Minor League Roundup: Curve Loose, Marauders win, Indianapolis Postponed

While the Pittsburgh Pirates were not in action yesterday, it was opening day for three of their top minor league affiliates. We saw every possible outcome of a baseball game including a postponement of the Triple A Indianapolis game.

While the current Pirates had the day off yesterday, the future Pirates were just getting there seasons rolling. It was opening day for Triple A Indianapolis, Double A Altoona, and Single A Bradenton. Across the Pirates minor league system, we saw every possible outcome of a baseball game. These future stars of the Pirates are looking to develop and mature throughout the season.

The Indianapolis Indians got the short end of the stick when there game against the Columbus Clippers, the Cleveland Indians Triple A squad, was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up today as the Indians look to start there season out strong. The Indians will pitch Trevor Williams, who had a lot of good work in Pirates spring training, while the Clippers will counter with TJ House.

The Altoona Curve got their game in against the Harrisburg Senators, the Washington Nationals Double A squad, but loss by the final score of 10-6. It was an offensive night for the Curve as only one of the regular position players did not get a hit. However, the bullpen couldn't hold Harrisburg back as they came from behind for the victory.

Jason Creasy started the game for the Cruve and went 6.0 innings giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits while walking two and striking out one. Creasy pitched well for the Curve last season going 12-8 with a 4.41 ERA in 27 games pitched. Control has been a bit of a problem for him throughout his minor league career, but he still has time to develop in the minor leagues before we see him in a Pirates uniform.

Creasy was followed by four relief pitchers, each of which had there struggles on the night. John Kuchno, who suffered the loss, pitched 1.0 inning giving up two runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two. He was followed by Dovydus Neverauskas, who couldn't get through an inning giving up four runs, two earned, on three hits while walking a batter.

This is Neverauskas's first year in Double A. The Lithuania native has shown some promise in his minor league career. In a combined 31 games last season between Single A short season and Single A full season he went 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA. Neverauskas is a guy who could come up in a couple years and help the Pirates bullpen. For now, it is his time to develop in Double A Altoona to become a better pitcher.

Josh Smith and Brett McKinney finished out the game by each pitching an inning of work. Smith through a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth while McKinney gave up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out a batter. Overall, it was a pretty rough night for the pitching and it showed on the score board.

On the offensive side, however, there was no lack of run support. Seven of the eight position players in the lineup got hits on the day, including two multi-hit games. In total, the offense combined for six runs on 10 hits. The big stat of the night was the fact that they struck out a total of 10 times at the plate in 34 at bats.

Second Baseman Erich Weiss had the best offensive day going 3 for 5 with an RBI. Weiss is in his second season with Altoona making his Double A debut a year ago. Last season in 31 games with Altoona Weiss hit .250 with no home runs and 14 RBI. Weiss has been a pretty consistent hitter throughout his professional career with an average that has stayed consistently between .270 and .280.

In Single A action, The Bradenton Marauders defeated the Fort Myers Miracle, the Single A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, by a final score of 3-1. Unlike the Double A contest, there was not much offense to go around and the pitching held the Miracle at bay. On the offensive side, the Marauders only collected seven hits on the day.

Alex McRae started the game for the Marauders and threw 5.0 innings giving up no runs on four hits while walking three and striking out four. McRae is in his first year with the Marauders after spending last season with the West Virginia Black Bears. In total he went 8-9 with a 4.98 ERA striking out 90 and walking 33 in 137.1 innings pitched.

The bullpen came in next and was just as sharp. Edgar Santana was next as he threw 2.0 perfect innings of work striking out two batters. Sam Street followed him and threw 1.0 inning giving up one run, no earned, on one hit while striking out a man. Nick Neuman came in to finish the game throwing a perfect ninth inning and collecting his first save of the young season.

On the offensive side, there was not much offense to go around. The Marauders scored all three of there runs in the first inning and were shut out the rest of the way. The Marauders combined to get seven hits, three of which were extra base hits. The offense did just enough to win, however, and the Marauders start the season out 1-0.

