SPRING REPORT
BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller staked the Tampa Bay Rays to a seven-run lead, and the Pirates still almost clawed back.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates had the winning runs on base, but Kevin Kramer and Troy Stokes Jr. both flied out and the Pirates lost, 10-9.
The defeat moved the Pirates back to .500 for the spring at 8-8-1.
On the mound
Keller was the lowlight. He allowed three runs in the first inning and was pulled after a single from Rays shortstop Wander Franco hit him in the leg on the way through the infield.
Left-hander Chasen Shreve finished off the first, and Keller came back out for the second. He gave up a homer to Rays outfielder Ryan Boldt, but looked better. Then in the third, the Rays hit two homers and an RBI double. Keller’s line included 10 hits and eight runs allowed.
Right-hander Chase De Jong had the best day of any Pirates pitchers. He went three innings and allowed only one run and four hits to keep the Pirates in the game. Late-inning reliever Richard Rodriguez was shaky, too, allowing three singles, a walk and a run while only recording one out.
At the plate
The Pirates chipped away at the deficit all game. Left fielder Bryan Reynolds and first baseman Colin Moran each launched two-run home runs. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes notched an RBI single, as well.
A good portion of the attempted comeback, however, came with some of their prospects in the lineup. Infielder Nick Gonzales, the first-round selection in the 2020 MLB draft, drove in one run with a double in the sixth and another with a single in the ninth. Outfielder Jared Oliva ripped a two-run ground-rule double down the right-field line in the sixth.
In the field
Manager Derek Shelton was complimentary of his younger players, most notably third baseman Kevin Kramer and Gonzales, who combined for a slick, inning-ending double play in the ninth.
Keller did not get much help from his defenders early on, though. The leadoff hitter, former Pirate Austin Meadows, grounded a soft one down the first-base line, and Keller and Moran had a miscommunication on fielding the ball, allowing Meadows to reach first. At one point, catcher Jacob Stallings misplayed a foul pop-up, though the wind at LECOM Park was causing issues for both teams all game.
Up next
Friday’s game: Pirates vs. Orioles, LECOM Park, Bradenton, Fla. 6:05 p.m. Pitchers: LHP Steven Brault vs. TBA. Also for Pirates: RHP Chris Stratton, LHP Sam Howard, RHP Geoff Hartlieb, RHP Edgar Santana, RHP David Bednar. Watch, listen: AT&T SportsNet; KDKA-AM (1020), KDKA-FM (100.1).