Francisco Liriano hit a home run but struggled on the mound today as the Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Atlanta Braves 7-3 in the home half of split squad action.
The Pittsburgh Pirates squad was split this afternoon as they took on both the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins. In the home half, the Pirates fell to the Braves by a score of 7-3. Francisco Liriano started the game for the Pirates and struggled on the mound in his third outing of the spring. Performance is not the most important thing in spring training however. It is important that Liriano gets in his work and throws the necessary pitches that he needs to.
Liriano threw 3.2 innings today giving up four runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out five. Liriano has been named the Pirates opening day starter and is looking to get ready for the season. His slider has been his out pith throughout his career and it has led to a couple of productive seasons for the Pirates.
Liriano finished last season going 12-7 with a 3.38 ERA. He led the team in strikeouts and was one of Pittsburgh's more consistent starters. When he takes the mound, you know that the Pirates will be in the game. His strikeout ability is an intriguing ability for the Pirates and it is good to see that ability coming back with the five strikeouts today.
Up next Daniel Bard came into the game and struggled even more. He did not get any batter out while giving up three runs on three hits while walking two batters. Bard has had a solid spring up to this point, but everything seemed to snow ball on him this afternoon. These were the first runs he has given up this spring and his development will continue as the season goes on.
Jorge Rondon came in to clean up Bard's mess and ended up throwing a good game. He pitched 2.1 innings only giving up one hit while walking two and striking out one. Rondon, a non-roster invitee, came over from Baltimore in the offseason and is having a good spring up to this point. He has pitched in seven games while striking out six batters in 9.0 innings of work.The righty will more than likely start the year with Triple A Indianapolis and will be used as insurance help in the bullpen.
Eric O'Flaherty continued his fight for a bullpen spot next as he threw 2.0 innings allowing two hits and striking out four batters. O'Flaherty has pitched well this spring despite a few hiccups early on as he has a 2.25 ERA. Trying to return to form after a down year, O'Flaherty is trying to return as one of the elite relievers in the game. If he can come back to form, the Pirates bullpen will definitely be a strong point for this team.
Trey Haley finished out the game on the mound for the Pirates as he threw 1.0 inning giving up one hit in the ninth. Haley is still currently on the active roster, but has had his struggles this spring as he sports an 8.10 ERA. Last season combined between Double A and Triple A Haley was 4-4 with a 2.45 ERA. Another great bullpen relief option, Haley will be throwing in Triple A for the Pirates this season and will be used as reinforcements.
The overall performance on the mound was ok in this game. Liriano and Bard struggled, but the back-end guys pitched really well. I am not too worried about Liriano, as he will come around and be ready for opening day on April 3rd. The good thing is that he got in his necessary work and he got the five strikeouts in the game. O'Flaherty continued his positive spring as he continues to fight for a spot in the Pittsburgh bullpen.
On the offensive side, the Pirates did not get much done as they only scored three runs on 10 hits on the afternoon and left 19 men on base. This is a stat the Pirates need to improve upon before the season begins. With a lack of power this year, it becomes more and more important that the Pirates score any runner that reaches base. It is a skill that will be worked on as the season progresses for the Pirates.
Jordy Mercer was the star offensively today for the Pirates as he went 2 for 3 with a single and a double on the afternoon. Mercer is generally a slow starter to the season and it has plagued him for the last couple years with the Pirates. However, this year, Mercer is hot out of spring as he is hitting .303 (10 for 33) with one home run and one RBI.
Mercer is known more for his defense than anything else. He has a career .979 fielding percentage at the short stop position commiting only 31 errors in 2,907 innings at the position. If he can add offense to his game he will be a more complete player and can contribute on a regular basis to this Pirates offense.
For the younger players, Erich Weiss had a good day going 1 for 2 with one RBI on the afternoon. The young second baseman played in his first spring training game this afternoon and performed well. Weiss transitioned between Single A and Double A hitting .277 with three home runs and 63 RBI. For Weiss, the key was getting his feet wet in the major leagues and can use today's experience to help him in his development at the Double A level.
The glaring issue for the offense today was the number of people left on base. 19 is a large number and that includes many missed opportunities. These opportunities need to be capitalized on as the season advances if the Pirates want to win a lot of games in 2016. The home run ball will not be the big blow in the Pirates offense, rather it will be the RBI double.
Up next, the Pirates come back together as a full squad at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida. They will face of against the Baltimore Orioles who will send Miguel Gonzalez (1-3 14.90) to the mound. The Pirates will counter with lefty Jeff Locke (0-3 7.07). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
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