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.

Monday: At Minute Maid v the 'Stros, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Game & Notes

Game: The Bucs and Astros open a two-game set to get ready for the campaign. Tonight's contest will start at 8:10 EDT and be on 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Melky Cabrera DH, Erik Gonzalez SS, (Richard Rodriguez P).

Pitchers: The Bucs do some bullpenning, with Richard Rodríguez, Felipe Vázquez, Keone Kela, Kyle Crick and Nick Burdi slated to work. The Pirates get to see Houston's touted prospect, righty Forrest Whitley, so the match should be a pitcher's delight.

Ric Rod starts the bullpen parade (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Yesterday's Game:  Willy tossed three innings of three-hit, scoreless ball while Nick Kingham had another nice outing of three innings, with one hit, three K, and a minimum nine batters (he got a DP ball). Jung Ho Kang gave them a 1-0 lead with his seventh HR of the spring, but that was pretty much it. The Orioles got an eighth inning run off Steven Brault on a leadoff double, bounce out and sac fly, and it finished a 1-1 sister smooch. The Birds had just six hits; the Bucs had nine but went 0-for-8 with RISP. Eric Gonzalez was the only Pirates to reach base twice with a knock and a walk. Goodbye Sunshine State and hello Lone Star State.

Notes:

• The Bucs broke out a four-man OF against Chris Davis yesterday, with Fraze moving to the pasture.
• Big Joe and Archie stayed in Florida; Musgrove will toss a sim game today to stay on schedule and Archer will do the same tomorrow. Both are slated to go six frames.
• Dayn Perry of CBS Sports looks at the 2019 Buccos, and is part of the the chorus singing the blues over ownership's lack of activity. That's offset by Nubyjas Wilborn of the Post Gazette, who likes what he saw in Florida. In another projection, the MLB.com Power Ratings, the Pirates rank 19th, between the Reds and the Padres.
• The Pirates were rated as having the #3 bullpen in baseball, and the best in the NL by MLB.com.
• RHP Daniel Hudson signed a major league contract with the Blue Jays after being released by the Angels.

Sunday: Bucs at Birds, Lineup, Notes; Yesterday's Games & Notes

Game: Pittsburgh is on the road to Sarasota and Ed Smith Stadium to visit Baltimore at 1:05, with the game being aired by 93.7 The Fan. It's the last Grapefruit League contest, followed by a pair of warm-ups against Houston at Minute Maid Park before showtime on the 28th at Cincinnati.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Corey Dickerson DH, Josh Bell 1B, Melky Cabrera RF, Pablo Reyes CF, Jose Osuna LF, Erik Gonzalez SS, Jake Stallings C (Trevor Williams P).

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams takes on RHP Andrew Cashner, with Nick Kingham and Steven Brault penciled in to follow Willy.

Willy takes his last spring fling today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Yesterday's Games: Philly: Jordan Lyles gave up three runs in five innings, surrendering seven hits and fanning five, and that apparently was enough to nail down the last rotation spot if NH is to be believed. The last four innings were a breeze behind the A-Team bullpen, Corey D & Oneil Cruz went long (Corey had two knocks while Cruz started two DP's from short), and the Pirates won their last home spring outing 5-3 over the Phils.
Boston: The BoSox threw the Bucs a little changeup by starting Chris Sale instead of Nathan Eovaldi, and it went downhill from there. Jamo wasn't real sharp, giving up four runs in four frames on eight hits with three K, a couple of young guys got a rude welcome to the bigs, and Boston took a 12-3 laugher. The Pittsburgh highlight was a three-run jack by Ke'Bryan Hayes off Heath Hembree.

Notes:

• Starling Marte has taken it easy with a tight back, but said he's ready to go and should play in Houston.
• Neal Huntington said the Bucs final roster decisions will be made after camp, during the final two-game tune-up series in Houston against the 'Stros.
• Jung Ho Kang is still a wild card, per Adam Berry of MLB.com, but he is at least in great shape. The site selected JHK as the Pirates great unknown for the 2019 campaign.
• Get used to J-Bell at cleanup; Clint said that's his lineup spot coming out of camp.
• The Mets released SS Adieny Hechavarria and OF Rajai Davis, and the Jays let RHP John Axford walk. 1B Pedro Alvarez didn't make the Miami cut and has opted out of his deal, making him a free agent. The Giants picked up another former Bucco, trading with the Brewers for C Erik Kratz, who was also a late camp casualty.

Split City Saturday: Phils Here, Boston There, Lineups & Pitchers; Frankie & Melky Make Roster; Yesterday's Recap & Notes

Game: The Bucs and Phillies mix it up in Bradenton, with a 1:05 game time for the Pirates last home game of the spring. It will be aired by AT&T SportsNet. Game #2 of the day is against the Red Sox at Fenway South in Fort Myers. It's also a 1:05 first pitch and will be carried by 93.7 The Fan. Both games are on tape delay on MLB Network (Boston 4PM, Philly 6AM Sunday).

Lineups: Philly - Pablo Reyes 2B, JB Shuck CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Fran Cervelli C, Will Craig 31B, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Pat Kivlehan 3B, Oneil Cruz SS, Jordan Lyles 1P. Patchwork infield, with Cruz being a surprise starter today.
BoSox - Kevin Newman 2B, Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B, Colin Moran 1B, Steven Baron C, Bryan Reynolds LF, Jared Oliva CF, Lucas Tancas DH, Bligh Madris RF, Alfredo Reyes SS (Jameson Taillon P). Looks more like a back field lineup for the roadtrip.

Ke'Bryan Hayes - minor league camp,major league lineup; go figure (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Pitchers: Philly - RHP Jordan Lyles v RHP Zach Eflin, followed by Felipe Vázquez, Keone Kela, Kyle Crick and Richard Rodríguez. Lyles could be fighting for the fifth starting spot today as Nick Kingham has been coming on lately.
BoSox - RHP Jameson Taillon v RHP Nathan Eovaldi, with Rookie Davis and Tyler Lyons on deck.