The offensive star of the day was Jordan Luplow who went 2 for 4 driving in all three runs on the afternoon himself being one of them. His big hit was a three-run home run in inning number one that put the Marauders ahead for good. Luplow is also in his first year for the Marauders after playing for West Virginia last season.

Last year for West Virginia, Luplow hit .264 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. Luplow has shown success at the low levels htting .264 and .277 in his first two years in the Pirates minor league system. He was drafted in the third round of the 2014 first year player draft, the third baseman has shown sparks of power throughout his career with 18 home runs in 168 games in the organization.

Overall, it was a successful day for the Pirates minor league system as many players shined in both games that were played. Offense ruled the day on the Double A side while pitching was the dominant factor in the Single A game. The future of the Pirates looks bright as these players continue to develop and get ready for their shots at the major league level.

As for the major league club, they are back in action tonight as they take on the Cincinnati Reds at 7:10 p.m. The pitching matchup will feature Alfredo Simon making his season debut, taking on Francisco Liriano (1-0 0.00). Liriano is coming off of a terrific opening day start where he struck out 10 batters in 6.0 innings pitched.

Pirates Offense Locked and Loaded To Start the Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates outscored the St. Louis Cardinals in the first series of the 2016 season by a score of 15-7. Even with the loss of power this season, the offense is still clicking on all cylinders and scoring runs allowing the Pirates to win ball games early on.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been graced with some good pitching performances to start out the season. Juan Nicasio and Francisco Liriano each threw 6.0 innings while holding the St. Louis Cardinals at bay, and the bullpen came in and pitched fantastic after a rough outing in the Pirate debut of Jonathan Niese.

However, these pitchers have all had some support behind them to start the season. The Pirates scored a combined 15 runs in their three game sweep of the Cardinals and for the most pat played with the lead. The only time they were down was in game 2 against the Cardinals when Jed Gyorko hit a two run home run to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.

With the losses of Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez, many expected the Pirates offense to suffer this season. At least early on, that has not been the case as the Pirates have been able to string together hits and score runs in bunches. All of these runs have been coming with a very conventional lineup by today's standards lead by Jon Jaso who only has 15 career stolen bases in nine years in the MLB. 

Jaso has been key at the top of the lineup for the Pirates. In the series against the Cardinals, he went 3 for 12 with an RBI a triple and two runs scored. Jaso has been known for having a high on-base percentage and working the count throughout his career. So far as a Pirate, he has been having success at the top of the lineup and looks to continue as the season progresses.

He got a hit in each game, two of which coming in key situations. While the .250 average to start the season does not look all that impressive, Jaso has contributed a lot to this team in the short time that he has been a Pirate. Since becoming a full-time major league player, Jaso has never had an OBP under .337. If he can continue this during his time as a Pirate, many good things will come for the Pirates out of the lead-off position.

Andrew McCutchen also had a good series for the Pirates going 5 for 11 with an RBI, two walks, and a run scored. McCutchen will be looked upon to lead this team from an offensive stand-point in 2016. He has won the silver slugger award in each of the last four season and is currently a five-time all star. He is batting in the second spot in the order for the first time in his career and is getting on base to set-up the three and four hitters in the lineup.

As expected, one thing we have not seen from the Pirates yet in 2016 is the home run ball. The closest the Pirates came was last night when both Jaso and Sean Rodriguez hit balls that missed home runs by mere inches. However, a high number of home runs does not necessarily translate into a winning team. According to Forbes magazine, no team that has won the regular season home run title has won the World Series.

Pittsburgh ranked 23rd in the league last year with 140 home runs and still won 98 games and finished second in the National League Central. Home runs are not everything over the course of a major league season. As long as the Pirates continue to hit the gaps and drive in runs on a consistent basis, they will be just fine in 2016.

There have been a couple of surprise faces on the offensive leaderboards early in the season. Gregory Polanco and Francisco Cirvelli have really stepped up at the plate and given the Pirates the run production they have needed. Both players delivered big hits in key situations and helped the Pirates sweep the Cardinals.

