PITTSBURGH — Trevor Williams will make his first home start of 2018 as the Pirates try to keep the early-season good feelings rolling against the Reds.
Williams had a stellar debut, pitching six no-hit innings in Detroit in the first game of the Pirates doubleheader sweep on Sunday.
While left-hander Steven Brault threw out the first pitch of the series on Thursday to Reds centerfielder and notorious base thief Billy Hamilton, Williams won’t have to deal with that particular issue.
But he still has Hamilton to contend with. Reds manager Bryan Price re-configured his lineup after the first game of the series and moved Hamilton to the ninth spot in the batting order, behind starting pitcher Luis Castillo.
Castillo hit .069/.100/.069 last season, so the move isn’t because he’s the superior hitting option. I went over to the Reds clubhouse to get Price’s take on hitting Hamilton ninth.
“Even though he doesn’t get on base with a robust number, when he gets on base, he tends to score,” Price said. “If he’s on base, he’s creating opportunities (for the guys behind him). Typically, they’ll get more fastballs to hit or pitchers that are rushing to the plate. So, when he’s really going well, he’s a great guy to have up top, and when he’s not swinging it quite as well, hitting him at the bottom still creates a lot of problems for the opposing pitching staff.”
Hamilton went 0-for-4 in the series opener on Thursday, dropping his average down to .063 on the young season. He’s done well against the Pirates in his career, with a .724 OPS compared to his career .629 figure.
Will Friday finally be the day Clay Holmes gets into a game? He’s been up since Sunday and has yet to see action. I profiled his path to the majors earlier in the day.
http://18.206.184.11/2018/04/clay-holmes-following-pirates-new-path-to-the-majors.html
PIRATES LINEUP
Gm 7: ☠ (5-1) vs.
REDS LINEUP
RF Jesse Winker
3B Eugenio Suárez
1B Joey Votto
2B Scooter Gennett
LF Adam Duvall
C Devin Mesoraco
SS José Peraza
RHP Luis Castillo
CF Billy HamiltonCONDITIONS
As the teams take batting practice, the earlier sunshine has given way to overcast conditions, and it’s only supposed to get worse. According to weather.com, there is a 10 percent change of rain at first pitch, but that rises to 75 percent by 9 p.m. The rain will turn to snow as the temperature drops later in the evening. So there’s a good chance we won’t get this one in.
We’re expecting 51 degrees at first pitch, with 17 MPH winds blowing out to the left-center field.
JOIN US
Have questions about the major league team or comments on today’s game? Fire away in the comments below. If you interest lands more on the minor-league side, check out Tim Williams’s Q&A earlier today. He may have covered your questions.
http://18.206.184.11/2018/04/pirates-prospects-live-qa-4-6-18.html
