Offense Shut Down as Pirates Are Sunk By Tigers

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense was shut out today as they lost to the Detroit Tigers by a final score of 3-0 as their record falls to 3-8 on the Grapefruit League season.

The Pirates pitchers performed pretty well on the mound today, but the Pirates offense was held in check as the Pirates fell 3-0 to the Detroit Tigers. Some key contributors to the Pirates offense strated to heat up but it was not enough to defeat Mike Pelfrey and the Tigers.

The long battle for the fifth starter spot continued as Jeff Locke took the hill for the Pirates. In his last spring outing Locke performed well pitching 3 innings of scoreless baseball while only allowing two hits on the day. The outing before that was a nightmare as he went 2 innings giving up four runs against the Tigers.

This time out, he continued his hot streak as he had an overall solid outing. He pitched 4.0 innings giving up two runs on  two hits while striking out five and walking one. The strike out numbers were a good thing to see for Locke in today's outing. If Locke can improve upon his 2015 strikeout numbers it could go a long way to making him the solid back-end of the rotation pitcher that the Pirates desperately need.

Locke had a slow start to the fifth starter spot race but recently has turned it on. He is in a battle with Kyle Lobstein and Juan Nicasio to see who will round out the starting rotation. Locke came into spring training the likely candidate for the job. However, with the performances of Lobstein and Nicasio so far, Locke is going to have to have a couple of great outings if he wants to remain the fifth starter for the Pirates.

After Locke, a pair of candidates for the 2016 Pirates bullpen entered the game in John Holdzkum and Eric O'Flaherty. Each performed well today and helped their case to be a part of the 2016 shark tank for Pittsburgh.

Holdzkum threw one inning of perfect baseball retiring the side 1-2-3. Ever since his shaky outing in the beginning of spring against Toronto where he gave up three runs in just 0.2 innings pitched, Holdzkum has been solid for the Pirates. Fighting his way back from injury, Holdzkum looks to be a solid option for the Pirates in the middle of their bullpen.

O'Flaherty also had a strong outing giving up no runs on one hit while walking one in his 1.0 inning of work. So far this spring, O'Flaherty has been performing well for the Pirates only giving up one earned run in his four outings. His only real rough spot came in his first outing when he gave up 5 runs, only one earned, and walked one batter. O'Flaherty is looking to revitalize his career with Pittsburgh after a down 2015 season. So far in spring training, he is making a strong case for a spot in the 2016 Pirates bullpen.

Two non-roster invitees finished out the game as Jorge Rondon threw a scoreless inning only giving up one hit and Curtis Partch gave up one run on two hits while walking two and striking out one in his 1.0 inning of work. For the most part the Pirates pitching did very well this afternoon, however the offense could not do anything as the Pirates suffered the loss.

While the offense was not able to score any runs today, there were some positives on the day. Some of the key offensive players for the Pirates performed well at the plate and are starting to get hot over the course of spring training. These minor victories will be key to the Pirates moving forward.

Michael Morse has been working a lot in right field recently and performed well in today's game going 1 for 2 with a walk on the day. With the log jam of first baseman the Pirates currently posses, it will be key for a guy like Morse to learn multiple positions so that he can be useful for the Pirates. Morse does have the ability to play the corner outfield positions and can be used there on his off days from playing first base.

The addition of David Freese also makes it vital for for Morse to be able to play multiple positions. Freese provides a veteran infielder to back up the corner positions. If Freese has success it could mean that Morse gets moved to the outfield to help with depth at that position. Either way, he will be a key platoon piece for the Pirates to use throughout the season.

Another player who performed well today was Chris Stewart. Stewart went 2 for 3 today with two singles increasing his spring average to .300. Stewart will be used to back-up Francisco Cervelli this season and could see some time catching Gerrit Cole. Last season, Cole collected 14 of his 19 wins with Stewart behind the plate. That match will continue in 2016 and could see the Pirates all the way to the 2016 playoffs.

