Pirates Ship Liriano, Two Prospects to Toronto For Hutchison

The Pittsburgh Pirates Rounded out their day of weeling and dealing by completing a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays that sent left-hander Francisco Liriano, Catcher Reese McGuire, and Outfielder Herold Ramirez to the Blue Jays in exchange for right hander Drew Hutchison.

The Pittsburgh Pirates capped off their trade deadline day by completing a deal that has me scratching my head. I liked the pick up of Ivan Nova from the Yankees and I understood the trade for Antonio Bastardo, but this trade just leaves me wondering what in the world Neil Huntington was thinking. The Pirates currently sit in the middle of the pack in the National League just four games out of the wild card race. So, your not really looking to buy big and your also not trying to sell out the team. This move, however, puzzled me greatly.

The Pirates sent left handed starting pitcher Francisco Liriano, Double A outfielder Herold Ramirez, and Double A catcher Reese McGuire to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for right handed starting pitcher Drew Hutchison. Liriano had struggled his last time out against the Milwaukee Brewers and the change of scenery might help him get back on track.

Drew Hutchison only played three games with the Toronto Blue Jays this season where he had a record of 1-0 and a 4.97 ERA in two starts and three games total for the Blue Jays. He struck out 12 and walked four batters through 12.2 innings pitched this season. The 15th round pick of the Blue Jays in 2009 has pitched a total of four seasons in the big leagues and to this point has had little success.

His career was highlighted by a 2015 campaign that saw him go 13-5 with a 5.57 ERA in 30 games, 28 starts, for the Blue Jays while while striking out 129 and walking 44 in 150.1 innings of work. He has spent two full years as part of the Blue Jays rotation back in the 2015 and 2014 campaigns and has a career record of 30-21 with a 4.92 ERA.

With Huctchison, you get a young right handed pitcher who is under team control for several years and could develop into a good starting pitcher for the Pirates. Hutchison only appeared in three games for the Blue Jays this season and was optioned down to Triple A earlier in the year where he posted a record of 6-5 with a 3.25 ERA.

With Hutchison one thing that worries me is his high ERA. Over the course of his four year MLB career he has never had an ERA below 4.48 and that was back in the 2014 season. If he wants to be successful at the major league level, he is going to have to work on lowering that ERA. We have talked about it time and time again the Pirates love reclamation projects in terms of pitching. Ray Searage, one of the best pitching coaches in all of major league baseball, will have his work cut out for him as he tries to bring Hutchison to an elite level.

If you're going to look at positives in terms of Hutchison, the big one is he is still young and developing. At age 26 he is still under team control for the next four seasons by the Pirates and if he stays in Triple A until August 30th they will have another year of control for Hutchison. The young right hander will go down to Triple A and have time to develop before coming up to the Pirates in September with the September call-ups.

I wouldn't have as much of a problem with this deal if the Pirates had not given up so much to get Hutchison. Liriano was struggling so that part of it didnt bother me as much. Liriano had a record of 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA striking out 116 and walking 69 in 113.2 innings pitched for the Pirates this season.

Liriano's walk numbers were up this season and he looked really bad in yesterday's start against the Milwaukee Brewers where he only went 5.0 innings in the game giving up four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out seven. Liriano had some bright spots throughout the course of the season but has not been the Liriano he was in the 2014/2015 campaigns for the Pirates. He is signed through 2017 with the Blue Jays and will be a free agent in the 2018 season.

If the trade stopped there it would have been a great move for the Pirates, however, the Pirates gave up two other players both in their top 10 prospect list when they gave up their number nine ranked prospect in outfielder Herold Ramirez and their number eight rated prospect catcher Reese McGuire. Both were going to be staples in the Pittsburgh Pirates future.

Ramirez was currently in double A with the Pirates where he was hitting .299 in double A with two home runs and 49 RBI. Ramirez was the top prospect outfielder in the Pirates organization and was two  years away from time in the major leagues. Reese McGuire was in double A as well and was hitting .259 with one home runs and 37 RBI on the season.

