Yankees-Pirate notes

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com

TAMPA - So, comedian Billy Crystal asked Pittsburgh Pirate starter Paul Maholm, were you nervous?
"Yes," Maholm said.
"Nervous about hitting me?" Crystal said.
"No," Maholm said, "I was nervous about giving up a hit to you."
That didn't happen. Maholm struck out Crystal, who signed a one-day contract with his beloved New York Yankees, during Crystal's lone at-bat of the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Yankees at Legends Field on Thursday.
Crystal, who turns 60 on Friday, and Maholm, who will turn 26 in June, chatted briefly after the game inside the Yankee dugout. They each autographed a ball for each other and posed for pictures together.
"I was trying to lay it in there for you," Maholm said. "I was hoping you were swinging."
"I was hoping you were going to go underhand," said Crystal, who also took a picture with home-plate umpire Mark Carlson.
Maholm had a better day than Crystal, limiting the Yankees to one hit in four innings in his first start of the spring. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter.

RECAP: After Yankee starter Mike Mussina threw five perfect innings, the Pirates rallied for a 5-3 win Thursday at Legends Field. Jorge Velandia's two-out, two-run single snapped a 3-3 tie in the eighth, and Steve Pearce, Jason Bay and Doug Mientkiewicz each knocked in a run for Pittsburgh. The Pirates are 5-9, while the Yankees fall to 6-6.

A WIN, BUT...: Pirate reliever Byung-Hyun Kim earned his first win of the spring, but struggled in doing so. He allowed three runs - all on home runs - in one inning, upping his spring ERA to 18.00.
"He struggled a little bit, and left some pitches over the plate," said Pirate manager John Russell. "The key to him is he's got keep the ball down."
Pittsburgh's five other pitchers Thursday - Maholm, Jaret Wright, Damaso Marte, John Grabow and Hector Carrasco - combined to give up no runs and four innings in eight innings.

PAY NO MIND: Outfielders Nyjer Morgan and Nate McLouth, who are fighting for the job in centerfield, both started Thursday, with Morgan in center and McLouth in right. But Russell said it was just a way to get both guys some more at-bats, and that it will happen again during the spring.
Each player had a hit Thursday. Morgan is hitting .258 on the spring, while McLouth - who has five doubles in his past three games and is 6 for his last 8 - is at .391.

HERE'S A SHOCKER: Legends Field drew a sold-out crowd Thursday, as 10,705 fans packed the 12-year-old park. Their biggest cheers were aimed at Crystal.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You look like you're nine-years-old." Crystal, 60, upon meeting the 25-year-old Maholm.

UP NEXT: The Pirates will play a split-squad doubleheader Friday, with the Reds coming to Bradenton and the Twins hosting the Pirates in Fort Myers. Both games will begin at 1:05. Ty Taubenheim will start for the Pirates in Fort Myers, and Matt Morris will face the Reds at McKechnie Field. Evan Meek, Casey Fossum and Marino Salas are expected to pitch in Bradenton, and Bryan Bullington, John Van Benschoten and T.J. Beam are scheduled to go in Fort Myers.