Pedro Florimon continued his spring training success as he went 1 for 2 today increasing his average to .313. With the addition of Freese, it is looking less likely that Florimon could make the roster. However, if he keeps performing well he could find his way with the big league club at some point during the 2016 season. Josh Bell also had a good day at the plate getting one hit in his only at bat of the night.

Don't let the current spring training record fool you, there have been a lot of positives for the Pirates over the course of spring training. we have seen guys like Florimon and Lobstein perform well while doing what they can for the team. There is still a lot of work to be done, but with opening day still 22 days away, the Pirates have some time to work out the cincks that are present in their 2016 roster.

The Pirates are back in action tomorrow as they once again take on the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers will send lefty Matt Boyd to the mound. He comes into the game with a 1-0 record so far in spring training with a 1.80 ERA. For Pittsburgh, it will be the spring training debut of ace Gerritt Cole. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.

Pirates drop Offensive Battle to Astros 11-8

The Pittsburgh Pirates got great starting pitching from Juan Nocasio, but the bullpen faltered as Pirates fall 11-8 to the Houston Astros.

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense shined today, but the relief pitching was not enough as they fell to the Houston Astros 11-8 at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.

Jain Nicasio started For the Pirates and built off of his last game on Tuesday. He threw 2.0 innings only giving up 1 hit while striking out 2. Nicasio threw one perfect inning last time out and had success again today.

He was followed up by Kyle Lobstein, who threw a scoreless inning of relief striking out 1. Lobstein was strong last time out as well as he threw 2 innings giving up no runs on his start against the Tigers back on March 1.

Both Lobstein and Nicasio are in the three man race for The fifth spot in the Pirates rotation. Both pitchers are making a strong case for that fifth spot early on in spring training.

Next in was Arquimedes Caminero who struggled going one inning giving up 3 runs while walking one and striking out 1. The big blow to Caminero came on a 2 run home run by Matt Duffy.

Duffy had a big day for the Astros homering twice for the Astros and driving in 4 runs. He added a solo home run off Guido Knudson in the ninth and was instrumental to the Astros victory

Caminero Did well in his first game as he threw a 1-2-3 inning striking out 2. Last season consistency was a problem for Caminero and he has to work on that in 201y. Caminero has the potential to be a great back end of the bullpen pitcher and with some consistency he can reach that goal.

Jared Hughes was up next and he struggled as well going 0.2 innings giving up 3 runs while walking one and striking out one. Hughes is also vying for a spot in the middle of the Pirates bullpen and was successful last season. Daniel Bard came into finish the inning getting out the only batter he faced.

Another middle reliever John Holdzkum followed and threw a scoreless inning while striking out 2 and walking 1. Holdzkum has been plagued by injury the Last couple of seasons and built off of his last outing today. Holdzkum looks to return to the major league club this season and help contribute in the middle of the bullpen.

Wilfredo Boscan came in next and threw a perfect inning of relief With no walks or strike outs. Boscan will be used mostly as bullpen depth in 2016 and looks to mature in triple A at the beginning of the season.

A pair of non-rostsd invitees struggled to end the game as Kelvin Marte threw 0.2 innings giving up 4 runs walking a batter and giving up 2 home runs. Guido Knudson came in after and threw 1.1 innings giving up one run and striking out 2.

The thing the pitching staff struggled with most today was giving up the long ball. The Astros hit a total of four home runs on the day including two from Duffy. That is something the Pirates will need to limit in 2016 if they want to succeed.

The bats came out again on the offensive side and scored 8 runs on the day giving them 18 runs scored in the Last two games. Today we saw many players taking reps at different positions on the field and it worked out for them.

Michael Morse played right field today and went 2 For 3 With an RBI. Morse will be the righty platoon at first base along with John Jaso. However, if Morse can show that he can play the outfield as well, it will go a long way to making him more and more of an asset to this Pirates team.