This deal is one that I dont really like at all. I was good when I heard it was Hutchison for Liriano, but when I head that McGurie and Ramirez were involved that is when I got frustrated. They gave up two of their top pieces for the future for a guy who has not had any proven success in the major leagues. This deal opened up some salary room for the Pirates that will hopefully be used in the off-season to grab a bigger piece.

Only time will tell if Hutchison ever pans out for the Pirates and hopefully for their sake he will. The Pirates projected rotation now looks like this:

Gerrit Cole

Ivan Nova

Jameson Taillon

Juan Nicasio

Jeff Locke

With Nova due to be a free agent after 2017, Hutchison could be the replacement option for Nova if he walks in free agency. This move has me scratching my head now but only time will tell whether or not this deal will work in the Pirates favor. We will just have to trust in Neil Huntington and hope his plan works out for the best. 

Pirates Win 6th Straight In 5-1 Win Over Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates end the month of April on a hot streak winning their sixth straight game as they defeated the Cincinnati Reds last night by a score of 5-1. Francisco Liriano threw 6.2 strong innings and John Jaso hit his first Pirates home run in the victory.

The Pittsburgh Pirates continued their recent tear last night as they won their sixth straight game defeating the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 5-1. The two teams were forced to play between the rain drops, as showers rained down on Pittsburgh for most of the game, but that did not stop Francisco Liriano and this potent Pirates offense.

Liriano turned in his longest outing of the season going 6.2 innings giving up one run on five hits while striking out six batters. This was a bounce back start for Liriano as he has struggled his last few times out. Today, he returned to his normal form and was getting a lot of swings and misses on the night leading to his success.

Last time Liriano pitched was in the crazy 12-10 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In that game, Liriano had some control issues and could not keep the ball in the ball park as he walked three Diamondbacks and allowed two home runs in the contest. Yesterday, he was very efficient and kept the ball in the ball park. The key was, that his slider was effective last night, and when Liriano's slider is on he is one of the toughest pitchers to face in all of major league baseball.

The Pirates struck first in the contest and got the game going with a bang. The first pitch by Reds starter Alfredo Simon was sent over the wall for a solo shot by John Jaso to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. Jaso has been an on base machine for the Pirates this season and has done a very good job at working the count. However, tonight he saw a first pitch that he could handle and put it over the wall for his first Buccos home run.

Reds starter Alfredo Simon had a rough time against this Pirates offense. While he kept the Pirates scoreless after the Jaso home run and through the fourth inning, he struggled giving up four walks and three hits through those innings. Simon baffled the Pirates in his first outing against them in Cincinnati and today the tables turned on the right hander.

The Reds scored their only run of the game in the top of inning number five. Liriano got the first two outs of the inning fairly quickly before allowing a single to Billy Hamilton with two outs. Zack Cozart made Liriano pay for the hit by lining a double into left field to score Hamilton and tie the game at one

The Pirates responded by adding two more in the fifth inning delivering the final blow to Simon's night. After a David Freese single and a Starling Marte hit by pitch, the Pirates had runners at first and second with nobody out. Then, Francisco Cervelli stepped up and delivered an RBI single into center field to score Freese and give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. The Pirates would add one more run in the inning as a ground out by Gregory Polanco moved runners to second and third and a sacrifice fly by Josh Harrison gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead.

The bullpen was very effective on the night and, because of the good start by Liriano, didnt have to do a lot of work. Neftali Feliz came in to relieve Liriano in the seventh inning and got the only man he faced out. Then Tony Watson pitched a scoreless eighth while walking a batter and striking out two men.

The Pirates got some much needed insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Matt Joyce started the inning off with a pinch-hit single setting the Pirates up with the leadoff man on base. Then Sean Rodriguez hit his fourth Pirates home run of the year, a two-run shot over the left field wall, to give the Pirates a commanding 5-1 lead. Rodriguez now leads the Pirates in home runs and has tied his home run total from a year ago.

