Maholm Gives Up Four Runs As Pirates Fall To Blue Jays

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review

Fresh off their first true day off of the Spring Training season, the Pirates returned to action against the Toronto Blue Jays at McKechnie Field today.  The Buccos have been on a bit of a skid lately, with inconsistent pitching and missed opportunities occupying most the responsibility.  These are certainly two areas that have plagued the team for years, and it seems to be the case over the past week or so in the Grapefruit League.

Unfortunately, the struggles continued for the Pirates today, as the Blue Jays had a big three-run fourth inning, which proved to be the difference as they topped our Buccos 5-3. 

Paul Maholm, who is thought to be one of the leading candidates for the Opening Day starter, took to the mound this afternoon.  He didn’t get off to a great start, and his day didn’t get any better through his five innings of work.

Edwin Encarnacion hammered a pitch off Maholm in the first inning for a solo homer, giving Toronto the early lead.  Then in the fourth, the Blue Jays exploded with three runs to take control of the game. 

Jose Molina smacked an RBI single, scoring Eric Thames.  Then David Cooper blasted a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right field for a two-run homerun.  Cooper had three hits for the Blue Jays, who improved their Grapefruit League record to 9-9.

Maholm’s final line was less than what should be expected from the top of the rotation, giving up four runs on five hits, while walking two batters.  Paul dropped to 0-2 on the season and his ERA sits at 5.14.

The Pirates certainly had their opportunities to put some more runs on the board against Blue Jays’ starter Kyle Drabek this afternoon.  The team accumulated a total of 11 hits, including two from Jose Tabata and Andrew McCutchen, as well as a pair of knocks from Ronny Cedeno.  McCutchen’s strong game increased his Spring Training batting average to .382.  Unfortunately, the Pirates left too many runners on base and couldn’t put together a big inning similar to what Toronto did in the fourth frame.

Neil Walker had a solo homerun in the first inning, while Garrett Jones tallied two RBI’s on the afternoon in a losing effort.  Both Joel Hanrahan and Chris Resop pitched a strong inning each today, while Jose Veras wasn’t as impressive, giving up a run on two hits and walking a batter as he worked the eighth inning.

With the loss this afternoon, the Pirates have fallen to 8-12 this spring.  While it is uplifting to see the likes of McCutchen and Tabata already finding their rhythm at the plate, it’s more frustrating to see Maholm give up that many runs in a pretty short stint today.  

As we all know, starting pitching is going to be a key to how the season goes for the Pirates.  While our bats are improving and will be better than previous years, we, as fans, cannot expect the offense to overcome multi-run deficits after giving up an early lead in the first handful of innings.  The best chance this team has for success is to stay close the entire game.  So far this spring, the Pirates have done that.  Hopefully they can continue to find their rhythm at the plate, and the pitching staff can hit their stride, as a unit, just in time for the regular season to begin.

The Pirates will host the Baltimore Orioles at McKechnie Field tomorrow afternoon.  Ross Ohlendorf will make the start, with hopes of pitching the maximum five innings.  Joe Beimel and Scott Olsen are both scheduled to throw for the Buccos as well.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton In Lead For Pirates' Final Spot In Pitching Rotation

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  Christopher Horner/Tribune Review

Charlie Morton appears to be the leading candidate to occupy the fifth spot in the Pirates’ pitching rotation when the regular season begins next month.

And why shouldn’t he?  He’s coming off a season in which he finished with a 1-9 record with a 9.35 ERA after his first ten starts.  After a demotion to Indianapolis then a trip back up to the majors, Morton concluded the season with a 2-12 record and a horrendous 7.57 ERA.  The Pirates were 2-15 in his 17 starts.

Yep, it sure does seem as though he’s earned the starting job.  But wait, he has pitched “well” in Spring Training this year, and we can’t forget, he has “great stuff.” 

So at this point, the Pirates’ starting rotation would include Paul Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, James McDonald, Kevin Correia, and Charlie Morton.

Let’s assume (and hope) that McDonald doesn’t have a lingering injury, and that he’s going to be fresh and ready to go for the start of the season.  Even though I haven’t been impressed with Correia’s performances so far this spring, he is, without a doubt, a part of the rotation.

So that leaves the fifth spot up for grabs between Morton, Brad Lincoln, Scott Olsen, and Brian Burres.  There’s no denying that both Morton and Burres have pitched well this spring.  As for Lincoln, more than likely, he’s going to be in Indianapolis.  Hopefully the games the Pirates played with his head last year won’t have long term effects on his development and confidence, but we’ve seen it happen before. 

As for Olsen, injuries are unfortunately playing a role in his chances to joint the rotation.  Initially, he had spoken openly about his disgruntled attitude towards the possibility of pitching in relief this year.  Recently, however, he’s regressed from those statements, implying that he’s open and ready for any opportunity. 

Brian Burres is not the answer either.  He’s a last-minute starter following an injury or an extra-inning game the night before.  He’s not a consistent fifth-spot starter for a team that needs every positive pitching performance it can get.  Burres is a middle-reliever or a spot-starter at best; regardless of what’s he done this spring.