The other half of the platoon John Jaso also had a good day going 1 For 2 With an RBI. The duo will be looking to replace the power that Pedro Alvarez brought to the position. However, the defense that they bring will help the Pirates in 2016.

The young stars also shined for the Pirates today. They have been hitting the ball well and coming up in the clutch late in baseball games helping the Pirates stay in games that their pitchers give up a lot of runs in.

Pedro Florimon continued his success from yesterday going 1 For a Today driving in 2 runs. Florimon has gone 4 For 5 in his last two games while driving in 5 runs. Florimon showed his versatility today as he played centerfield taking over for Andrew McCutchen.

Florimon is a big candidate for that fifth spot on the bench. Florimon can provide defensive versatility and can pinch run late in games. Speed will be a key aspect for for this year's Pirates and that is something that Florimon can provide.

Non-roster invitee Juan Diaz also had a big day going 2 For 2 driving in one run. Max Moroff started the game and went 2 For 2. One of the Pirates top infield prospects, Moroff will be a good player for the Pirates in the future.

Up next for the Pirates they will stay at home to battle The Philledelphia Phillies tomorrow afternoon. For the Pirates, Jeff Locke will return to the hill after his disasterous start last time out where he gave up four runs in two innings of work. The Phillies will send Vincent Velasquez to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Young Stars Shine in Pirates 9-6 win

The Pittsburgh Pirates showed off a lot of young talent as they defeated the Atlanta Braves 9-6 in Grapefruit League Action.

The Pittsburgh Pirates showed off their young arms on the mound today as they defeated the Atlanta Braves by a score of 9-6 today.

Tyler Glasnow started the game for Pittsburgh making his spring debut. Also features in the game was Jameson Taillon. Both young arms look to make an impact on the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates team.

The start did not go quite as well as Glasnow had planned. He pitched 1.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 2 hits while walking 3 batters. Glasnow struggled in his first time against major league batters.

However, he is coming off of a good performance in the Black and Gold where he pitched 2 innings giving up 1 run while striking out 2. Glasnow has showed some promise in his minor league career and has the potential to be a successful major league pitcher.

Jim Fuller came in to finish Glasnows second inning getting the only batter he faced out. For Glasnow, he has something to build on as the spring goes on.

Taillon was up next and he performed pretty well giving up 1 run in his 2 innings of work giving up 2 hits and striking out 2 and walking 1.

Taillon is also coming off of a good start in the Black and Gold game going 2 innings giving up 2 runs and striking out 1. The debut for Taillon was a success and gives him some tools to work with as he goes into the season.

Plagued by injury over the past 2 seasons dealing with Tommy John surgery and a shoulder surgery. He is happy to be back on the hill and competing in spring training action.

The game was finished out by a trip of non roster invitees. Stephen Brault, Chad Kuhl, and Trevor Williams combined to pitch 5 innings giving up 3 runs on seven hits while striking out 5.

The young arms got their first spring action and showed promise early on. This game was key to seeing the future For the Pirates. One thing they have a surplus of is pitching depth and it was on display today.

The young bats also put in work today and scored 9 runs in rout to a Pirates win. While some major league stars were in the lineup, it was the young yguns who ruled the day.

Pedro Florimon stood out on offense going 2 for 2 with a game high 3 RBI on the day. All three RBI came on singles. Florimon is vying for the Last spot on the Pirates bench. 

The infielder's versatility is a big plus as he plays both the infield and corner outfield positions. Florimon is known throughout the league for his defense, but is looking to improve his bat for 2016.

Jake Goebbert also shined on offense today. He went 1 for 2 with 2 RBI. Both RBI came on a double in the sixth inning that was part of a big 5 run sixth inning that have the Pirates the lead.

Goebbert is also fighting for a bench spot. The first baseman didn't have a lot of opportunity in San Diego and looks to take advantage in Pittsburgh. With both John Jaso and Michael Morse at first, Goebbert's best opportunity could be as a backup infielder in 2016.