AJ Schugel came in to start the ninth And after a ground out, a walk a force out, and a single the Reds had runners on first and second with two outs bringing the tying run to the plate and creating a save situation. With that in mind, manager Clint Hurdle called on his closer Mark Melancon to get the final out of the game. He did so effectively as he got Zack Cozart to strike out to end the ball game and collect his seventh save of the season.

With the win the Pirates have now won six straight games to end the month of April and sit at 15-9 on the young season, and currently sit in second place behind the 17-5 Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. After being swept in Cincinnati last time they faced the Reds, the Pirates have a chance to sweep the Reds in the final game of this three game series this afternoon at PNC Park.

The third game of this three game series will be played this afternoon at PNC Park. For the Reds right hander Tim Adleman will be making his major league debut as he steps in for the injured Rasiel Iglesias. The Pirates will counter with Jeff Locke (1-2 5.03) who is coming off his best start of the season going 6.0 shut out innings against the Colorado Rockies. First pitch for this afternoons game is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.

Pirates Win Wild Extra Inning Game Against Diamondbacks

The Pittsburgh Pirates won a wild affair in which 42 players saw action and the Pirates won 12-10. Starting pitcher Francisco Liriano was sharp, but the bullpen blew two save opportunities before the Pirates came back to win.

The one word I would use to describe the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-10 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks today is "wild." The Pirates and Diamondbacks combined to use 42 players in the contest and every position player from each team was used. At the end of the game, there was even a pitcher playing the field for the Diamondbacks.

Both offenses had great days going back and forth all afternoon. The Pirates collected 12 runs on 20 hits while the Diamondbacks collected 10 runs on 15 hits. The Defense in the field was very good as well with only two errors being committed, both by the Diamondbacks. However, on the mound for both teams was a different story.

The Pirates and Diamondbacks combined to have 15 pitchers work in the game and gave up a combined 35 hits. On the Pirates side, the home run ball was a problem as the Diamondbacks had four home runs on the day, two of which coming from first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The offense was abundant and the pitching left little to be desired on the afternoon.

Francisco Liriano started the game for the Pirates and was shaky at first, but sharpened up by the end of the game. In total, he threw 6.0 innings giving up four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out six. Early on, Liriano had trouble with his command and allowed a lot of base runners. However, as it got later in the game, Liriano found his command and was able to keep the Diamondbacks offense at bay.

The scoring started way back in the first inning when a two-out solo home run by Goldschmidt gave the Diamondbacks an early 1-0 lead. The ball just got over outfielder Gregory Polanco's out stretched glove and was Goldschmidt's fourth of the year. The Diamondbacks scored their first five runs via the home run ball and added one late that was a big play in the game.

The Pirates responded in the top of the third inning as David Freese led off with a double followed by a Starling Marte single. Then Jason Rogers produced his first hit as a Pirate, a two-run triple that put the Pirates ahead 2-1 in the early going. Sean Rodriguez would follow that up with an RBI single of his own to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the third.

This is where the back and forth started as the Pirates lead did not last for long. With two outs, a walk to Goldschmidt followed by a single to left by Yasmany Tomas gave the Diamondbacks first and third with two outs. Then Wellington Castillo hit a three-run home run to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead.

The Pirates punched back in the top of the fourth throwing a five spot on the Diamondbacks to take the lead. After singles by Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen and a walk to David Freese loaded the bases for the Pirates, Marte hit a single to move everyone up 90 feet and tie the game at four. Then John Jaso grounded into a fielder's choice, but a throwing error by Goldschmidt gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead. The Pirates would wrap up the scoring with RBI singles by both Gregory Polanco and Chris Stewart to take an 8-4 lead.

Then both offenses quieted down for the only time on the night. Liriano settled down for the Pirates and Randall Delgado and Andrew Chafin held down the fort out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks. The middle of the Diamondbacks bullpen pitched very well on the afternoon keeping the Pirates scoreless from the fourth inning all the way to the twelfth inning. During that time period four pitchers combined to keep the Pirates off the board over 7.0 innings of work.