Polanco, who just signed a five-year $35 million extension with the club, went 3 for 7 in the series with five walks, three RBI, and four runs scored. Polanco's move to the middle of the order seems to be really helping him this season. Polanco's plate discipline has greatly improved from last season to this season. In total last season he walked 55 times in 120 games played. He already has five walks in three games and drew a big bases loaded walk yesterday after taking a pitch that was just off the outside corner.

Moving to the number six spot in the lineup will allow Polanco more opportunities to drive in runs and contribute in big situations. Polanco looks like a totally different player at the plate in 2016 and it bodes well for the Pirates future. Polanco is currently second on the team with a .429 average and looks to continue his hot streak into Cincinnati this weekend.

Another player who has come through big for Pittsburgh is catcher Francisco Cirvelli. Cirvelli went 4 for 11 against the red birds with two walks, a triple, three RBI, and two runs scored. This included a big two-run double in yesterdays contest that scored David Freese and Starling Marte putting the Pirates ahead 4-1. Cirvelli is another guy who looks locked in at the plate right now with no signs of slowing down.

Cirvelli had a break out year last season with career highs in both average and RBI. The key for Cirvelli will be staying healthy all season. Last season was the first year that Cirvelli caught more than 100 games in a season. If he can continue to stay healthy for Pittsburgh, there is no doubt in my mind that he will once again be a key contributor for this team.

These players alone are not the only contributors to the Pirates early season success. Currently Marte is the only position player hitting below .250. Jordy Mercer came through with the big walk off single on Tuesday night, Josh Harrison has two RBI and has been a productive out at the plate, and David Freese has two multi-hit games in his first three with the Pirates and posseses a .357 batting average. The current offense is firing on all cylinders.

There are no easy outs in this 2016 Pirates lineup. While the threat of the home run is not there as in years past, there is no one person in the lineup that you can look at and say "That's an easy out." Each player poses their own challenges to opposing pitchers. The Pirates can hurt you in a lot of ways with their speed and defense, but do not count out their offensive abilities either. 

The offense will look to continue its hot streak tomorrow in Cincinnati when the Pirates face off against the Reds. They will look to right the ship this year against the Reds as they were a combined 6-11 against them last season. The Reds will have Alfredo Simon on the mound as he makes his season debut. The Pirates will counter with Francisco Liriano (1-0 0.00) as he come off of an Opening Day start in which he struck out 10 Cardinals in a 4-1 Pirates victory. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Cirvelli Breaks Things Open as Pirates Sweep Cardinals

Francisco Cirvelli hit a big two-run double that put the Pirates ahead for good in their 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Juan Nicasio built off his great spring training throwing 6.0 innings of one run baseball in his Pittsburgh Pirates debut.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting the season 3-0 for the first time since 2007 as they swept the St. Louis Cardinals today defeating them by a score of 5-1. The offense continued its hot streak to start the season scoring five runs on the night. That was backed by a great start by Juan Nicasio and all-in all it lead to another Pirates victory.

Nicasio continued what was a stellar spring training into the regular season as he made his Pirates debut tonight throwing 6.0 innings giving up one run on two hits while striking out seven batters. Nicasio used the corners effectively throughout tonight's start and was able to strike out batters at a high rate.

Nicasio has never been known as a strikeout pitcher throughout his career. His career high in strikeouts sits at 119 in 157.2 innings pitched. This season, however, he has already started the year striking out seven batters in 6.0 innings of work. Nicasio has some good stuff on the mound and it showed in tonight's start.

Nicasio only allowed two base runners on the night on hits by Yadier Molina and Kolton Wang. He was able to keep his pitches on the corners and not throw anything in the hitting zone for the Cardinals to capitalize on. He struggled pitching in the very hitter friendly Coors Field, but the move to PNC Park will be beneficial for the right hander.

The Pirates wasted no time getting on Mike Leake. They started the game by loading the bases with two hits after singles by Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte and a walk by Francisco Cirvelli. That brought up Gregory Polanco who drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to bring in the first run of the ball game and give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Leake and Nicasio were both very good the next couple of innings. Leake walked a couple of Pirates batters, but Pittsburgh couldnt bring these runs home. Meanwhile, Nicasio continued his great work retiring the side in order twice between innings number two and four. Nicasio finished up his six innings of work with only a solo home run by Jeremy Hazlebaker to tarnish his day.

