Notes from the McKechnie Finale

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
BRADENTON – John Russell was the Pirates third base coach in 2005, when a rookie named Zach Duke broke into the bigs.
Duke went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA that season – but has struggled since, going 18-37.
Friday, Duke threw five scoreless innings against the Twins, capping a spring training where he posted a 3.86 ERA and had one bad start, which came last weekend against the New York Yankees.
“He started gaining some confidence last year, and I think he carried it over into spring training,” Russell said. “He really committed himself this year…He feels good about his arm, he feels good about being able to use his pitches on both sides of the plate.”
Duke went 5-14 with a 4.82 ERA last year, but earned a spot in the rotation this spring. He is scheduled to make his first start of the regular season Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
DON’T EXPECT MUCH: Russell said the Pirates starters will get a maximum of one at-bat Saturday, when the Pirates play their last game of the spring against the Twins in Fort Myers.
“We don’t want to get anybody hurt,” he said.
WINNING SPRING: The Pirates have already clinched a winning spring for the first time since 2003, and their 17 wins are the most they had in an exhibition season since the 1994 squad went 19-10.
SEE YOU AGAIN: The Pirates play the Twins for the seventh and final time this spring Saturday, and will face Minnesota June 16-18 during Interleague Play.

Pirats-BoSox, April 1

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
BRADENTON – The Pittsburgh Pirates rounded out their rotation Wednesday by awarding the final slot to Jeff Karstens.
Karstens went 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in seven appearances – three starts – this spring in beating out Virgil Vazquez (1-2, 7.62). Vazquez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Wednesday’s game with the Boston Red Sox.
“At times, Jeff threw very well, at times, he didn’t. Virgil (was) the same way,” said manager John Russell. “But we know what Jeff can bring, and we feel Virgil has some things to accomplish.”
Aside from Vasquez, the Pirates optioned pitchers Denny Bautista, Chris Bootcheck and Jason Davis, catcher Erik Kratz, outfielder Jeff Salazar, infielder Andy Phillips and first baseman Garrett Jones prior to Wednesday’s game.
STREAK SNAPPED: Paul Maholm’s run of 18 2/3 scoreless innings ended when Boston’s Chip Ambres hit a three-run home run off Maholm in the fourth inning. Maholm went 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA this spring.
GOOD DEFENSE: The Pirates have committed 16 errors in 32 games this spring, which is the lowest in the majors.
NYJER ON FIRE: Nyjer Morgan went 3-for-4 Wednesday and cracked a pair of doubles, raising his average to .237. Following a poor start, Morgan has hit in four straight games and six of his last seven.

Pirates-Reds notes

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
BRADENTON – Ross Ohlendorf is anything but complacent.
Two days after the Pittsburgh Pirates gave him a spot in the starting rotation, Ohlendorf allowed a run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings during Monday’s 3-2 win over the Reds.
“I definitely wanted to pitch well again. I wanted to show them I felt that I deserved to be in the rotation,” he said, “and make their decision look good.”
Acquired last July from the Yankees, Ohlendorf is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA in five appearances – four starts – this fall.
“We’ve got a long season to go, and I am real excited about what we can do this year,” he said, “and about what I can to do help us win, and what we can do as a team.”
Ohlendorf’s next start will be Saturday, when the Pirates close out their spring against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers.
THEY MAKE A DEAL: The Pirates acquired Shawn Nottingham, a left-handed pitcher, from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a player to be named later.
Nottingham was 0-2 with a 7.09 ERA in 19 games with the Indians’ Double-A affiliate in Akron last year and 3-4 with a 4.58 ERA in 14 games with the organization’s Single-A advanced affiliate in Kinston.
THE HERO: Jason Jaramillo, awarded the backup catching job Saturday, knocked in the winning run Monday when his two-out single in the ninth plated Jeff Salazar.

Notes from GMS

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
TAMPA – The New York Yankees threw a close facsimile of their opening day roster at Pirates starter Zach Duke on Sunday.
With the exception of Alex Rodrigiuez and Mark Teixeira, the Yankees stars started during their 9-8 win over Duke and the Pirates.
“They battled every at-bat. There’s never a letdown,” said Duke, who allowed eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. “It seems like the ball always bounces their way for one reason or another.”
So deep is the Yankee lineup that Xavier Nady, who hit 25 home runs and drove in 97 with the Pirates and Yankees last year, batted seventh Sunday. And that’s without Rodriguez and Teixeira.
It was the first rough outing of the spring for Duke, who allowed three runs total in his previous five starts.
“The main thing is I get my work in, nothing’s hurt,” he said, “and you just kind of wipe this one out of the memory.”
PHILLIPS RETURNS: Andy Phillips played two innings Saturday in his first game since March 7. He had been sidelined bulging discs in his back.
Phillips, who played first base, hoped to make the roster as a backup infielder. Because of the injury, however, Phillips’ chances of making the club by Opening Day are slim.
“It’s going to be awfully tough,” said general manager Neal Huntington.
LOCKING IN: Ryan Doumit went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double, and is batting .434 in his last eight games.
It was Doumit’s third home run of the spring.
STREAKING: Nate McLouth went 1-for-3 and has reached base in 16 straight games. He is batting .326 in the spring.
ALMOST OVER: The Pirate have six games remaining in the spring and four at McKechnie Field – including the annual charity game with Manatee Community College on Thursday.