The Diamondbacks tied the game on two late home runs by Tomas and Goldschmidt. Tomas's solo shot came off of Tony Watson in the eighth to cut the deficit to 8-5. An RBI triple by Chris Owings made the score 8-6 Pirates going into the ninth inning. This gave closer Mark Melancon a two-run lead to work with in a save situation. He got the first out fairly quickly but a single by Brandon Drury set up Goldschmidt for the game tying shot and sent the game into extra innings all tied up at eight.

The game almost ended in the tenth inning when the Diamondbacks had a runner at third with one out. However, a heads up play by Rodriguez cut the winning run at the plate and kept the game tied as the Pirates went into the eleventh inning of play. Each team was held scoreless in the eleventh until the Pirates finally broke through in inning number 12.

Francisco Cervelli lead off the inning with a pinch hit single and Mercer sacrificed him over to second base with just one out. Then a David Freese two out double drove in Cervelli and gave the Pirates a 9-8 lead. The Pirates would score another run in the inning on an RBI single by Starling Marte, who was thrown out trying to advance to second, giving the Pirates a 10-8 lead going into the bottom of the twelfth.

Neftali Feliz came into pitch the twelfth looking for his first save of the season after Melancon blew one in the ninth inning. However, Feliz was ineffective as a lead-off walk to Jake Lamb and a pinch-hit single by Zack Grienke set the Diamondbacks up with first and second and nobody out. Then David Peralta doubled to center field to drive in Lamb and cut the deficit to 10-9. Jean Segura would follow that up with an RBI single to tie the game at 10 and give the Pirates their second blown save of the night.

The inning also left the Diamondbacks with a dilemma, they had used all of their position players and short stop Nick Ahmed was thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes. So, the Diamondbacks were forced to play starting pitcher Shelby Miller in the field as a result of Ahmed's ejection, and this would play a vital role in the Pirates late comeback.

In the top of the thirteenth, the Pirates offense responded again as they did in the twelfth. The scoring got started very quickly as Josh Harrison lead off the inning with a double, and was followed up by an RBI double by Rodriguez to give the Pirates an 11-10 lead. Then after a ground-out and an intentional walk puts runners at first and third the Pirates are forced to pinch hit with starting pitcher Jon Niese. After a nine pitch at-bat, Niese singled to left field in front of Miller to give the Pirates a 12-10 lead.

The score would stay there going into the bottom of the thirteenth as the Pirates had their third save opportunity of the night. This time it was Arquimedes Caminero with the task of saving the game for the Pirates, He was finally able to retire the Diamondbacks pitching a scoreless inning giving up one hit and striking out two while collecting his first save of the season.

In total, the Pirates used 20 of their 25-man roster and all of their position players. Every position player but Matt Joyce collected a hit in the game and five of those were multi-hit efforts. On the pitching side, the only available pitcher that were not used in the game were AJ Schugel and Rob Scahill. 

The Pirates will have a quick turn around as they start a four game series against the Colorado Rockies tomorrow night. The Pirates will send Jeff Locke (0-2 7.24) to the mound asking him to go deep into this ball game. He will be opposed by Chad Bettis (2-0 3.33) for the Rockies. First pitch from Coors Field is scheduled for 8:40 p.m.

Liriano Shines as Pirates Down Cardinals on Opening Day

Francisco Liriano threw six shout out innings and got an RBI single as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Opening Day.

Francisco Liriano shined on the mound for the Pirates for his first start of the season. After a rough spring, Liriano showed glimpses of greatness on the mound today. He threw 6.0 shut out innings giving up three hits while walking five and striking out 10. Although he was caught up in a couple tight spots, he managed to keep the Cardinals off the board and keep the Pirates in the lead.

Liriano had his strikeout pitch working this afternoon especially early on. Between the second and third inning he accumulated five strikeouts in a row by striking out the side in the second and striking the first two batters out in the third. Liriano got batters to swing on many pitches that were outside of the strike zone.

With his 10 strikeouts on the day, Liriano became only the second active major league pitcher to strikeout 10 plus batters in multiple opening day starts, joining Felix Hernandez from the Seattle Mariners. Liriano lead the Pirates in strikeouts last season and is looking to do so again in 2016. When his slider is on, he is one of the nastiest pitchers in baseball. However, when he is having trouble locating it, it can be a long day for the Pirates.