Roster News: The Pirates announced that Francisco Liriano and Melky Cabrera have made the team. They have to add them both to the 40-man roster, which is full. They can slide Edgar Santana to the 60 day IL and a bubble guy has to go.

Yesterday's Game: The comeback kids ran out of rallies yesterday. Falling behind 3-0, they put up runs in the seventh and ninth on RBI knocks by Steve Baron and Pablo Reyes, but fell short, 3-2, to Minnesota. The pitching wasn't very sharp as Bucco hurlers gave up nine hits and eight walks, but the Twinkies weren't much in the clutch, stranding 13. Frankie gave up a run on three hits, three walks and three whiffs in 1-2/3 IP in his last outing before rug-cutting time. Jung Ho Kang (who handled his three chances at short flawlessly) and Reyes, who is scrapping for a final roster spot, led the Buc batters with a pair of raps, with each banging out a double.

Notes:

• JHK got his first single of the spring, to go with two doubles and six homers. He's hitting .231.
• The extensions continue - Chris Sale signed a five-year deal with Boston, while Justin Verlander is reported to be ironing out a two-year agreement.

Friday: Bucs Visit Rays, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Recap & Notes

Game: The Bucs visit Tampa Bay at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte. The match starts at 1:05 and will be on MLB Gameday.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Jung Ho Kang SS, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Pablo Reyes CF, Erik Gonzalez DH, Pat Kivlehan LF, Steve Baron C (Brandon Wadell P). JHK at short isn't a thing; Clint wanted a look at him there as an "emergency" option.

And playing shortstop... (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Pitching: LHP Brandon Waddell gets the start against RHP Wilmer Font. Frankie Liriano, who Clint was considering starting today, will also go along with Brandon Maurer and Geoff Hartlieb.

Cuts: RHP Jake Barrett twas sent to Indy and utilityman Alfredo Reyes was assigned to minor league camp.There are 36 guys left.

Yesterday's Game: The Bucs used three solo homers, two by last-minute Class A sub Jonah Davis and another by Cervy, to counter the Orioles three-run, fourth-inning uprising against Archie (and it was ugly - a homer, two doubles, three walks, and a wild pitch in 2/3IP) to leave the game knotted at threes going into the ninth. Since it was tied, the inning started with a runner on second and two singles sandwiched around a roller gave the Birds a 5-3 lead. The Pirates got their free runner, followed by a walk and bopped batter. JHK then launched one into the seats to walk it off, providing another ninth-inning comeback by the it-ain't-over-til-it's-over gang. As for the runner-on-second rule, well, to us it's fixing something that isn't broken.

Notes:

• JHK also doubled on a chalk-kisser; it was his first non-homer hit of the spring.
• Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan looks at a handful of positional Bucco bubble guys.
• Clay Holmes was sent to Indy; Clint said they plan to work him out of the bullpen there. It makes sense; we thought his potential was akin to a Jared Hughes role than rotation filler.
• Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline checked out the Bucs farm; another wave of players will be looking to join Pittsburgh by next season.
• The Giants traded for former Bucco prospect Connor Joe, a corner IF/OF guy with a strong hit tool. He had bumped around the minors with Atlanta (the Bucs sent him there for S-Rod), LA and Cincy. It's an interesting move as he's a Rule 5 pick so he has to stick on the roster, and also that he went to SF, which seems to recycle every old Bucco through its system at some time or another.
• Ichiro announced his retirement after Seattle's two-game set in Japan, picking a best of both worlds scenario to hang 'em up. 
• A quartet who think the grass is greener where they're at: Paul Goldschmidt and Blake Snell signed five-year extensions with the Cards and Rays while Alex Bregman and Elroy Jimenez inked six-year deals with Houston and the White Sox. Free agency ain't what it used to be.

Thursday: O's Visit Bradenton, Lineup & Pitchers; Yetserday's Game & Notes

Game: Pittsburgh entertains Baltimore at LECOM Park today. The 1:05 game will be on AT&T SportsNet; no radio today.

Lineup: Adam Frazier (L) 2B, Jonah Davis CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Melky Cabrera RF, Erik Gonzalez SS, Chris Archer P. Starling was a late scratch today; his back was tight.

Pitchers: RHP Chris Archer takes the mound v RHP David Hess. Kyle Crick and Tyler Lyons are next up.

Archie on the hill (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Cuts: The Pirates optioned RHP's Clay Holmes and Michael Feliz to Indy.

Yesterday's Game: An odd outing for Big Joe. He tossed three innings surrendering just one hit, but gave up seven raps and three runs in the other two, with 6-of-7 knocks coming with two outs, something that happened a lot today. Michael Feliz gave up another dinger and two runs in his two frames, and the Pirates, held to just three hits of their own, were down 5-0 going into the eighth against the Twins. Then the boys rallied: three singles, two walks, a wild pitch and a sac fly plated four runs to cut the gap to one. Then with two gone and the bases empty in the ninth, four straight singles by Zack Kone, Pablo Reyes, Logan Hill and Colin Moran pushed two more runs across, and Brandon Mauer tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to save the win for Clay Holmes. Nick Burdi continued his strong spring with a zero before that pair while Pablo had three hits, two runs & a RBI and Moran had two rips, a walk & two runs chased home to lead the Bucco batsmen. Nice win for the B-Team.

Notes:

• Jason Rollison of Bucs Dugout looks at the difference between the Bucs projection of SS Erik Gonzalez and the stats (which he caveats as small sample) and sees two different players.
• Good news on the injury front: Gregory should see some minor league game action next week, per MLB.com's Adam Berry, with quick reports on the other wounded Pirates. Nubyjas Wilborn of the Post Gazette writes that the club wants Gregory to shorten his throwing motion to emphasize accuracy over velocity.
• Matt Joyce, 34, recently released by Cleveland, signed a minor-league deal with the Giants.