The Pirates are off to a 2-2 start in spring training. Today's game took place in Disney World, the most magical place on Earth. This season could be a magical one for the Pirates as they look to get to the playoffs in 2016.

Up next, the Pirates return home to McKechnie Field to take on the Houston Astros. For Pittsburgh, Juan Nicasio will make his first start of the spring. He will be opposed by righty Brad Peacock for Houston. The game can be watched on ROOT Sports and first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Locke/O'Flaherty Struggle in Pirates Loss to Tigers

Jeff Locke gave up four runs and Eric O'Flaherty gave up five runs in the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

After taking the first spring training game from the Detroit Tigers yesterday, the Pirates fell to the Tigers today by the final score of 10-3. Jeff Locke started the game for Pittsburgh and struggled mightily. The offense could not get anything going and right hander Buck Farmer along with the rest of the Tiger pitchers shut down the Pirates.

While the starting pitching struggled in this game, the relief pitchers pitched very well for the most part. Many of the Pirates potential 2016 key bullpen contributors pitched in the game and for the most part did very well. This is a good sign as the starting pitching is whats in question for the upcoming 2016 season.

Locke started the game and struggled giving up four runs on four hits while walking one in 2.0 innings of work. Locke gave up three straight hits to start the game and gave up an RBI double to Jose Iglesias followed by an RBI single for Nick Castellanos to make the score 2-0 Tigers. The Tigers would add two more to start out the game with a 4-0 lead. Locke settled down in inning number two and did not allow any runs.

Locke, who struggled mightily last season with a 9-11 record, struggled again in his first spring outing in 2016. He is fighting Kyle Lobstein, who had a great start yesterday, for the fifth starter spot in the rotation. Today Locke just gave up too many hits and it all seemed to snow ball on him in inning number one.

However, after Locke the next three innings were clean as AJ Schugel, Juan Nicasio, and Mark Melancon each threw scoreless innings. Schugel gave up only one hit and struck out one, Nicasio walked two and struck out one, and Melancon retired the side in order in the fifth. Nicasio and Melancon are both making cases for the Pirates 2016 bullpen.

Many Pirates fans, including myself, thought Melancon was going to leave during the off-season. However, he is back in a Pirates uniform and, at least in his first outing, looked pretty sharp on the mound. Having him be a consistent closer for the Pirates is essential for the Pirates to contend in 2016.

Up next Jared Hughes gave up one run, a solo home run to Jared Saltalamacchia, on two hits in his one inning of work. He was followed by Arquimedes Caminero who had a 1-2-3 top of the seventh striking out two of the three batters he faced. Both of these guys will be slated in the middle of the Pirates bullpen and look to contribute in 2016.

Non-roster invitee Eric O'Flaherty followed and struggled in his first spring training outing with the Pirates. He gave up five runs on three hits while hitting a batter and walking one in his one inning of work. The fortunate thing for O'Flaherty is that none of the runs he gave up were earned as an error by Gift Ngeope helped the Tigers get a rally going. O'Flaherty was very wild in his debut and will need to work on that as spring training progresses.

The game was finished out by two non-roster invitees as Jorge Rondon threw 0.2 innings striking out two and walking one, and Daniel Bard through 0.1 innings and got his only batter faced out on one pitch.

Besides a couple of rough outings, the pitching in general was decent today. Take out the efforts of Locke and O'Flaherty and its a whole new ball game. Going forward Locke and O'Flaherty both have to be more efficient in their pitches and they cannot let innings snowball on them like what happened today.

On the offensive side, we saw a lot of Pittsburgh's regular starters in the lineup including Andrew McCutchen, Gregory Polanco, John Jaso, and Starling Marte. The offense was pretty much shut down by the Tigers pitching staff especially early on in the game.

Marte had a good day at the plate going 1 for 2 with a run scored hitting out of the fifth spot in the lineup. Marte had a break-out year last season in terms of home runs and RBI and looks to continue to contribute to the Pirates in 2016. The key for Marte will be limiting the number of strike outs this season as he has struck out over 100 times in each of his major league seasons.