The Pirates got back to work in inning number five. It started with Jon Jaso hitting one off of the top of the right field wall for a triple. A throwing error by Wang allowed Jaso to score and gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead. The biggest hit for the Pirates followed as after singles by David Freese and Starling Marte, Francisco Cirvelli stepped up and hit a two-run RBI double to put the Pirates ahead 4-0.

The Pirates would add another run in the sixth inning as Sean Rodriguez hit an RBI double in his first at-bat of the year scoring Jordy Mercer and giving the Pirates a 5-0 lead. The Pirates scored a total of 15 runs in the three games and are a far cry from where they were a year ago when they got swept in the opening series and started the year out 0-3.

The bullpen took over in inning number seven as Arquimedes Caminero came on for his second appearance in 2016. He did rather well pitching 1.2 innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out two. Caminero got into a little trouble in the bottom of the eighth, so Tony Watson was called upon to get the final out of the eighth by getting Matt Carpenter to ground out to second base to end the inning.

In the ninth, Cory Luebke made his first appearance in a major league game since the 2012 season and all things considered pitched pretty well. He threw 0.2 inning giving up one hit and a walk while striking out one batter. Luebke made the Pirates roster as the final lefty and is looking to prove himself to the Pirates after dealing with elbow trouble and a staff infection that kept him out of major league baseball for the last couple of seasons.

As the game turned to a save situation, the Pirates called on the man who lead major league baseball in saves last season Mark Melancon. Melancon only had to get one out and did so successfully by getting Kolton Wang to ground out to David Freese to end the game. Melancon picked up his first save of the 2016 season in the victory.

After an off day tomorrow, the Pirates return to action on Friday as they travel to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will be pitching right hander Alfredo Simon who will be making his season debut. The Pirates will counter with Francisco Liriano (1-0 0.00). Liriano is coming off an Opening Day start against the Cardinals in which he struck out 10 batters in 6.0 innings of work. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Mercer Comes Through in 11 As Pirates Beat the Cardinals

Jordy Mercer hit a walk-off single in inning number 11 that scored Gregory Polanco giving the Pirates a 6-5 victory. Jonathan Niese struggled in his Pirates debut giving up five runs (four earned) in five innings of work.

It took 11 innings last night, but in the end, the Pirates came out on top defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 at PNC Park. Jordy Mercer hit the game winning RBI single in the 11th that scored Gregory Polanco and sent Pirates fans home happy on a chilly Tuesday evening. Jonathan Niese made his Pirates debut and struggled on the mound tonight.

In total, he threw 5.0 innings giving up five runs, four earned, on four hits while walking win one and striking out seven. Niese started out the game strong by throwing two perfect innings retiring the first six men he faced. However, the Cardinals scored two runs in inning number three and everything fell apart from there.

Niese started out the game strong striking out two of the first three batters he faced and only allowed one hit through the first two innings of play. A two-run home run by Jed Gyorko ruined the festivities, however, and Niese could never really recover. Lucky for him though, the Pirates offense came ready to play tonight and scored enough runs to come out on top.

The Pirates started the scoring in the bottom of the second when they plated two runs off of Cardinals starter Michael Wacha. Francisco Cirvelli started things off with a single and was driven in on an RBI triple from right fielder Gregory Polanco. Polanco would later score on a ground out by Josh Harrison to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

Polanco has had a hot start to the season hitting .500 (3 for 6) in the first two games of the season. He was signed to a five-year $35 million deal yesterday and is proving early on that he is worth the money. Polanco has scored two runs this season and has driven in two RBI as he looks to continue to lead this team in 2016.

The Cardinals wasted no time coming back, however, as an RBI single by Stephen Piscotty and a RBI ground out by Matt Holiday made the score 2-2 after 2.5 innings of play. Niese gave up a lot of base runners in this inning and it started what would become the downfall of Niese on the night. He never recovered after this inning and looked bad the rest of the night.