Wednesday: Pirates v Twins, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Game & Notes

Game: Pittsburgh visits the Twins for a 1:05 match at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. The game will be carried by MLB Gameday.

Lineup: Pablo Reyes SS, JB Shuck CF, Colin Moran 1B, Jose Osuna RF, Kevin Newman 2B, Pat Kivlehan 3B, Jake Stallings C, Lolo Sanchez LF & Joe Musgrove P. The mix 'n' match away lineup. The Twins are home and using a DH; Clint opted to let Big Joe get a swing or two in.

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove faces RHP Michael Pineda w/Nick Burdi, Michael Feliz and Brandon Maurer finishing up.

Watch the Burdi... 2019 Topps

Yesterday's Game: Steven Brault was wild - three walks in 3-2/3 IP - but effective, giving up no runs on two hits with four fans. Felipe carried on, whiffing three of the four batters he faced, leaving the Bucs up 2-0, with one run scoring on a DP ball and another on a Melky Cabrera knock as the Pirates blew a couple shots at big frames with twin killings after runners were on first and third, thx to Starling's GIDP and Melky getting doubled up off first. The Pirates added another tally after two-out, fifth-inning double by Starling, followed by a stolen sack/muffed catch, to manufacture a gift run. Keone Kela and Frankie added zeroes before the Tigers scored in the ninth off Rookie Davis, but it was too little, too late for the Twins. A strikeout looking finished off the 3-1 win. Fraze, Corey D and J-Bell each had two hits while JHK whiffed three times on the other side of the coin.

Notes:

• The Opening Day pitchers will be Jamo for the Bucs and Luis Castillo for the Reds on March 28th at GABP.
• Tony Clark of the MLBPA met with the Bucs yesterday, and his concerns, not too surprisingly, are mostly centered on payroll per 93.7 The Fan.
• The Arizona Fall League will start in mid-September and expand the pool of eligible players, per Baseball America. The league says it's to shorten the season for AFL players; we suspect it's a sop to allow MiLB guys who lose out to the 28-man September rosters beginning in 2020 an extended look.
• Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels reportedly agreed on a record-setting 12-year contract worth more than $430M, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Who needs free agency? 
• Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw won’t be ready for opening day; he's worked eight straingt Openers for LA,but shoulder inflammation has slowed down his spring work.

Tuesday: Motown Visits, Lineup & Notes; Yesterday's Game & Notes

Game: The Pirates tango with the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 at LECOM Park. The game's on AT&T SportsNet, 93.7 The Fan and the MLB Network for out-of-market fans.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Melky Cabrera DH, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Erik Gonzalez SS (Steven Brault P). Home game, A-Lineup.

Pitchers: Steven Brault goes against Matthew Boyd in a battle of southpaws. Felipe Vazquez, Frankie Liriano and Rookie Davis are slated to follow.

Rookie Davis gets another look (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Yesterday's Game: Nick Kingham (two hits, two walks, five K) put on a show for five innings, leaving with a 2-0 lead thanks to JB Shuck's seeing eye, two-run single in the sixth.The teams traded runs after that, with Jake Stallings and Pablo Reyes chasing home teammates, while Kyle Crick and Jake Barrett were both nicked for a tally. Stallings went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI; Alfredo Reyes had two raps w/a walk and run, while Shuck had two hits and two runs sent home.

Notes:

• No rocking the boat; both Colin Moran and Kevin Newman took their freshly-announced bench roles well, at least publicly. Jung Ho Kang and Erik Gonzalez won the spots largely on their glovework. All four guys will have to look over their shoulders after the solid camp that Ke'Bryan Hayes and Cole Tucker put together.
• Kevin Kramer will get some OF time, per Neal Huntington. He said they don't plan on turning him into a utility guy but are just looking to improve his MLB chances; NH thinks his bat can play even in the pasture.
• Chris Archer, along with Pirates Charities and Good Sports, donated $20,000 in baseball and softball equipment to Bayshore HS in Bradenton.

Monday: Pirates Visit Tampa Bay, Lineup & Pitchers; Gonzalez & Kang To Start; Cuts Round #2; Yesterday's Recap & Notes

Game: The Pirates travel to Port Charlotte and Charlotte Stadium to meet Tampa Bat at 1:05. The game is on MLB Gameday.

Lineup: Pablo Reyes SS, JB Shuck CF, Colin Moran 1B, Jose Osuna RF, Melky Cabrera DH, Pat Kivlehan 3B, Kevin Newman 2B, Jake Stallings C, Alfredo Reyes LF (Nick Kingham P). Welp, guiess we'll see just how versatile these Buccos are today.

Pitchers: RHP Nick Kingham will start against old matey RHP Charlie Morton. Kyle Crick, Richard Rodriguez and Tyler Lyons are also on the dance card.

And the winnah... 2017 Donruss

Two Battles Settled: Clint said that Erik Gonzalez will start at short and Jung Ho Kang at third, with Kevin Newman serving as the bench middle infielder and Colin Moran as the backup at the hot corner and first base. The winning pair weren't all that hot in camp, so it's a bit of surprise they were named this soon, but it does settle the lineup.

Cuts: The Turk visited - 2B Kevin Kramer was optioned to Indy and eight more were sent to minor league camp: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, 1B Will Craig, IF Nick Franklin, RHP Geoff Hartlieb, C Christian Kelley, C Arden Pabst, OF Bryan Reynolds and LHP Brandon Waddell. Good chance that we'll see a few of these guys in Pittsburgh this year.

Yesterday's Game: Sure and begorrah, the Bucs celebrated St. Paddy's Day in style. Jamo went five innings, giving up a run (unearned thx to JHK's boot) on four hits w/six whiffs, Frankie, Nick Burdi & Brandon Maurer tossed four zeroes, Starling & Corey D went deep, and six Pirates reached base twice in an 8-1 victory over the Red Sox.