Another batter who performed well today is Sean Rodriguez. Rodriguez went 1 for 2 on the day with a single in the second inning. Rodriguez is fighting for a spot on the Pirates bench where he can be used as the super utility man in 2016. His ability to play multiple positions will help increase his value to the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates scored their first run of the day on a fielders choice by Josh Bell that allowed Rodriguez to score. The Pirates were shut down until the ninth inning when RBIs by Ngeope and Adam Frazier added the final two runs on the day for the Pirates.

Frazier again stood out for the minor leaguers as he went 1 for 1 with an RBI and a walk. Frazier has had a strong showing in his first two games for the Pirates here in spring training getting hits in 2 of his first three at bats. A guy who was not on anybody's radar coming into spring training could be moving his way up the latter in the Pirates system.

Even though the Pirates fell today, there were still some positives to come out of this game. Melancon, Nicasio, and Caminero all performed well out of the bullpen in their first spring training actions, and Hughes was haunted by one bad pitch in his outing but otherwise performed very well. On the offensive side, some of the starters got their first look at live pitches today and can build off of that as the spring goes on.

Tomorrow, the Pirates will be back in action at McKechnie field as they take on the Toronto Blue Jays. The Toronto Blue Jays will be sending right hander Gavin Floyd to the mound while the Pirates have yet to name their starter for the game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Show Lots of Positive in First Spring Training Win

The Pittsburgh Pirates showed a lot of good things that they can build upon in their 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers in the first spring training game of the season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers in the first spring training game of the year yesterday by a score of 4-2. Along with the win, there were a lot of other positives for fans to take away regarding the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitching was good and the bats proved that they can string together hits and score runs. Both of these will be necessary for the Pirates to succeed in 2016.

The first positive from yesterday's game was Kyle Lobstein's performance on the mound. The lefty is fighting with Jeff Locke for the fifth starters spot in the Pirates rotation. He started yesterday's game and threw 2.0 innings giving up only 1 hit, walking 2, and striking out 1. The start proved that Lobstein can be a quality major league starter.

The first inning started out rough for Lobstein. He got Jose Iglesias out on the first pitch, but then proceeded to walk both Justin Upton and Miguel Cabrerra before getting Victor Martinez to ground into a double play. He threw eight straight balls after getting the lead off guy but was able to fight out of what could have been a disastrous inning.

He bounced back in inning number two however, only allowing one hit and striking out a batter. Lobstein is a guy I'm looking for to have success this season, and with his performance yesterday, he is off to a good start. If Lobstein can limit his number of walks in 2016 he will be a much better pitcher then he was in 2015.

Another pitching positive I took away was Neftali Feliz. He only pitched one inning, but it was a perfect inning and he struck out a batter. In 2016, he will be called upon to be a one inning guy late in the game to help open the door for Tony Watson and Mark Melancon. If he can pitch the way he pitched in game one, it could lead to a dominant Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen.

Offensively, there were many bright spots as well. The offense in total collected ten hits on the day and scored four runs. There were contributions made both by members of the big league club and the prospects as well. Both are good signs for the here and now and the future of the Pirates organization.The Pirates offense is the big question for 2016 and the first game of spring training showed some promise.

On the big league club, I was most impressed with Jordy Mercer. He went 2 for 3 on the day with a home run and an RBI. The short stop mostly known for his defense, brought the bat yesterday and contributed in a big way. Throughout his career he has been known as a slow starter. If he can keep a fast start going at the beginning of the season, it will go a long way to improving his offensive numbers in 2016.

A guy I have been impressed with in the early part of spring training is non-roster invitee and minor league outfielder Adam Frazier. He finished the day 1 for 2 with a triple and a run scored. The converted infielder hit .324 last season in Double A Altoona, and so far in the early part of spring, has showed success at the plate. He also had a hit and scored a run in the annual Black and Gold game that was held on Monday.