Notes from Pirates-Phillies

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
BRADENTON – What did Ryan Howard’s home run sound like to Ian Snell?
“I thought it was like World War III or something,” Snell said. “It was a loud crack.”
The Pirates righty surrendered a monster home run to the Phillies first baseman Saturday during the Pirates’ 10-4 win at McKechnie Field. The blast, Howard’s eighth of the spring, went over the green batter’s eye in dead center field. The green wall stands nearly 20 feet passed the 400-foot sign.
“I think the wind helped it, too, but it still went far,” Snell said. “It probably hit somebody’s car back there.”
It was the lone blemish of the day for Snell, who limited the defending world champions to a run on two hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five against a lineup that included Phillie regulars such as Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.
“I felt good,” Snell said. “More relaxed than my last time.”
Snell gave up six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Reds last week in his first start with the Pirates since returning from the World Baseball Classic.
He also said the blister on his right foot, which cut his last outing short, is becoming easier to deal with.
“It’s still red, it still bothers me. I have to wear a pad,” Snell said. “But it’s fine, as long as I have the pad in there.”
MAKING HIS CASE: Star prospect Andrew McCutchen had a banner day Saturday, going 5-for-5 with a home run, three doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs, raising his average to .308.
STRONG ARM: On the same day he made the team as a backup catcher, Jason Jaramillo threw out Jimmy Rollins trying to steal second and picked Marcus Giles off first base.
Jaramillo also drove in a run.
Jaramillo beat out Robinzon Diaz for the spot on the roster. Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Saturday’s game.
BIX IN THE MIX: Brian Bixler, looking to make the team as a reserve middle infielder, went 2-for-4 Saturuday to raise his average to .352 in 24 games this spring.
Bixlerd doubled and scored a run.
JOLTIN JONES: Garrett Jones stroked his fourth home run of the spring Saturday, a three-run shot in the eighth inning off Phillies closer Brad Lidge.
Jones is hitting .306 with four home runs and 11 RBIs with a team-high 16 runs scored in 26 games.

Pirates-Jays notes

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
BRADENTON – Virgil Vasquez learned a lot by watching Friday.
First, he watched Atlanta’s Tom Glavine pitch on television. Then he sat in the dugout and watched Toronto’s Roy Halladay deal against his Pittsburgh Pirates.
Neither pitcher overthrows. And Vasquez took that into account when he tossed 5 2/3 innings during a 4-1 loss Friday night.
Vasquez allowed three earned runs and five hits, but said he felt real comfortable on the mound.
Watching a pair of aces can have that positive effect.
“I’m like, ‘I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to be really comfortable with myself and my body,’” Vasquez said. “I’m just going to try and mess their timing up, and have fun with it.”
In competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, Vasquez is 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA.
But manager John Russell was pleased with what he saw Friday.
“I thought he threw well. He mixed his speeds better,” he said. “He kept us in the game, and I thought he did a nice job.”
Vasquez, Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf are the lead the candidates for the final two spots available in the starting rotation, though Ohlendorf (1-0, 0.59 ERA in four starts) has made himself the frontrunner for the fourth spot.
STRUGGLING IN THE DARK: The Pirates are now 0-3 in night games at McKechnie, losing to Toronto and Tampa Bay this spring, and the New York Yankees last year.
MR. CONSISTENCY: Nate McLouth singled in his first at-bat Friday and has reached base in 15 straight games. The centerfielder is hitting .326 this spring.
STILL ROLLING: Craig Hansen tossed a shutout inning Friday, and has given up a run in one of his 11 outings this spring. Acquired last summer from the Boston Red Sox, Hansen walked one and struck out one Friday.
FOUR TO GO: The Pirates have four more official spring training games left at McKechnie Field, not including the April 2 charity game against Manatee Community College. The Buccos round out their home schedule against the Phillies, Reds, Red Sox and Twins.
Their final home game of the spring is April 3 against Minnesota.

Pirates-Rays Notes

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
BRADENTON – First Paul Maholm.
Now Zach Duke.
Pittsburgh’s southpaw duo has been impressive this spring, and Duke furthered that string Monday, when he went five scoreless innings to pitch the Pirates to a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Duke allowed two hits, walked two and fanned four, lowering his ERA to 1.83.
“He has a very good grasp of what he’s doing this year. He had a very good offseason,” said manager John Russell. “He’s got a different outlook on what he’s doing, and the confidence is showing.”
Duke has walked four in 19 2/3 innings this season. Maholm (2-0, 0.46) has walked one in 19 2/3.
HAPPY JACK: Shorstop Jack Wilson, who is breaking in a new stance this spring, doubled twice against the Rays. He entered the game batting .091 this spring, and is now at .143. Wilson has five hits this spring, three of which are doubles.
BLEMISH FREE: Jesse Chavez pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the spring, snapping a string of three straight appearances where he allowed at least one run. Chavez struck out one against the Rays on Monday.
MR. VERSATILITY: Eric Hinske started at third base for the first time this spring, assisting on a putout. Hinske also went 2-for-3 with a run scored against his former team, showing no ill effects from the rib injury that kept him out of spring games for about three weeks.
NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME: The Pirates have three straight night games, beginning with Tuesday’s game in Orlando. They play the Rays on Wednesday night in Port Charlotte before hosting the Blue Jays on Friday night.
They are off Thursday.