Notes:

• Yesterday's key blow was Starling's two-out, three-run bomb in the sixth to make it a 7-1 contest. It was the third straight game with a homer for Marte, and a big season from him would cover up a lot of Bucco blemishes.
• BoSox CF Jackie Bradley Jr. made a catch of a J-Bell drive (his original misread created the drama, but still...) that was so sweet that the Boston Globe dedicated an article to it (not that there was much more to write about, from a Beantown perspective).
• Jordan Lyles is over the cramps; he's throwing a four-inning sim game today.
• The Pirates have 49 players in camp and 10 games left to whittle it down to 25. If you're curious about the Bucs roster from PNC down, Roster Resource has a projection of who is going where and other stuff - how acquired, service time, age, etc.
• Bill Plaschke of the LA Times has a good read about David Freese. 
• The Michael Saunders road trip continues. The OF'er hooked up with the Bucs in February last year, then requested his release the day after he agreed to his contract following the Corey Dickerson deal. Mike then signed on with the Kansas City Royals, which released him toward the end of camp. Saunders then inked a pact with the Baltimore Orioles. Six weeks later he asked for and was granted his release, and continued his journey with the Chicago White Sox, and they released him in June. In the off season, he agreed to a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies, and yep, they just released him. His last MLB gig was with Toronto as a 2017 September call-up.

Sunday: BoSox Come To LECOM, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Game & Notes

Game: The Pirates host the Red Sox at 1:05 at LECOM Park, and the game will be on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Erik Gonzalez SS, Jameson Taillon P. No DH today and the A-Team is back on the diamond after a day off. The second group is pretty strong, too.

J-Bell 2017 Topps Gold Label

Pitchers: RHP Jameson Taillon works against RHP Marcus Walden, with Frankie Liriano, Nick Burdi and Brandon Maurer slated for later duty.

Yesterday's Game: Motown drew first blood off Archie; a bopped batter and Colin Moran error led to a first-inning run. In the second, the Tigers rattled off four doubles and three runs *ouch* to jump out to a 4-0 edge. Pittsburgh small-balled a three-spot in the fifth to make it a game, with Bryan Reynold's two-run, bases-loaded knock the key blow. But the game got away during the El Tigre's half of the frame when Michael Feliz walked the leadoff guy and then served up a gopher ball. That made the tally 6-3 Detroit, and that's how it finished as both pens shut the gate. The Pirates had more walks than hits (5/4), and a pair of GIDP with a caught stealing helped short circuit the few opps they had. Will Craig was the only Pirate to reach base more than once, drawing three free passes.

Notes:

• J-Hay had a nice day against his old mateys, going 1-for-2 with a HBP, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Jordy went 0-for-2 with a walk. 
• For all the Cole Tucker/Mitch Keller buzz, Ke'Bryan Hayes may be the next man up. Colin Moran is hitting .214 so far with four errors at third, and JHK has shown power and leather, but is batting .200 with a K every other at bat, so the hot corner is anything but settled right now.
• Jordan Lyles, who left his last start with cramps, and Eli Diaz, who has battled a virus for most of camp, formed the battery in a bullpen session yesterday.
• The Associated Press looks at Pablo Reyes and his shot at making the club, while Adam Berry of MLB.com checked on the progress of Nick Burdi and his newer, slightly gentler off-season workout program.

Saturday: Pirates @ Tigers, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Recap & Notes

Game: The Pirates take a road trip to Lakeland's Joker Marchant Stadium to meet the Tigers at 1:05, with the game broadcast by 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Pablo Reyes 2B, Pat Kivlehan LF, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna 1B, Kevin Newman SS, Jake Stallings C, Will Craig DH, JB Shuck CF, Bryan Reynolds RF (Chris Archer P). Kevin Kramer, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz lead the second wave as most of the A-Team gets the day off and are spared the 70 mile bus ride. Josh Harrison will bat leadoff and Jordy Mercer will fill the two-hole for Motown.

Archie toes the slab (image Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: RHP Chris Archer goes against LHP Matt Moore, w/Michael Feliz, Jake Barrett, Clay Holmes and Geoff Hartlieb behind him. Barrett gets his first Bucco look; he was a waiver claim a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday's Game: All started well for the Bucs - they broke out the long ball again, with Cervy, Starling, J-Bell and Jung Ho belting bombs against the Rays. Big Joe was nicked for a couple of runs but whiffed five in his four innings, and Felipe Vazquez & Keone Kela put up zeroes to follow. The Pirates were up 6-2 in the seventh w/Kyle Crick on the hill before a groundball single and bopped batter scored with two outs when Tristan Gray went yard to make it 6-5. A single, grounder and another single in the eighth off Richard Rodriguez knotted the score, and after a quiet ninth, the managers called it a day.

Notes:

• Ol' Bucco Austin Meadows went 2-for-3 (he's hitting .343 so far this spring) and ol' farmhand Tristan Gray went 1-for-2 with a three-run jack. Both switched uniforms last year - Meadows was part of the Archie package; Gray was sent to TB with Huddy for Corey D. 
• Shortstop is heating up; with neither candidate hitting a lick, suddenly Kevin Newman broke out with three hits on Thursday and Erik Gonzalez came up with three of his own on Friday. The ball is back in Newman's court today.
• Jung Ho Kang has five hits this year, and all have left the yard. He's batting .200 for the spring with 13 K in 25 at-bats; looks like he's all in on swinging for the fence. JHK is showing his old instincts with the leather and made a couple of pretty nice plays at third yesterday. 
• Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan talked to Jamo, the team rep, and Willy about their views on the new rule changes. 
• M-SABR ran their preseason reviews and have the Pirates good for 85 wins; the baseball soothsayers seem to agree the Bucs are basically a .500 club, give or take a couple of victories, with their 2019 Pittsburgh fortunes mostly falling between the upper-70's-to-mid-80's in the win column. 
• Matt Joyce, 34, was told by the Tribe that he wasn't going make the team. They gave him some time to decide if he wants to go to AAA or try to latch on with another club. He was on a minor league deal with Cleveland.
• Yesterday's game started a little late; the Rays bus got caught in Bradenton rush-hour traffic. Of course, the Steverino celebration might have helped it run over; he even threw the first pitch. The Mayor of Bradenton declared it "Steve Blass Day," the Pirates honored him by officially renaming the radio perch at LECOM the Steve Blass Radio Booth, and the Bucco suits - Bob Nutting & Frank Coonelly, no less - presented him with a couple of goodies before the game.