I know it is still early in spring training as we are only one game in, but I saw a lot of things that show positive signs for the 2016 season. With good pitching and consistent hitting at the plate, the Pirates have a chance to contend for the NL Central title in 2016. Consistency is the key for the Pirates this season both on the mound and at the plate. If they can be a more consistent team, we will see a lot of good things from the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.

Spring Training action continues today as the Pittsburgh Pirates will once again take on the Detroit Tigers. The pitching match up will be Jeff Locke for the Pirates versus Buck Farmer for the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh Pirates Defeat Detroit Tigers in Spring Training Opener

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in today's Spring Training Opener at Joker Merchant Stadium

Pittsburgh Pirates spring training action has officially started as the Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in today's spring training opener at Joker Merchant Stadium. It was the first chance for manager Clint Hurdle and the rest of the Pirates coaching staff to see what they have in store for the 2016 season.

Today's lineup consisted of a combination of players who have solidified spots on the roster and people who are fighting for their major league lives. On the mound a total of seven Pirates pitchers saw work today and for the most part did a very good job.

Kyle Lobstein started the game for the Pirates and threw 2.0 innings giving up 0 runs on 1 hit while walking 2 and striking out 1. The former Tiger had a solid debut to spring training and he is one of the hopefuls for a long-relief spot or the fifth starter spot on this Pirates team. Last year in 11 starts for the Tigers, Lobstein had a 3-8 record with a 5.94 ERA. Lobstein shows a lot of upside and could be a good option for some starter depth as the season goes along.

Lobstein was followed by non-roster invitee Wilfredo Boscan, who threw two innings of two hit baseball, and Neftali Feliz, who threw a perfect inning of relief striking out 1. Feliz is vying for a spot at the back end of the Pirates rotation to help bridge the gap between the starters and the combination of Tony Watson and Mark Melancon. Feliz's first outing of the spring did not dissapoint and sets him up on the right track in 2016.

In inning number six, Rob Scahill got roughed up for two runs on two hits while walking one. The big blow in that inning came on a two-run home run by the Tigers Victor Martinez, The home run was Martinez's first of the spring. Scahill started the year in the bullpen for the Pirates last season and started off hot. However, as the season went on he wore out and an injury ended his 2015 season. He is looking to bounce back in 2016 and show he can be a reliable arm for the Pirates to use.

The game was finished out on the mound by a trio of non-roster invitees. Curtis Patch threw a scoreless seventh giving up only one hit, Trey Hayley threw a perfect eighth inning striking out two, and Kelvin Marte walked two and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning. All three players are looking to develop their skills in the minor leagues this season.

Overall, on the mound, the Pirates pitchers looked pretty good in their spring debut. Lobstein had a rough first inning throwing eight straight balls before getting Martinez to ground into a double play, but he was able to bounce back in inning number two and allow no runs to score. The relief pitchers all did their part as well, besides a rough outing from Scahill. The bullpen will be key for the Pirates this season and to see them do well today is a major plus.

On the offensive side the Pirates were lead by two of their everyday starters in Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer. Both players hit home runs in the game and were instrumental in leading the team to victory today.

Mercer finished the day 2 for 3 with the one home run and 1 RBI. Mercer has been known for his defense during his time in Pittsburgh but brought out the bat in today's game and helped the Pirates in a big way. Mercer will be the everyday short stop for Pittsburgh in 2016 and if he is able to hit consistently, he can help the Pirates in a big way.

Cervelli finished his day 1 for 3 with the home run and 1 RBI as well. Pittsburgh's everyday catcher last season, Cervelli had a break out year setting career highs in average and games played throughout the 2015 season. In 2016 he will look to provide a consistent spark to the offense once again and be the emotional leader on the field as well.

The other two runs were driven in by designated hitter Jason Rodgers, who went 1 for 4, and Alen Hanson, who went 1 for 1. The prospects who came into the game late also performed pretty well on the day.