The Pirates responded again in the bottom of the third as John Jaso started the inning with a single and was driven in one batter later on an Andrew McCutchen RBI double making the score 3-2 Pittsburgh. McCutchen had a great offensive day for the Bucs going 3 for 5 on the night with an RBI and a run scored.

After not getting a hit on Opening Day against Adam Wainright, McCutchen broke through tonight and was a leader on the offensive side of the ball. Coming off of a season in which he won his fourth consecutive silver slugger award, McCutchen has been an offensive staple in the Pirates lineup throughout his career and looks to continue this season.

The Cardinals would take the lead in the top of the fourth as Gyorko hit his two-run home run that scored former Pirates Brandon Moss and gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. They would tack on another run in the top of the fifth when Holiday reached on a throwing error by Mercer that scored Piscotty and gave the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.

The offensive battle kept going in the bottom of the fifth as the Pirates loaded the bases with one out and that brought up Francisco Cirvelli. Cirvelli capitalized on a Cardinal error and reached on a force play. However, the throw by short stop Aledyms Diaz went into the outfield and allowed McCutchen to score to pull the Pirates within one. Then Polanco came up and delivered a sacrifice fly that scored David Freese and tied the game at five.

Then it was a battle of the bullpens for the next several innings as both the Cardinals and Pirates bullpens dazzled from the sixth inning on. In total the two teams combined for 12 pitchers who gave up five hits through 10 innings of work. The Pirates bullpen was able to hold off the Cardinals, However, and lead the Pirates to victory.

Arquimedes Caminero, Tony Watson, Neftali Feliz, and Mark Melancon each threw an inning of work giving up no runs on a combined two hits in four innings of work. The back end of the bullpen has proved to be a strong point for the Pirates so far in 2016. In two games the bullpen has given up only one run in ten innings of work.

Kyle Lobstein came in to the game in inning number 10 and threw 2.0 innings giving up no runs on one hit while walking one and striking out three. Lobstein was in the competition for the fifth starter spot, but lost out to both Jeff Locke and Juan Nicasio. Lobstein proved his worth last night however, picking up the win in the ll inning victory.

Then in the bottom of the inning, Jordy Mercer stepped up with runners on first and second and one out. He promptly delivred the 2-2 pitch into right field past a diving Matt Adams and it was enough to score Gregory Polanco and give the Pirates the 6-5 victory. The win improved the Pirates record to 2-0 as they take the first two games from the Cardinals.

The Pirates and Cardinals finish up there three game series tonight at PNC Park at 7:05 p.m. The Cardinals will be sending newly acquired Mike Leake to the hill. The Pirates will counter with Juan Nicasio who one the battle for the fifth starter spot out of spring training. First pitch for tonights contest is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Polanco Agrees to 5-Year Extension With Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a five year 35 million dollar contract extension with right fielder Gregory Polanco with two club options. Polanco started off the 2016 going 2 for 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Earlier today, the Pittsburgh Pirates and right fielder Gregory Polanco agreed on a five-year 35 million dollar contract extension with two club options for the 2022-23 seasons. The announcement comes one day after the Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in their home opener by a score of 4-1, winning their third straight opening day game.

Polanco had a big day in that game going 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored for the Pirates. Polanco enjoyed his first full season in the big leagues last year as he was named the starting right fielder for the Pirates. He struggled at times during the season, but for the most part played pretty well and manned the right field position effectively.

In total he hit .256 with nine home runs and 52 RBI hitting mostly out of the lead-off spot in the Pirates batting order. This season, we have seen John Jaso hitting in this spot with Polanco being placed in the middle of the order. While this is very unconventional given Polanco's speed, I feel that the move to the middle of the batting order will be a good one for Polanco as it allows him more opportunities to drive in runs.

A positive that Polanco brings to the Pirates lineup is his speed. He is a threat to run when he is on the base paths and that can reign havoc on any pitcher. As stated before, the Pirates are going to have to play small ball this year with a loss of power. Polanco's speed will allow them to do just that by stealing bases, putting on the hit and run, and advancing that extra base on a base hit.

In a very small sample size, Polanco has shown that he can be a streaky hitter at the plate. He can go from being as hot as anyone in the league to being so cold he couldnt hit a fly. If he can become a more consistent hitter at the plate, he can definitely help the Pirates grow in 2016 and contend for the National League Central title.

