SPRING REPORT
TIGERS 3 PIRATES 1
LAKELAND, Fla. — The first signs of life in the game Saturday against the Detroit Tigers were encouraging ones for the Pirates.
Their starting pitcher was more solid, their bats came alive earlier and they scored the first run in the fourth inning.
Unfortunately, that was all the offense they could muster, while the Tigers turned it on the rest of the way. With the loss, the Pirates fell to 8-10-1.
On the mound
Tyler Anderson started and pitched the best game of his spring. He began the game with 32⁄ scoreless innings, allowing
3 only a single. Then Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera clubbed a long home run down the right-field line to tie the score, 1-1. Still, Anderson finished the day with an impressive line, throwing five innings and giving up just two hits and the run while striking out five.
Right-handed reliever Richard Rodriguez took over in the sixth and struggled a bit, though the run he allowed was a bit unfair to him. He allowed a lead-off double to Tigers outfielder Robbie Grossman. Two batters later, Renato Nunez floated a ball into center that got caught in the wind. Outfielder Anthony Alford was completely fooled and couldn’t get under the ball in time to prevent a run-scoring double.
In the eighth, right-hander Kyle Crick took the mound and performed fairly well, though he too allowed a leadoff hit. He was pulled after just three batters, making room for righty Michael Feliz, who gave up a run-scoring single that scored the runner Crick had let on base.
At the plate
The Pirates threatened multiple times, despite their lack of runs. In the second, infielder Cole Tucker tripled to left-center field with no outs, but ran into an out at home plate on a ground ball with the infield in. The Pirates got a runner to third in the third, too, this time with two outs and couldn’t score,
The only run came on an RBI single from Colin Moran after a Phillip Evans double.
Kevin Newman continued his hot streak, going 2 for 2 with a walk and bumping his average to .688.
In the field
Alford’s miscue in center was the most noteworthy defensive play the Pirates made, but they did suffer some unfortunate miscues on the base paths. After Tucker was tagged out at home, outfielder Jared Oliva was picked off at first base. The next inning, Alford was picked off as well, though it resulted in Kevin Newman being tagged out between home and third for the final out of the inning.
Up next:
Game: Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox, 1:05 p.m. Sunday, JetBlue Park at Fenway South, Fort Myers, Fla. Pitchers: RHP Wil Crowe for Pirates; RHP Nick Pivetta for Red Sox. Also for Pirates: RHP Sean Poppen, RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Geoff Hartlieb, RHP David Bednar. Watch/ listen: MLB Network (delay); KDKA-AM (1020).