Dustin Fowler/Brian Goodwin (not that either has earned a spot) and C Tony Wolters/Miguel Perez, both with good gloves and so far, Mendoza Line sticks.
Tomorrow's Game:
Pittsburgh takes on Baltimore again, with a 1:05 start from Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota with the game aired on 93.7 The Fan. Mitch Keller, Michael Feliz, Sam Howard, Luis Oviedo and Edgar Santana are penciled in against the O's.
2 comments:
14 pitchers? Really?? And one of those guys is more valuable than Todd Frazier would have been as a part time starter and coming off the bench? I know we're coming off a bizarre season because of COVID and the pitchers have to be eased back into action, but...I would have gone with 13, kept Frazier, and had the next best pitcher keep his bags ready for immediate departure at Indianapolis. How many innings will a 14th pitcher really get, especially in April with all the off days and inevitable rainouts? Just a stupid move, I'm sorry.
Will, Frazier was vying for nothing more than a bench spot, and his age and lack of versatility hurt him. Evans, by comparison, is seven years younger, has played 1b-2b-3b & both corner OF spots (tho not much) and is a .290 career hitter (again, small sample) who's shown up well as a Pirate. As for leadership, there are guys in the clubhouse who should be filling that role and prob are. I don't understand the Frazier fuss except for the surprise element, and frankly, I think the Pirates made the right decision for the long run.
The pitching - seems to me that Shelty really doesn't have any seven inning guys but a deep enough pen + a Rule 5 guy (Luis Oviedo) to carry, so that's just a function of personnel at this point as I see it.
As far as Tuck in the other comment, there's something we're in agreement on. They put him center field just to give him more value; I think they have evaluated him as a bench guy.
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