Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Bucs Rally Past Braves 6-3; Brault, Cederlind Out; Tuck, Stokes, Yajure Optioned

Today's Game:

JT Brubaker started against the Bravos, replacing Brault in the rotation today. He was followed by Max Kranick, Braeden Ogle, Clay Holmes and Chasen Shreve. Looking like a starting nine in the lineup with Fraze and K-Man in the middle, Dustin Fowler in center flanked by El Coffee and Bryan Reynolds. The Bucs started slow before picking up the attack, but took a hard-won 6-3 win.

Brubaker went five frames (72 pitches), allowing three hits with a walk while striking out six. Unfortunately, the line was meh; three runs came in thanks to a pair of monster Austin Riley homers. The rest of the gang put up goose eggs - 1-2/3 IP for Kranick, 1/3 for Ogle and an inning each for Holmes and Shreve, giving up just two more raps. The bullpen's final makeup is gonna be interesting...

Gregory is quietly having a solid spring - 2020 photo Pirates

Fraze's solo shot was all the Bucs had to show during the first five frames. Phil Evan's single, Gregory Polanco's double and a sac fly by Kevin Newman gave the Buccos a lead in the sixth. They iced it in the eighth on Nick Gonzales leadoff bomb and a two-out single by Wilmer Difo to make the final 6-3.

Notes:

  • The usual suspects came up big - Kevin Newman and Ke'Bryan Hayes had a pair of hits while Adam Frazier homered. The offense was balanced with 14 hits; 10 different Pirates scored or drove home a run.
  • The injury news isn't so great - Steven Brault is sitting out a month with his left arm strain and could miss 10-12 weeks in all while Blake Cederlind had Tommy John surgery last night and is expected to miss 14-16 months. Todd Frazier is still day-to-day with a tight back.
  • Today, the Pirates optioned IF Cole Tucker, RHP Sean Poppen and RHP Miguel Yajure. 1B Will Craig, C Joe Hudson, OF Troy Stokes Jr. and C Andrew Susac have been reassigned to minor league camp. RHP James Marvel was reassigned to minor league camp yesterday. 
  • According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Bucs have talked to Ke'Bryan Hayes about an extension, but "no traction" has been created.

Tomorrow's Game:

The Pirates visit Baltimore for a 6 PM game aired by 1020 KDKA. It's bullpen day for the Bucs with Sean Poppen, Michael Feliz, Richard Rodríguez, Luis Oviedo, Chris Stratton and Edgar Santana taking the bump.


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1 comment:

  1. WilliamJPellasMarch 24, 2021 at 4:33 PM

    It's career crossroads time for Tucker. If he goes down to Triple A and doesn't tear the cover off the ball, he is headed for utilityman-journeyman territory. On the other end of the spectrum, I am very pleased to see Kevin Newman come to camp and put a stranglehold on the starting job at shortstop. While he is nothing special with the glove, from what I have seen he catches everything he gets to, and makes all the plays he is supposed to make given the limitations of his range. And he is a far better hitter than Tucker or Gonzalez have shown to this point. I still say the new management jerked him around last year and I am still highly irritated by that, but whatever. He came to camp this spring and showed them what's what. That said, his long term future in Pittsburgh could still be at second base; if the team finds a taker for Adam Frazier and Tucker shows that he deserves an extended look in the majors, it might be that Newman will slide over to 2B. Again, though, Tucker has to force them to make that move. Right now he hasn't done so.

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