The Pittsburgh Pirates (7-5) are on the road to take on the St Louis Cardinals (5-7) for the first of four games on Thursday night.
Vince Velasquez (0-2, 9.82) will be on the mound for his third start. His mound opponent will be veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery (2-0, 2.25), who is also making his third start.
Lineups can be found below.
**Ethan Hullihen answers some service time questions in his latest Pirates Business article
**Anthony Solometo highlights the minor league schedule tonight. All four teams have night games.
**Today’s Pirates Prospect Daily article looks at Mason Martin, who had a huge game on Wednesday.
**Shalin Polanco has been activated off of the Bradenton injured list. We should see his 2023 debut tonight.
**Any other news will be posted here
UMPIRE SCORECARD
Solid game here from Jerry Layne, though those misses weren’t really close pitches
Umpire: Jerry Layne
Final: Astros 7, Pirates 0#Ready2Reign // #LetsGoBucs#HOUvsPIT // #PITvsHOUMore stats for this game 👇https://t.co/q7pfO3nBi2 pic.twitter.com/sxfZ9CqBCq
— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) April 13, 2023
LINEUPS
Pirates
On the road in St. Louis.
📻 93.7 The Fan | The PRN
📺 AT&T SportsNet-PIT2: https://t.co/3reodtGWJj#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/jAn0OgT58Q— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 13, 2023
Cardinals
Back to Busch! 🏠 pic.twitter.com/VFErVvOpJO
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 13, 2023
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
What a fun game to watch. I’m loving bae and Connor. Castro seems to be coming along with the bat but I believe this is his third game in a row where he has a late error. He needs to step up the defense. Also I think Underwood needs to start getting some love. Everyone wanted him gone but the guy looks like he could be a lockdown reliever if he only pitches one inning.
Castro suddenly has an .891 OPS. But SS . . . no. They need to bring Marcano up and see if he can be passable there, keep Castro at second and Bae in the OF. Mathias seems to be suffering from baseball discomfort.
Mathias is terrible. Looks way out of place.
I’d give Castro some more time. Because of Cruz, he gotten very few reps there recently and maybe it’s just a matter of settling down.
I’d also give Mathias some more time–I always want to see how they do after a good game and maybe relaxing a bit. Guys like Chavis and Van Meter would have a good game but they couldn’t build on it. Maybe Mathias can. But I wouldn’t give him more than a couple of weeks waiting for that good game.
Yeah I’d give him 10 games to show something. If not he needs sent down. I also think CSN needs to go down for Marcano. He doesn’t play enough and only plays corner outfield.
Yeah, with as well as Bae, Cutch, Joe, and Santana have been playing and with Suwinski showing signs of life, there doesn’t seem to be much of role for CSN and if they believe in him, they need to put him in a situation to get regular ABs. Now if Santana needs to miss any time, CSN could be our LH option at DH.
Yeah, if Bae is gonna keep playing OF, it’s hard to see what purpose CSN serves. He’s a defensive liability, he can’t hit LHPs and he’s striking out in nearly two-thirds of his ABs. The FO needs to get over its fascination with his EVs.
You think Marcano can pass at SS? I agree Castro won’t cut it but he is hitting now so they need his bat and bae is the best CF they have.
I’m skeptical, but Mathias doesn’t serve any purpose. The whole mix ‘n match thing is working out OK, they just need to shore up a couple spots and see if they can get a little better defense at short at least some of the time. Castro certainly has to be in there somewhere if he keeps hitting, especially against LHPs.
What’s the timetable for Triolo? He can play SS right?
He’d probably be their best SS right now. But hamate surgery, I think that’s a couple months, then it can take a long time for the strength to come back. I don’t know whether he’ll be an option at all this year.
BC left them in a bind when he went with Owings as the veteran depth guy. Not only can’t he hit, teams realized ten years ago he wasn’t a SS. They might as well ride this for a while, maybe a long while, but the options at SS defensively are hard to see.
Owings pulled up on a steal of second tonight and they removed him from the game.
Looked like he just quit halfway to second. Showed no sign of being hurt.
Warms the heart to shut out the Redbirds in St. Louis 😁😁😁
This looked like by far the worst pitching matchup the Pirates would have in the series. Could be a very interesting series.
I was quietly telling myself that a split was possible.
raise it!
Real heart ripping loss by Altoona. Should have let Samaniego, the quiet assassin, finish out the game. Love the way his name rolls off the tongue.
The Choi hitting cleanup against a lefthander might not be a good idea. 0-5 3K’s.
Any word on Swaggs?
Left feeling ill
A 3-2 slider with a 4 run lead!?!?
Beginning to believe Bae is the Pirates best current CF, SS and 2nd baseman. Too bad there’s only one of him.
And leadoff hitter.
Is Altoona in a rain delay?
