Pirates  10,  Rays  3

The Pirates posted 13 hits on their way to 10 runs in their McKechnie Field opener on Sunday afternoon.  CF Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including a solo homer for the Pirates' first run of the game, and a double.  RF Garrett Jones also had three hits -- 2 doubles and a single.  McCutchen began a rally in the 4th with a single, and doubles by Jones and C Ryan Doumit drove in 2 runs, all off former Pirate pitcher Chris Bootcheck.  Another former Pirate, Jonah Bayliss, came on to pitch the 5th inning for the Rays.  Bayliss got the first two outs, then gave up a triple to 2B Neil Walker, and doubles by McCutchen and 3B Pedro Alvarez, and the Pirates had 2 more runs.  Chase d'Arnaud came into the game for Walker in the 6th, and he led off the bottom of the 7th with a walk.  D'Arnaud moved to second base on a ground out, then scrambled around from second base, surprising the Rays, to score on an RBI ground out by 1B Steve Pearce.  The Pirates added another 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th.  That inning began with a solo homer by C Jason Jaramillo.  SS Josh Rodriguez singled, then with two outs and Rodriguez on third, d'Arnaud lined an RBI single up the middle.  CF Corey Wimberly walked, and 3B Andy Marte drove in both d'Arnaud and Wimberly with a double into right field.  

Kevin Correia made the start for the Pirates.  He gave up a run in the top of the 1st, with a lead-off walk and two ground outs.  Correia got into trouble in the 2nd inning, giving up two singles and a walk to load the bases with one out.  That was all for Correia.  Minor leaguer Ryan Beckman, who pitched for State College in 2010, came on in relief of Correia.  Beckman got the first batter he faced to ground to second, which allowed the runner from third to score.  Another ground out ended the inning.  Usually that would be the end of the outing for a minor leaguer who is filling in.  But, Joe Beimel, who was scheduled to pitch after Correia, had some elbow soreness and did not pitch.  So, Beckman kept going.  He threw three more pitches, and retired three batters in the 3rd inning, with a line out and two ground outs.  Brian Burres earned the win with 2 scoreless innings following Beckman.  Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras, and another minor leaguer, Tony Watson, each pitched one scoreless inning.  Watson worked around a lead-off single in the 8th.  Chris Leroux pitched the 9th, and gave up a solo homer and two singles, but ended the inning with a pop out and a double play.  

LF John Bowker and RF Andrew Lambo also got into the game.  

Looking at some Pirates' first base prospects...

Justin Howard  --  L/L,  6' 0",  205 lb
The Pirates acquired Howard in the 24th round of the 2010 draft.  He had a hot-hitting senior year at University of New Mexico, where he hit .456 with 32 doubles, 10 homers, and 72 RBI.  He injured his knee, though, which kept him from being drafted higher, and also kept him from getting started in his pro career until August.  He got in 15 games with the GCL Pirates, where he picked up the hot bat again.  Howard went 15-for-44 (.341), with 6 doubles and 3 RBI.  He did strike out 12 times (27%), and he'll have to work on that.  At 23 years old, Howard could skip State College and go to West Virginia to begin 2011.

Matt Curry --  Bats L/ Throws R,  6' 2",  235 lb
Curry was the Pirates' 16th round choice in the 2010 draft.  After playing with Texas Christian University in the College World Series, Curry joined the State College Spikes.  Curry jumped out to a great start at State College, hitting .364 in July, with 3 homers and 18 RBI.  That slipped to .247 in August, and his doubles dropped from 10 to 4.  He finished with a .299 average in 58 games, with 14 doubles, 7 homers, and 29 RBI.  Curry had a high walk rate in his senior year at TCU, and that continued at State College, with 39 walks in 58 games (16%).  He also struck out 47 times (24%).  Curry could begin 2011 either at West Virginia, where he might share playing time with Howard, or he could make the jump to A+ Bradenton, and share time with Aaron Baker.

Looking at the Pirates' prospects as spring training continues...  Today we'll begin with the first basemen, moving up from the lower levels to the upper levels of the organization.

Michaelangel Trinidad  --  L/L,  5' 11",  232 lb
Trinidad is a 22-year-old Curacao native who has been in the Pirates' organization since the 2006 season.  He played in the Venezuelan Summer League for three years.  In the third season, 2009, Trinidad hit .318, with 14 homers and a .604 SLG.  He made the move to the US and the GCL in 2010, but the start of his season was delayed by injury.  Once he got going, at the end of June, Trinidad hit .267 in July with 3 homers and 10 RBI.  That dropped to .211 in August, with one more homer and 6 RBI.  Trinidad's upside is his power, especially since it was not accompanied by a ton of strikeouts (14 strikeouts in 27 games in the GCL, 16%).  His downside is his size.  He could get to State College for 2011, where he will need to continue the power surge but also make sure he stays in shape.

Gerlis Rodriguez  --  Bats: both/ Throws L,  6' 2",  185 lb
Rodriguez is also 22 years old, a Dominican Republic native.  Like Trinidad, he also spent 3 seasons in the VSL, where he bumped his batting average up to .291 in the third year.  Rodriguez spent 2009 with the GCL Pirates, hitting .266 with little power.  He moved up to State College for 2010, where he played first base and did some DH-ing (plus one game in left field).  He made 6 errors at first in 26 games.  At the plate, Rodriguez hit .201, with just 8 doubles, one homer, and 24 RBI in 48 games.  His walk rate dropped (11 walks, 6%) and his strikeout rate climbed (34 strikeouts, 21%) in 2010.  He should probably return to State College to work on some plate discipline and get the errors down.