Friday: Tampa Bay-Bucs Tonight; Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Recap & Notes

Game: Tampa Bay rolls into Bradenton for a 6:05 game, aired on on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan. It's the only night game in Florida; the next contest under the lights is on the 25th at Minute Maid Park in a tune up against the 'Stros. And it should be an interesting TV broadcast; the booth promises a nightful of Steve Blass stories.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson LF, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Melky Cabrera DH, Erik Gonzalez SS (Joe Musgrove P). Austin Meadows will start in RF and bat leadoff for the Rays.

Big Joe take the bump (image Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove tosses against RHP Wilmer Font, with Felipe Vazquez, Keone Kela, Kyle Crick, Richard Rodriguez and Tyler Lyons penciled in behind Big Joe.

Yesterday's Game: Fraze got it trending with a leadoff homer to open the Bucco first; Corey D, Starling Marte, Colin Moran and Kevin Newman also went long over the afternoon as the Bucs rolled over Philly 11-2. Willy was sharp, striking out four in five innings while giving up one unearned run (J-Bell booted one ball and Redbeard misplayed a pair in the same frame) on three singles with no walks. Frankie, Nick Burdi, Clay Holmes and Brandon Maurer all worked an inning, with Maurer touched up for a solo ninth-inning dinger. Newman had three hits (HR & 2B), Starling a pair (HR & 2B), and Melky had two raps. Heck, the Pirates even stole three bases in four tries (Fran, Newman and Starling swiped; Melky wiped). It was a good day at the ranch.

Notes:

• The Pirates snapped a six-game Grapefruit League losing streak yesterday. 
• Full Press Coverage's 30-in-30 post looks at the Pirates by position and predicts a pretty dismal 74-win campaign. They recap with "The Pirates are a small market team swimming in a large market pond. The pitching staff will make them competitive within the division. However, the lack of star power will keep them looking up at the rest of the NL Central."
• Yesterday, we had a link to some general changes the MLB and MLBPA agreed on for the next two years. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com has the specifics. Most of the changes shouldn't create big issues, but we would have liked to see a little more September leeway. It seems like the deal is shutting out a chance for lesser-touted youngsters to get a big league look, although the 40-man expansion did create a zoo.

Thursday: Phils Visit, Lineup & Pitchers, Notes

Game: The Phils come to Bradenton for a 1:05 match, with the game on AT&T SportsNet and MLB Gameday. MLB Network has the game on tape delay at 11PM.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson DH, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Melky Cabrera LF, Colin Moran 3B, Kevin Newman SS (Trevor Williams P). Round two will consist of Kevin Kramer, JB Shuck, Jake Stallings, Will Craig, Pat Kivlehan, Jose Osuna, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Pablo Reyes.

Colin and Jung Ho are looking like a hot corner platoon 2019 Topps

Pitchers: Trevor Williams v, with Francisco Liriano, Nick Burdi, Clay Holmes and Brandon Maurer also scheduled to work. Maurer will be interesting to watch; he's only pitched twice and been out of action for three weeks with a bum knee.

Notes:

• The Bucs were off, but not the kids. The AAA Pirates whupped the Phils pups, 6-2, playing in Clearwater at Philly's Carpenter Complex. Recent additions from the big league camp tossed strong ball as JT Brubaker allowed one run over three innings and Dario Agrazal spun three shutout frames. 
• Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Kevin Colbert paid a visit to the Bucs on Tuesday, no doubt figuring Bradenon a safe haven for any AB fallout. Actually, they stop in camp every year; the local pro teams have a pretty good relationship with one other and Tomlin got to speak to the troops.
• We'll miss ya, Richard - Dick Groat called his last Pitt basketball game last night. The 88-year-old spent 40 years as a Panther radio voice.
• Per MLB Trade Rumors, the MLB and MLBPA are playing nice so far in negotiating a new CBA. They've agreed to make July 31st the final trade deadline, starting this year. Beginning in 2020, the active roster will be 26 players (with a 13-pitcher maximum) while September rosters are whittled from 40 to 28 (with a 14-pitcher max). The two sides have also agreed to begin talks now on free agency, service time and the luxury tax, even though the current CBA runs through 2021. They'll also have data collected on the different experiments run in both the minor and indie leagues, from pace-of-play stuff to robo-umps, to chew over.

Wednesday: Bucs Off, Camp Outlook, Yesterday's Game & Notes

Today: The Pirates have their second scheduled off day of the spring today, followed by a 14-game stretch. The club won't be off again until the 27th, the day before the Opener against the Reds.

Camp Battlegrounds: Pittsburgh had three question marks coming into camp, and hey - they still have them.

The Bucs were looking for a fifth starter. No one's taken that bull by the horns, as it looks like early front runner Jordan Lyles is going to be the man, more through default that merit. None of the young guys have made much noise, and they may end up missing having Ivan Nova (or even the ever-available Gio Gonzalez) in the rotation.

Shortstop features a pair of guys that make Mario Mendoza look like Pete Rose. To our eye, Kevin Newman has been better than Erik Gonzalez, although the management consensus goes the other way (they love to internally justify trades, no matter how trivial). But the bright side is that Cole Tucker has shown as advertised, so the Pirates are auditioning for a placeholder.

Is the SS answer at Indy? (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Finally, the bullpen was looking to add a solid lefty for balance. Tyler Lyons has been battered while Frankie and Steven Brault have been up-and-down, so even that modest upgrade is iffy at this point. (note: Tony Sipp just was signed by the Nats for $1M, so the lefty imbalance apparently bothers the Bucs not a twit).

