CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has picked his starting nine.
Hurdle announced on Tuesday, after the Pirates 5-5 tie with the Philadelphia Phillies, that Adam Frazier will be his designated hitter for Opening Day in Detroit, joining Hurdle’s previously announced starting eight for the Pirates’ first game of the season against the Tigers on Thursday afternoon.
Hurdle also announced the batting order, giving Pirates fans a sneak peek at the way the lineup will look this season.
Frazier will bat first, followed by Josh Harrison, Gregory Polanco, Josh Bell, Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte, Francisco Cervelli, Colin Moran, and Jordy Mercer.
“I think we’re counting on the tandem of right and left,” Hurdle said. “There’s power. There’s usable speed. There’s some guys we can hit and run with. Our baserunning has been a focus point. I thought that got better throughout the spring.”
When the Pirates return to National League rules, expect Harrison to man the top spot, with Polanco and Marte in some order at No. 2 and No. 3. When Frazier does get in the lineup as part of the regular rotation of rest, he’ll lead off, with something more closely resembling Thursday’s lineup the norm. It’s not clear what Hurdle’s intentions are against a left-handed starter. The Pirates will face former teammate and southpaw starter Francisco Liriano in the third game of the series.
“The lineup is lengthened, I believe in a positive way,” Hurdle said. “Now, we’ve got to go out there and manage our at-bats and meet the demands of the game from an offensive standpoint. We’ve got a nice opportunity to get challenged right away. The Zimmerman kid is good. The Fulmer kid is good. Liriano, we’ve seen it. He’s really good. It’s the big leagues.”
RUNNING ON EMPTY
At the end of a six-week Spring Training, it’s often tough for Major League players to keep their energy level up. The Pirates tried to keep players engaged on offense by trying out some different things offensively on the base paths.
After prospect Lolo Sanchez stole home on Monday, the Pirates stole three bases on Tuesday, with Marte swiping second off Jake Arrieta in the first, and Harrison and Mercer pulling off a double steal in the fourth.
“We have been very steadfast in what we’re trying to do offensively, no matter who is on the mound,” Hurdle said. “Today, you saw continued opportunities to try to push. You saw a double steal. Mercer stole third base. A hit and run with Cervelli. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but we’re going to be not predictable.”
JAMO GOOD TO GO
Jameson Taillon made his final spring appearance, tossing three scoreless innings in a setting he likened to a touch-and-feel bullpen rather than an actual start. But he did have four strikeouts and no walks while facing a lineup pretty full of Phillies major leaguers.
“Everything felt good,” Taillon said. “I’m healthy. I’m ready to go.”
The movement on Taillon’s pitches was particular impressive. He used his four-seam fastball to elevate for swings and misses and to change eye level, while his two-seam fastball did this:
Jameson Taillon, Filthy 94mph Sinker.
HP ump appears to be taking the term "punch out" literally.
“The two-seam is moving,” Taillon said. “I feel like my mechanics allow me to do that, so if I stay in a good place there, everything is going to stay sharp.”
KUHL STRUGGLES
It hasn’t been a particularly great spring from a results standpoint for Chad Kuhl, and that continued on Tuesday, when he allowed four runs on four hits and two walks while working just two-thirds of an inning.
It was Kuhl’s bullpen day, so he pitched the fifth inning of a game in far from his usual environment for either a start or a side session. This last outing can probably be written off, but the results overall for Kuhl this spring haven’t been a lot better. In six games, he has a 10.06 ERA, with 14 strikeouts and nine walks in 17 innings.
It was the walks that did Kuhl in on Tuesday, and that’ll something interesting to watch for him this season. When Kuhl made adjustments to become more of a strikeout pitcher in the second half of 2017, it came with an increased walk rate. The tradeoff worked well for him last year, but he needs to keep the walks in check in order to benefit from the increase in strikeouts.
ON THE OUTS
Left-handed reliever Jack Leathersich was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians and Rule 5 pick Jordan Milbrath was returned to the Indians, clearing two more spots on the Pirates’ 40-man roster.
The Pirates are probably holding one spot open for lefty reliever Kevin Siegrist, who is currently in minor-league camp, but could be added to the 40-man roster. The fact that Leathersich was waived without any impetus suggests the team is still looking for outside help, most likely in the bullpen.