I don’t think so…no rain until Saturday
I can’t figure it out.
Crash Davis drinking and wanted a rainout 🤣🤣🤣
Watching the game online and the cameras showed Santana flexing his left wrist and grimacing. Something must be hurting.
Never mind, just saw a replay of how he got hurt.
Mathias with a solid day at the plate….wtf
Are we, like, contenders? We’re sure playing like it.
This team is fun right now. I think they will stay around .500 for much of the year. You would think the pirates were 3-12 after reading Wilbur and crew talk about the team.
Wilbur’s usually pretty spot on with his observations.
I would say they are like contenders. Time will tell how close they get to be contenders. Sure is fun!
Back to back, baby!
Time for snacks!!!!
Rudolfo!!!!!
I love how often he admires his blast and that blast is barely over the wall!!!, I truly do love it.
🤣🤣🤣 I’m a Castro apologist. He’s a character.
Connor!!!!!
He’s quietly putting up good stats.
I’m nominating Underwood for honorary Shark Tank membership after that inning. Wow!
Getting an insurance run there was nice. Hopefully it’s enough.
I don’t think Choi swings at that last pitch if not for the bad call on the previous pitch.
Totally agree.
wonder if Montgomery would be worth spilling some money on this coming december?
Most definitely, but I doubt Cards let him get away.
I would have rather seen a squeeze play when Santana tried to score, he had no chance. Terrible
I was thinking about that. Santana does not have the speed. Why send him?
Shelton likes to see home plate collisions?
Sometimes it pays to be really slow. If Santana was slower they wouldn’t have sent him on the contact play
It’s crow day, as in let’s eat some crow for what was said/thought about VV.
If Oviedo and Velasquez can pitch like this, that would be a big help.
Three consistent starters is the first step towards competing for a playoff spot
Mathias needs a hit against this lefty
He just needs a hit.
But he’s in the lineup to hit lefthanders and if he can’t, he’s gone
VV….Rock on.
14 scoreless inning streak is over.
woot woot
Are we sure this is VV on the mound? 11 batters faced, 4 Ks and no walks? Cannot be.
He’s pitching left handed.
Why did Mathias charge that ball? easy hop if he just wait for it with the catcher running….
So far I find Mathias very . . . Cheringtonesque. That’s not a good thing.
Lol, you’re right, it’s not a good thing at all. I’m going to use that….Cheringtonesque 😂😂
Hopefully he’ll hit the game winning Home run…..not holding my breath.
anyone know why Young went in for Swaggerty in the top of the 3rd at Indy tonight?
https://twitter.com/RyanPalencer/status/1646651954758557696?s=20
Ryan is there and trying to get more.
Hug watch
Nope. Wasn’t feeling well.
Didn’t feel right for a hug watch.
Bae took his job
not a big fan of Mathias starting…..starting to feel like last year with Van Meter.
Very much so. Mathias is just another place holder who has no business starting on a major league team. I’d rather see Maggi myself if Cherington insists on having guys on the roster who have no future with the team. At least he would provide some energy and enthusiasm.
I agree, although I would rather see Tucupita or even Swaggerty come up. It was a toss up if Bae was going to make the team and look how well he is doing. It all about controlling service time, which make me want to puke sometimes. I like the energy these young guys bring to the park.
Not understanding these lineups yet again. I guess specifically I don’t understand the Choi/Santana usage. Choi benched against rightie yesterday after hitting bombs off the last two righties. He is in against a fairly good lefty today. Santana is better vs. lefties so good to have him in, but smith njigba could be playing for Choi today. He isn’t yet a known quantity vs. lefties. I dunno. Why have Canaan up if he isn’t playing regularly.
CSN is hitting .182 against RHP and you’re suggesting he hit against an LHP? I can’t find his minor league stats, but from what I saw in spring training, you don’t want CSN against an LHP if you are playing to win.
Agree. Choi starting against a lefty is fine every now and then, but in the last week he’s sat against multiple RHP and started against multiple LHP. That doesn’t make any sense to me. Maybe he’s better than Suwinski/CSN against lefties, but those guys are at least question marks, and Choi is a known platoon guy.
I think those Lefties had reverse splits.
And if he’s going to play against a LHP, he definitely shouldn’t be batting cleanup. Sheesh.
Choi for his career vs. LHPs: 204/287/312.
The Rays seldom played him vs. LHPs. But then, the Rays want to win.
and batting CSN or Suwinski against an LHP would be playing to win?
Not having three guys on the roster who can’t hit LHPs at all, and not batting one cleanup, would be playing to win.
Choi does have 2 HR and one was against a LHP.
lets go bucs!
I would love to see Hayes go 3/4 with at least one extra base hit. With his out being a little warning track power. And obviously a Bucco win.
Beat ’em Bucs!!!!