The Pittsburgh Pirates go for the sweep against the Colorado Rockies this afternoon, with Johan Oviedo on the mound. The Pirates are off to an 11-7 start, and could be riding high coming home from Denver with a sweep today.
Anthony Murphy wrote about the pitch that is fueling Oviedo’s strong beginning to the 2023 season.
Johan Oviedo: The Pitch That Has Helped Unlock His Full Arsenal
If you missed yesterday’s coverage, the Pirates won thanks to two homers from Jack Suwinski. In the minors, the Pirates had a lot of welcome pitching performances. Also from yesterday, John Dreker reported that the Pirates have added two pitchers to their international signing class.
Suwinski seems to love Coors Field, with three homers in the last two games. Anthony Murphy wrote today about how the Pirates are being selective with his usage, leading to better results.
Pirates Prospects Daily: Less Is Becoming More For Jack Suwinski
PIRATES AT ROCKIES
Game Time: 3:10 PM EST
Pirates Starter: Johan Oviedo (1-1, 2.45)
Rockies Starter: Austin Gomber (0-3, 8.16)
Pirates Lineups:
The finale in Colorado.
Rockies Lineups:
TBA
INDIANAPOLIS AT MEMPHIS
Game Time: 1:05 PM EST
Projected Starter: Kent Emanuel, LHP (0-0, 0.00)Luis Ortiz had a great start last night. After a laborious first inning, he settled down and ended up with five shutout frames. With that start, Ortiz now has a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings this season in Triple-A. He’s got 18 strikeouts and seven walks.
The Pirates’ starting pitching depth has taken a hit after injuries to JT Brubaker and Mike Burrows. Ortiz and Osvaldo Bido are both pitching well for Indianapolis right now, showing that some depth still remains. Obviously the big guy that everyone is waiting on is Quinn Priester, who was featured today by Ryan Palencer:
Quinn Priester’s Athleticism Fuels In-Game Adjustments on the Mound
ALTOONA VS BOWIE
Game Time: 11:00 AM EST
Projected Starter: Justin Meis, RHP (0-1, 6.43)I really liked the start from Kyle Nicolas last night. The right-hander, acquired in the Jacob Stallings trade, went six innings, allowing one run. What I really liked was that he only walked two batters. Nicolas is a future starter in the majors if he can gain some consistency with his control.
Justin Meis is on the mound this morning for Altoona. I saw him in Greensboro last year, and he was perfect on that day. He had been working on adding more north-south movement to his game this offseason. Thus far, he’s been hit a lot in his first two starts in Double-A.
GREENSBORO VS GREENVILLE
Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
Projected Starter: Anthony Solometo, LHP (0-0, 5.87)Anthony Solometo takes the mound today for his first home start in Greensboro. You can now watch their home games on MiLB.tv, so this will be a good game to watch after the Pirates game. Solometo gave up four runs in 3.2 innings in his last outing, following one run in four innings in his High-A debut.
What I’ll be watching for in the debut is the park factors. Solometo might not be as impacted by the hitter friendly park in Greensboro. Most of what makes it hitter friendly is a smaller outfield, which is especially power friendly to right. As a lefty, Solometo should be able to limit the damage to the most dangerous part of that park.
BRADENTON VS DAYTONA
Game Time: 1:05 PM EST
Projected Starter: Wilber Dotel, RHP (0-0, 8.10)I love the start from Jesus Castillo in Bradenton. Last year’s FCL batting champion is hitting for a .394/.553/.424 line in his first ten games in Single-A. His plate patience is off the charts, with 12 walks and five strikeouts. The downside is that he’s not hitting for much power, and that wasn’t a factor to his game last year. He has spent most of his time at second base this year, with two starts each at shortstop and third base.