Last season, 32 percent of Polanco's hits fell for extra bases (50 out of 152). With Polanco's speed, a ball that lands in the gap is a very dangerous thing. Now with Polanco in the middle of the order, gap shots provide an opportunity for Polanco to drive in runs and help the Pirates win ball games. Polanco;s role on this team has changed this season from just trying to get on base to becoming a run producer. I think that Polanco can handle this new found role and it will help him in the long run become a big producer for this Pirates team.

Defensively, Polanco is a part of one of the speediest outfields in all of major league baseball with Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte rounding out the outfield. While Polanco has the speed of McCutchen and Marte, he is probably the worst out of the three from a defensive standpoint. He takes awkward paths to the baseball and it sometimes causes him to misplay balls that would otherwise be easy outs.

Last season he had a .970 fielding percentage in right field committing eight errors in 268 chances. If he can limit the errors he commits in 2016 it could mean the world to this Pirates team in their hunt for the playoffs. Their is little room for the ball to fall in the outfield with these three manning the position, and if Polanco can improve his defense it will be a big step forward for the Pirates.

One thing you cant discredit is Polanco's arm in right field. Last season he had 260 put outs from the outfield along with 13 assists. Polanco's arm is one that many base runners do not want to take a chance running on. Polanco has saved many runs for the Pirates with his arm alone, but has also cost the Pirates some runs with his poor decision making.

Overall, I really like the Polanco signing. It gives the Pirates control over a young talented outfielder for many years to come. Polanco can have time to learn and develop in the outfield and prove he has what it takes to be the Pirates everyday right fielder. Polanco gives the Pirates a speedy right fielder with the ability to become  a star player in major league baseball.

Gregory Polanco and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates return to action tomorrow when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:05 p.m. at PNC Park. The pitching match-up will be Michael Wacha for the Cardinals taking on Jonathan Niese for the Pirates, who will be making his Pittsburgh debut after being acquired in a trade from the New York Mets this off-season.

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.

Pirates Outslug Rays in Grapefruit League Finale Win

Three Pittsburgh Pirates home runs lead the way in the Pirates 13-8 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Kyle Lobstein started the game in his final spring training tune-up before the season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up their Grapefruit League schedule yesterday by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 13-8. The home run ball proved essential to the Pirates offense as they hit three on the day including a grand slam from Sean Rodriguez. Kyle Lobstein took the hill in his final tune-up of the spring and pitched pretty well.






In total, Lobstein threw two innings giving up two runs on two hits. He was in the competition for a spot in the starting rotation, but lost the battle to both Jeff Locke and Juan Nicasio. However, he was rewarded for his efforts by winning one of the last two spots in the Pirates bullpen. With Jared Hughes likely headed for the disabled list to start the season, a spot in the bullpen opened up and Lobstein took advantage of it.






Overall, Lobstein had a very successful spring with the Pirates going 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA while striking out eight and walking three in 13.0 innings of work. Lobstein did see time in the majors last season, mostly as a starting pitcher, with the Detroit Tigers. In 13 games with the Tigers, he went 3-8 with a 5.94 ERA. The young left-hander is looking to prove himself for the Pirates this season.






Ryan Vogelsong was next in his final outing of the spring, but he was stricken with bad luck throughout the day. He threw 1.1 innings giving up three runs, only one earned, on two hits while walking two batters. Vogelsong will be the long relief man in the Pirates bullpen during the 2016 season.






Vogelsong is currently in his second stint with the Pirates and is looking to have a better result then the last time he was with the team. He pitched for the Pirates from 2001-2006 and went a combined 10-19 splitting time between the starting rotation and the bullpen. Now, under pitching coach Ray Searage, Vogelsong will be working to get his mechanics back so he can be the effective pitcher he was for the San Francisco Giants during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.






Minor league pitcher Montana DuRapau came in to clean up the inning as he threw 0.2 inning giving up no runs and walking a batter. DuRapau has seen time in three games this spring training and has yet to give up a run in 2.0 innings of work. He spent most of last season with Single A Bradenton, but did see very limited action with Double A Altoona. DuRapau will look to continue his development during the 2016 season.