There have been bright spots, too - Jung Ho Kang still has his power stroke (although the sub-.200 BA isn't inspiring), the outfield vets have been swingin' it, so it looks like they'll survive Gregory's late start, and Indy's left side of Cole Tucker/Ke'Bryan Hayes could be MLB-ready next year, along with OF Jason Martin. Will Craig also had a good spring, and Kevin Kramer has had his moments, so there is positional help at the upper levels. Mitch, JT Brubaker and maybe Geoff Hartlieb, along w/Rookie Davis and Aaron Slegers, provide a little pitching depth; the Pirates are really thin there.

Yesterday's Game: Jamo was tagged for three runs in four innings, but settled in after opening the game by surrendering back-to-back doubles. In fact, with a little better OF defense, he could have escaped with just that one early run. Michael Feliz and Jordan Lyles each worked two innings and gave up a run before Tyler Lyons was clobbered in the ninth, getting one out while being charged with five runs. For the Bucs, Fraze had a two-run knock and plated once; Starling had a run scored and RBI, and Melky Cabrera had two raps. The game wasn't the runaway that the score indicates; it was tied after six and a one-run game going into the ninth. The Bucco B-Team didn't help the cause particularly; they mustered one hit over the final four frames.

Notes:

• Jordan Lyles only worked two innings; he was taken out after cramping in his right side.He said after the game that it wasn't serious and he left as a precaution.
• Gregory Polanco batted in a minor league game yesterday for the first time this spring, going 1-for-4 with a whiff and a walk. Good to see him taking live cuts, though he's still far removed from the field. It's gonna take a bit for his arm strength to return, though it is thought he's on track for a May rather than June return to action.
• Aki Iwamura sighting: the old Bucco second sacker will be part of the opening pitch ceremony in the MGM-MLB Opening Series exhibit at the Tokyo Dome on March 21st between Oakland & Seattle.

Tuesday: Twins Visit, Lineup & Pitchers; More Cuts; Yesterday's Game & Notes

Game: The Twins visit the Pirates at LECOM Park. The game begins at 1:05 and will air on MLB Network, AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Fran Cervelli C, Josh Bell 1B, Melky Cabrera LF, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Alex Gonzalez SS, Jameson Taillon P. Swap out Melky and insert Corey D, and this could end up being the A-Team.

Pitchers: RHP Jameson Taillon meets LHP Steven Gonsalves. It's Jamo's first spring start; he wasn't expected to take the bump until the weekend. Now he'll have three live outings before Opening Day. Jordan Lyles follows, with Michael Feliz and Tyler Lyons also in the mix.

Jamo 2018 Topps Allen & Ginter

More Cuts: Today, the Bucs placed SS Cole Tucker, OF Jason Martin and RHP's Jesus Liranzo & Aaron Slegers with Indy, while RHP Alex McRae was assigned to minor league camp. The roster is now at 49 players.

Yesterday's Game: The King had a rough start against the Bravos' A-lineup, giving up a double, single and Ronald Acuna dinger to put the Bucs in a quick 3-0 hole. A walk and double put Nick in jeopardy again, but Kevin Newman turned a grounder into a 6-3-5 triple play; the Braves lead runner was caught taking a wide turn after the garden variety DP. A single-walk-double combo added a coupla more points against Kingham in the third. Pittsburgh whittled away with Colin Moran and Pat Kivlehan singling home runners in the fourth. Yeudy Garcia finished the fourth after Nick hit 75 pitches and then Steven Brault toed the rubber. He gave up a run but looked good, surrendering just three hits over his four frames and getting lots of balls hit into the dirt. The Braves hurlers in their turn shut down the Bucs, and so the tally ended up 6-2, Atlanta. A bright spot was Pat Kivlehan, who went 3-for-3 and is making management take a hard look at him this spring. NRI JB Shuck is also en fuego, batting .400, so the extra OF spot is a battle royale so far.

Notes:

• MLB.com looks at spring competitions and the Pirates SS battle; they give Erik Gonzalez the edge while noting neither he nor Kevin Newman has hit worth a lick so far. We noted that Newman was involved in two DP's and a triple play today while on the field.
• Lonnie Chisenhall realizes his ultimate value to Pittsburgh is his versatility once Gregory Polanco returns, per the AP.
• MLB Trade Rumors looks at the Pirates off season; they call the franchise "ever patient."
• The Brad-Mar-Pine Baseball and Softball Association broke ground Sunday on Neil Walker Field in Wexford, a nice nod to The Pittsburgh Kid. Tom & Nancy, his mom and dad, were there for the spadework. NWF should be ready for action next season, per 93.7 The Fan.

Monday: Buccos-Bravos, Lineup & Pitchers, Yesterday's Game, Notes

Game: The Pirates travel to Kissimmee to tackle the Braves at Champion Stadium at 1:05. The contest will be audio streamed on Pirates.com and also available at MLB Gameday.

Lineup: Pablo Reyes RF, Erik Gonzalez DH, JB Shuck CF, Jose Osuna 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Pat Kivlehan LF, Kevin Newman SS, Kevin Kramer 2B, Jake Stallings C (Nick Kingham P).

Pitchers: Nick Kingham, Steven Brault and Alex McRae are scheduled to climb the hill.

Steven may be running out of chances 2018 Topps Heritage

Yesterday's Game: The Bucs small-balled a second inning run on a pair of singles,a wild pitch and sac fly, then big-balled two more in the third on back-to-back bombs by Cervy and JHK.  Archie tossed three good innings (no runs, two hits, four fans while putting away his last seven batters), but that would end in the fourth when Frankie Liriano flung 16 consecutive balls to the four batters he faced. Geoff Hartleib came in to get a DP ball, but a two-out rap tied it up. A Yankee homer in the fifth put them up, 4-3. The Pirates went ahead in the seventh. Cole Tucker tripled to lead off, Kevin Kramer singled him home, and KK eventually plated on Ke'Bryan Hayes sac fly. Woe and alas, Jesus Liranzo opened the eighth by giving up a bloop and a blast, and that held up as New York claimed a seesaw 6-5 decision over Pittsburgh. The Pirates banged out nine hits, but a dozen K's hurt the cause.