Liriano also proved he can handle the bat. He drove in the first run of the major league season when he hit an RBI single to right field in the second inning that scored Gregory Polanco. Last season, Liriano had a decent average for a pitcher hitting .169 with one home run and seven RBI. While he will never win a silver slugger, it is nice to see him get the bat going early on this season.

The scoring continued as John Jaso followed Liriano's RBI single with one of his own as Jordy Mercer scored and the Pirates took a 2-0 lead. Jaso was the lead off hitter for the Pirates and finished the day going 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Jaso signed a two year deal with Pittsburgh over the off-season and will serve as the teams first baseman throughout the 2016 season.

We could see a platoon as the season goes on with Jaso and David Freese, but for the time being, with Jung Ho Kang on the disabled list, it will be Jaso starting full-time at the position. Jaso has always been known for his ability to get on base. Last season, he had an on-base percentage of .380. His ability to get on base is the reason he will be batting lead-off for the Pirates throughout the course of the 2016 season.

The Pirates tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth when Francisco Cirvelli lead off with a triple. Cirvelli scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Harrison that extended the Pirates lead to 3-0. Harrison finished the day 0 for 2 with that RBI. Cirvelli, on the other hand, had a very successful day at the plate going 2 for 3 with a triple, a run scored, and a walk.

Cirvelli broke out for the Pirates last season setting a career high in both batting average and RBI. In his second year with Pittsburgh, Cirvelli looks to again lead this pitching staff and this team from behind the plate. Cirvelli has proven to be one of the best catchers in all of major league baseball, and looks to continue that trend in 2016.

The back-end of the bullpen was tested right away on opening day as Tony Watson pitched the seventh inning and Neftali Feliz pitched the eighth. Both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings and were very effective on the mound. Watson struck out one in his inning and Feliz struck out two. Both Feliz and Watson will be instrumental to the Pirates success in 2016. If they can be effective, it gives manager Clint Hurdle the option to rest his closer if he needs to and still have a reliable person to replace him.

The Pirates capped their scoring in the eighth when Jordy Mercer hit a two-out RBI double to right center to score Gregory Polanco and give the Pirates a 4-0 lead. Mercer finished the day 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk. Mercer had a decent spring training with the bat hitting .275 with one home run and two RBI. Mercer has traditionally been a slow starter, but he looks to turn things around in 2016 and become a productive hitter in the Pirates lineup.

Mark Melancon came into close the game and was a little shaky. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out one in his 1.0 inning of work. The Cardinals Matt Carpenter hit an RBI single to right field that scored Yadier Molina. Melancon had trouble locating pitches today and had to throw a lot of pitches. However, it is only game one and there is no reason to throw up the red flag on Melancon just yet. He set a club record in saves last year for the Pirates and looks to be just as effective this season.

Gregory Polanco and David Freese also had good days each going 2 for 3. Polanco scored two of the four Pirates runs today and was hitting the ball well. Freese hit two singles in his Pirates debut and made a plethora of great defensive plays to help the Pirates in the victory today. Freese has a track record of being a clutch hitter and it helped the Pirates in their game today.

For Pittsburgh, today was their third straight opening day win as they beat the Detroit Tigers last season 5-4 and the Chicago Cubs the year before that 1-0. The Pirates made the playoffs in each of those seasons and look to continue the trend in 2016. The Pirates have a good team and I have no doubt that they will continue that success this season.

The Pirates and Cardinals have an off day tomorrow and will return to action on Tuesday night. The Cardinals will send 24-year old right-hander Michael Wacha to the mound. Wacha finished last season with a record of 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA. The Pirates will counter with left-hander Jonathan Niese. Niese will be making his Pirates debut after coming over in the trade that sent Neil Walker to the New York Mets. First pitch is schedule for 7:05 p.m. at PNC Park.

Liriano Homers but Pirates Cant Come Through Against the Braves

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.