The back-end of the Pirates bullpen went through their final spring tune-ups next as Mark Melancon, Tony Watson, and Neftali Feliz each threw an inning of work. For the most part, they pitched pretty well and are ready to go for the season.






Melancon threw 1.0 perfect inning retiring the side in order. During limited work in spring training this year, Melancon has yet to give up a run. He set the team record in saves last year and looks to have a repeat performance as the Pirates closer in 2016. Watson did not have as much success. In his 1.0 inning of work he gave up two runs on three hits while striking out three. The big blow to Watson was a two-run home run from Trevor Beckham.






Neftali Feliz also gave up one run in his 1.0 inning on two hits while striking out one batter. Feliz is looking to rebound after a down year last season with the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers where he went 3-4 with a 6.38 ERA. At one time, he was one of the most dominant closers in baseball. He is looking to return to that dominant status with the Pirates here in 2016.






These three guys will be depended upon to close out games for the Pirates this year. If these three can be effective pitchers, it could make for one of the strongest bullpens in all of major league baseball. With three closer type pitchers in your bullpen, you can really shorten the game and have it possibly be over by the seventh inning.






Minor leaguer Guido Knudson finished out the game for Pittsburgh throwing 2.0 innings giving up no runs on three hits while striking out a batter. Knudson will be assigned to Triple A Indianapolis and will more than likely be a September call-up or bullpen relief throughout the course of the 2016 season.




Overall, the pitching did not do bad. Lobstein and Vogelsong showed that they are ready for the season to start. The bullpen also got in some good work as the back end of the bullpen got in the work it needed before the season begins. The bullpen will definitely be a strong spot on this team in 2016 and will be key to the Pirates success.


The pitching was helped yesterday by a great offensive attack as Pittsburgh hit three home runs and scored 13 runs on the day. The Pirates were able to get a total of 14 hits on the afternoon with many players joining in on the hit parade. All but five of the 18 players who had an at bat yesterday got hits and Sean Rodriguez and Matt Joyce combined for seven of the teams 13 RBI on the day.


The offensive star of the day, however, was Michael Morse. He was yesterday's designated hitter and went 2 for 2 with an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Morse is vying for a spot on the Pittsburgh bench this season. After the acquisition of David Freese bumped Morse out of the first base platoon, he has had to become more versatile and take his talents to the outfield.


Morse has really heated up this spring and is having a good one with the Pirates. He finished Grapefruit League action with a .359 batting average and 4 RBI. Morse is a quality power bat to have coming off of the Pirates bench in big situations. Power is something that the team might be lacking this season, and Morse is someone who can provide that pop when needed.


The big run producers on the afternoon were Matt Joyce and Sean Rodriguez. Each hit a home run in the game and combined to drive in seven of the teams 13 runs on the afternoon. Both will be featured on this year's Pirates bench and they will be used to give certain guys days off throughout the course of the regular season.


Joyce went 1 for 2 with a big three-run home run off of Jake Odorizzi in the first inning to get the Pirates off to a bang. Joyce also walked and scored a run in the game. Joyce is currently slated as the Pirates fourth outfielder and will be used to back up both Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco. Joyce is a veteran presence on the bench to help guide this team to success in 2016.


Rodriguez's big hit came in the second inning when he hit a grand slam off of Steve Geltz to pull the Pirates way out in front. Rodriguez finished the day going 1 for 2 with a run scored, a walk, and a strike out. Rodriguez will be Pittsburgh's utility man for the 2016 season. His ability to play multiple positions is a big advantage for the Pirates. He will be seeing a lot more time this season than he has in previous years and will be a key to the Pirates success.


The Pirates do have one more game before they open their season on Sunday afternoon. They will travel to Indianapolis to take on the Cincinnati Reds at Victory Field, the Triple A home of the Indianapolis Indians. The Reds will be sending right hander Alfredo Simon to the hill and the Pirates will counter with minor leaguer Wilfredo Boscan. First pitch for the exhibition game is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.