So who does that leave?  Oh yeah…Charlie Morton.  The bottom line is, the Pirates’ management feels comfortable putting Morton out on the mound because they know what they’re going to get from him for the most part.  He’s good for a couple mediocre starts, then a horrid performance where he gives up a dozen runs through a pair of innings, followed a few games by a “dominating” start in which he utilizes his “great stuff” to hold the opponent scoreless through five innings before “running out of gas.” 

Granted, it’s not fair to judge and/or criticize a player based on last year’s performance.  But regardless of whether it’s Lincoln, Morton, Burres, or Olsen, I’m going to have doubts about the fifth starter in the rotation until they prove me otherwise.  I don’t care about how their arms feel, or how confident they are starting the season.  I care about the performance.  If they go out and pitch some scoreless innings, keep the Bucs in the game, then I’ll give them some respect.  Until then, I’ll have my doubts.  I can’t help it…I’m a Buccos’ fan.

Comments on the Pirates’ pitching rotation?  Agree or disagree with Fans From The Stands?  Comment below or send us an email at comments@fansfromthestands.com

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Correia, Beimel Roughed Up As Pirates Lose To Orioles Again

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP/AP

The Pirates traveled to Sarasota, Florida today to take on the Baltimore Orioles.  Scott Olsen, who was signed during the offseason to be apart of the pitching rotation, but has been injured throughout the spring, made his debut in a Pittsburgh uniform this afternoon. 

This was the third time these two teams met this spring, with the Orioles winning the previous two contests.  Kevin Correia made the start for the Buccos, while Jake Arrieta took to the mound for the O’s.

Pittsburgh scored first in the second inning on Jason Jaramillo’s double, scoring Steve Pearce.  The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Pearce smashed a ground rule double and then scored on Josh Rodriguez’s single to centerfield. 

Things were looking good for Correia until the fourth frame when the Orioles tallied three runs on him.  He finished his afternoon having thrown five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, allowing one home run and striking out one batter.  Evan Meek came in for the sixth inning and allowed one hit, while striking out a batter.

The game went from bad to worse for the Pirates in the seventh inning when Baltimore scored three more runs to take a 7-2 lead.  All three of these runs would come off of Pittsburgh pitcher Joe Beimel.  The O’s would score one more run in the eighth to make it a 8-2 final.  Olsen was on the mound when the final run was scored.  He pitched one inning, giving up one run on two hits, with one hit being a homerun.

Both teams brought the lumber today as they each accumulated fourteen hits.  The difference was Baltimore was able to get timely hits with runners in scoring position, and had a pitching staff that was able to close the door when Buccos were on base.

The O’s also hit three homeruns on the day, another stat that the Pirates have to contain if they hope to give teams trouble during the regular season.

Pittsburgh will have their first off day of the spring tomorrow, but will return to action on Wednesday when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays from Bradenton, Florida at 1:05pm.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Lincoln Pitches Strong, Offense Flourishes In Victory Over Red Sox

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  AP Photo/Eric Gay

Brad Lincoln pitched a competent game against a great Red Sox lineup, while the offense busted the game wide open in the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat up Boston on Sunday, 9-4 at McKechnie Field.

The Pirates’ victory on Sunday, which came in front of a sellout crowd, was their eighth of the spring, eclipsing last year’s total in the Grapefruit League.  The Red Sox sent Josh Beckett to the mound against the Pirates, and he threw four strong innings before the Buccos finally started to get in front of his pitches.

Other than a John Bowker solo homerun in the second inning, the Buccos’ bats were held in check until the fifth inning, when they broke the game open.

Following Ronny Cedeno’s solo homerun in the inning, Neil Walker singled home Dusty Brown to tie the game, 3-3.  Pedro Alvarez delivered a huge blow to Boston with a two-run double, scoring Andy Marte and Jose Tabata.  Two batters later, Lyle Overbay would smack a two-run single to center field, allowing Walker and Alvarez to score. 

Beckett was pulled from the game in the fifth frame, allowing a total of five runs on four hits while issuing two walks and giving up two homeruns through his four innings of work.  In all, the Pirates scored six runs in the fifth inning, giving them a commanding lead that they wouldn’t lose for the rest of the afternoon.

Considering the stacked lineup he was facing, Buccos’ starter Brad Lincoln pitched a strong game, allowing two runs on two hits through three innings, while issuing two walks and striking out three batters.  Jeff Karstens took over for Lincoln in the fourth, giving up one run in his pair of innings, while Joel Hanrahan gave up a run in his inning of work.

The Pirates added to their lead in the eighth inning as Gorkys Hernandez and Andrew Lambo had RBI singles.  Chris Leroux would wrap things up for the Buccos in the ninth, giving the club their eighth victory of the Grapefruit League season by the score of 9-4.

This was a huge victory for the Pirates against a team that is expected to make it to the World Series in 2011, at the very least.  It was uplifting to see Pittsburgh batters finally get to a terrific pitcher like Josh Beckett, and their patience and execution were the ultimate keys to their success.  Lincoln had a strong start, especially considering the power of the Red Sox lineup.  This was a positive afternoon for the Buccos, following a day when they were completely outplayed in their split-squad scrimmage yesterday.

The Buccos will take on the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow at 1:05pm in Sarasota, Florida.  The game will be on MLB.TV, as Scott Olsen and Joe Beimel are expected to pitch in their spring debuts tomorrow.  Kevin Correia will make the start for the Buccos against Jake Arrieta for the Orioles.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!