Willy Garcia and Adam Frazier each had extra base hits and Frazier would later score on an RBI single by Hansen. Elias Diaz ended up going 1 for 2 on the day with a single backing up Cervelli. Frazier finished the day 1 for 2 with the triple that he later scored on.

Offensively the Pirates showed that they can put hits together and score some runs. In total they collected 10 hits on the day, two of which being extra base hits. They also showed the ability to hit the ball over the wall with home runs by Mercer and Cervelli. I do not know how much of power we will see from the Pirates lineup this season, but it is intriguing to see the power coming along early on.

There is still a lot of spring training games to be played but as of now the Pirates got off to a good start. The Pirates are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they face the Detroit Tigers again at McKechnie Field. Jeff Locke is scheduled to make his spring training debut for the Pirates as he fights for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. He will be opposed by Tigers right-hander Buck Farmer. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Gold Team comes out victorious in Pittsburgh Pirates Annual Black and Gold Game

The Pittsburgh Pirates held their annual Black and Gold game this afternoon where some of Pittsburgh's top prospects got to show their stuff during game action.

Today the Pittsburgh Pirates got a look at what some of their top prospects could do in the annual Black and Gold Inter-squad scrimmage. The game featured two teams lead by prospects and hopefuls to make the 2016 Pirates opening day roster. It also gave manager Clint Hurdle a chance to see what the young players can do and what they can provide to the club both this season and deep into the future.

The Gold team, lead by starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, came out victorious beating the black team by a final score of 4-3 in five innings of play. Also present on the gold team were prospects Alan Hansen, Harold Ramirez, and Max Moroff along with guys vying for a spot on the opening day roster including Pedro Florimon, Jake Goebbert, and Jason Rodgers.

Glasnow started the game facing seven batters and throwing 2.0 innings giving up two runs while striking out two and walking zero batters. A pitch Glasnow was working on today was his changeup. Glasnow has two solid pitches in his fastball and curveball, but the changeup is something that he will give a lot of attention to this season.

Glasnow was followed by John Holdzkum who pitched a scoreless third inning for the gold team. Holdzkum had an injury plagued 2015 season and is looking to bounce back here in 2016. His first outing in a live game seemed to be a step in the right direction. He was followed by non-roster invitee Trevor Williams who threw a scoreless fourth inning.

On the offensive side, the star for the gold team was off-season acquisition Danny Ortiz. Ortiz went 2 for 3 on the day with 3 RBI. He was the catalyst to a big three run fifth inning which ultimately lead to the Gold teams victory. 

The Black team was led by starting pitcher Jameson Taillon. It also featured some of the teams top prospects including Josh Bell, Adam Fazier,Gift Ngoepe, and Dan Gamache while including some players looking to make the team in Cole Figueroa and Matt Joyce.

Taillon started the game and threw 2.0 innings giving up one run on three hits while striking out three. For Taillon, it was an exciting time because it was his first time on the mound in two seasons. He has been plagued by injuries in recent years and it has banished him to back-field activities at the Pirates spring training home in Bradenton, Florida. Today he pitched in front of the largest crowd he has seen in the last two seasons.

Taillon was followed by non-roster invitee Steven Brault who threw a 1-2-3 third inning for the black team. Brault is in his first big league camp, and he has shown some success in the minors last season. He was named the EAS pitcher of the week for the Altoona Curve back on the week of August 3rd. He has also been named a Baseball America Low Class A all-star back in 2014.

Offensively, the Black team jumped out to a fast start as they took a 2-1 lead in inning number one. They scored their first run on a RBI double by Matt Joyce that scored Adam Frazier. They added another run in inning number three but couldn't hold off as the gold team scored three runs in the fifth inning to seal the victory.

It was a good day for the prospects and potential players fighting for a spot on the team to show what they can do. However, the real action starts tomorrow when the Pirates travel to Joker Merchant Stadium to take on the Detroit Tigers in their spring training opener. On the mound for the Pirates will be left-hander, and former Tiger, Kyle Lobstein. Opposing him will be left-handed pitcher Matt Boyd for the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.