Notes:

• Nick Burdi (1-1/3IP) and Dovy Neverauskas (1 IP) retired all seven batters they faced, fanning three.
• C Elias Diaz is out of bed and back at camp, but is still not expected to ready for the start of the season.
• MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince picks each team's MIP (Most Indispensable Player) and comes up with Starling for the Bucs.
• O ye of little faith: USA Today predicts the Buccos record to be 76-86 in 2019.

Sunday: Bucs at Yankees, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Game; Notes

Game: The Bucs go to Tampa's George Steinbrenner Field to take on the Evil Empire at 1:05. The game will be on 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Starling Marte CF, Jung-ho Kang 3B, Fran Cervelli C, Josh Bell 1B, Melky Cabrera DH, Erik Gonzalez SS, Pablo Reyes 2B, Bryan Reynolds RF, Jason Martin LF (Chris Archer P).Ke'Bryan Hayes, Cole Tucker and Kevin Kramer will be subbing. (Late Edit: Bralin Jackson replaced Reynolds in the lineup; Bryan has a tight hammy).

Starling at the top of the order 2018 Topps Prizm

Pitchers: RHP Chris Archer tosses against LHP JA Happ. Nick Burdi, Jesus Liranzo, Geoff Hartlieb and Alex McRae will also toe the slab.

Yesterday's Game: Clay Holmes, Keone Kela and Tyler Lyons gave up 10 runs and five homers; 'nuff said as the Bucs fell 10-1 to the Twins. Jason Martin tripled and scored on a sac fly as the Pirates followed a three-hit day against the Jays with a four-hit afternoon against Minnesota.

Notes:

• Corey D twisted his ankle after he got caught in some mud while sliding into second, and had to leave the game. The seriousness of the injury is TBD, although Dickerson said it's nothing worse than a day-to-day twinge. 
• Keone spent a few minutes with the beat gang after the game - so much for silence is golden - and said not to worry; it's the spring. KK added that his arm is fresh (he thought that the September shutdown did him good) and he's working on a change up. 
• Jameson Taillon has been doing back lot work; he's slated to make his first start on the 17th against Boston, which gives him just two live action outings until Opening Day.
• Anna Kayser of the Indy Indians is already looking at the Tribe's outfield competition. There's a whole bunch of good OF's in camp who gotta move down when the roster's trimmed.

Saturday: Twins Visit, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Recap, First Cuts, Notes

Game: The Twins come to Bradenton to battle the Bucs at 1:05. The game will be on AT&T SportsNet and MLB Gameday.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Pat Kivlehan LF, Corey Dickerson DH, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna 1B, Kevin Newman SS, JB Shuck CF, Cristian Kelley C (Clay Holmes P). Kevin Kramer, Calvin Mitchell, Bryan Reynolds, Jason Martin, Pablo Reyes, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Will Craig are also slated to see some action.

Clay is spinning 'em today (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Pitchers: RHP Clay Holmes faces LHP Martin Perez. Holmes' parade mates will be Felipe Vazquez, Keone Kela, Richard Rodriguez and Tyler Lyons.

Yesterday's Games: Home -  The Jays homered five times off Willy (2), Mitch Keller (2) and Matt Eckelman (1) in the first five innings to pound out a 10-0 lead. Aaron Slegers kept the Blue Jays in the yard but was touched for another tally, and the Pirates were shut out on three hits, losing 11-0.
Away - It wasn't much better in Dunedin; Toronto roughed up Rookie Davis for four runs in two frames (four hits, four walks) and added another off Michael Feliz, with both twirlers surrendering a blast, and jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. JT Brubaker, Luis Escobar and Eduardo Vera stopped the bleeding, but the Bucs could only put a pair on the board via Oneil Cruz's homer and a Dylan Busby two-bagger to chase home Jared Olivo in a 5-2 defeat.

First Cuts of Camp: Pitchers Mitch Keller, JT Brubacker and Luis Escobar were optioned to Indy while hurlers Dario Agrazal, Eduardo Vera, Blake Weiman and Elvis Escobar along with catcher Jason Delay were assigned to minor league camp at Pirate City. Still a few decisions to make - MLB camp has 54 players even after the cuts.

Notes:

• Adam Berry of MLB.com picks his lineup/25-man roster for the Bucs if the season started tomorrow.
• Colin Deppen of The Incline has a fairly quick read on the trials and travails of PNC Park.
• The MLB is testing some pretty radical changes now that they have the Atlantic League as a proving grounds. Robo-umps, minimizing the shift, eliminating some mound visits, three-batter minimum, adding two feet between the mound/plate and more...seems like some overkill to us, although it may just be a good faith effort to gather data on the results.

Friday: Two Against Toronto, Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Recap & Notes

Game: Split-squad, home and away action against the Toronto Blue Jays today with contests in both Bradenton and Dunedin. The LECOM Park game will be on AT&T SportsNet and MLB Gameday at 1:05; the road warriors begin at 1:07, and will be carried just by MLB Gameday.

Lineups: Home - Starling Marte CF, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Fran Cervelli 1B, Jose Osuna RF, Pat Kivlehan RF, Kevin Newman SS, Jake Stallings C, Alfredo Reyes 2B, Trevor Williams P. Cervy is back at first and as promised, the Pirates are batting their pitchers at home rather than using a DH as the season approaches. Will Craig and JB Shuck are part of the second wave.
Away - Pablo Reyes CF, Melky Cabrera DH, Colin Moran 3B, Josh Bell 1B, Kevin Kramer 2B, Erik Gonzalez SS, Jason Martin LF, Bryan Reynolds RF, Steve Baron C (Rookie Davis P).

Willy gets the ball today (image - Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: Home - Trevor Williams goes against Sean Reid. Mitch Keller, Aaron Slegers, and Dovydas Neverauskas follow. It's Willy's first start of the spring.
Away - Rookie Davis gets the call against Marcus Stroman. Slated to come afterward are JT Brubaker, Michael Feliz, Luis Escobar and Eduardo Vera.
Interesting group of pitchers on the hill today - Davis, Brubaker, Keller and Slegers, all trying to elbow their way into the fifth man convo.

Yesterday's Game: Jordan Lyles tossed better today, going four innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits, a walk and a wild pitch. Geoff Hartlieb relieved in the fifth and gave up a solo homer (it would be the day's theme) to make it 3-0. The Bucs chopped the lead to a run after Erik Gonzalez and Fraze went deep in the Pirates half of the frame, then took a seventh-inning lead after long balls by Pat Kivlehan, who's surely making his way onto the radar, and Cole Tucker. The Bitds quickly tied with a double and single off Nick Burdi. He walked the next guy and then got it into gear, striking out the next three Orioles. That tied it and set up Tucker, who led off the ninth, worked the count to 2-0 and then dropped another ball into the stands to walk off a 5-4 Pirates win.

The Pirates pitchers showed some swing-and-miss stuff, totaling 13 K over the day; the five Pittsburgh hurlers all did their share, with two/three punch outs per man. Frankie Liriano had the most effective outing of the game, giving up a walk with two whiffs over two innings. The handful of lost balls gave the Pirates 21 homers in 13 games, and that's a nice trend so far; the Steel City Bombers had just 157 in 161 games in 2018.

Cole was swingin' it yesterday (photo MLB Pipeline/Pirates)

Notes:

• Nice plays: with runners on first and third, the O's tried a delayed steal of home. It didn't fool Fraze, who took Cervy's throw and sent it right back (albeit a bit high) to cut down the runner. And in the seventh, Pat Kivlehan and Cole Tucker homered back-to-back to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run lead.
• The Rays plan on a three-man rotation, with two of their starters being ex-Buccos Tyler Glasnow and Charlie Morton, to follow Blake Snell. The other two spots will be reserved for "openers" rather than a regular, per Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors.
• Stuff u hate to hear: Tom Seaver's family announced that he has been diagnosed with dementia, and will retire from public life to remain at his California home. 
• Due to the Supreme Court ruling expanding sports gambling, teams now have to send their starting lineup to the MLB offices before they can post them publicly, per AP.

Thursday: The O's Come to Town; Lineup & Pitchers; Yesterday's Game; Notes

Game: The Orioles come to LECOM Park for a 1:05 match. The game will be on AT&T SportsNet on the TV side and 93.7 The Fan on the radio side.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Corey Dickerson DH, Josh Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, Melky Cabrera LF, Lonnie Chisenhall RF, Erik Gonzalez SS, Ke’Bryan Hayes 3B (Jordan Lyles P). Some of the big boys get to play today; it's nice to see Lonnie back in action and Cervy actually catching.

Pitchers: RHP Jordan Lyles bumps heads with RHP Mike Wright. LHP Frankie Liriano will follow Lyles, with RHP Nick Burdi, RHP Alex McRae, and LHP Brandon Waddell behind him.

Jordan will try to match Nick's outing (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Yesterday's Game: The Bucs parlayed a walk, three singles, a stolen base and productive out to get a quick 2-0 first-inning jump on Boston. A couple of walks, a couple of pop singles even with some ooops baserunning resulted in another run in the third. Nick Kingham went nine up, nine down before the BoSox opened the fourth with back-to-back raps. A quick 6-4-3 DP and fly ended the uprising; the King did well against a regular-season Boston lineup. The Red Sox got on the board in the fifth against Kyle Crick; he escaped a bopped batter and two walks with just a run thanks to a timely DP ball. A walk again bit Boston when Alfredo Reye's two-out knock got the run back, scoring Arden Pabst. Pittsburgh created some breathing room in the eighth with a RBI double by Ke'Bryan Hayes and a Will Craig sac fly, making the final count 6-1.

It was nice to see Nick Kingham tossing strong (4 IP, 0 runs, two hits, three K's, no walks) with the five guys following Crick winging hitless ball for 4-1/3 frames, the Kevin's teaming up for a couple of nice DPs, and the Pirates being patient and effective at the dish. Of course, they left 14 runners aboard and lost a couple of guys on the basepaths via the TOOTBLAN route (pop-fly DP, pick-off), so there's that. But all in all, it was a good day against a good club.

Notes:

• 1B Steve Pearce, LHP Dan Runzler and RHP Colten Brewer played against their old organization.
• A couple of AWOL's explained: RHP Brandon Maurer has a knee issue and has been shut down for the past 10 days; he'll need to do some rehab when cleared. IF Nick Franklin has hammy tightness; he hasn't played all spring, and while doing "baseball activities," he isn't ready for game action yet.
• Cole Tucker is both a good clubhouse dude and a player who expects to succeed, per Kevin Gorman of the Trib. 
• Kevin Creagh of The Point of Pittsburgh points out the lack of impact players drafted during the Neal Huntington era.
• Like to hang out w/a few thousand folk who share an interest? Here's the list of Pirates theme nights at PNC Park, from Pup Nights to Pride Night, College & Cornhole Nights, Beer Passport Nights, Youth & Education Nights and all the rest...
• Katherine Acquavella of CBS Sports graded the MLB teams off seasons; the Bucs got an F.
• MLB and MLBPA are close to a handshake on 26-man rosters, with the concession that September rosters be limited to 28 players, and some other items on the table for next year's CBA, per the AP. 
• Ted Berg of USA Today has a piece on camp compensation. There is none, except for per diem money - $95/day at MLB camp, $25/day in the minor league camp. This gig economy...sheesh!