Pirates Notes 3/21

By JOHN LEMBO
jlembo@bradenton.com
SARASOTA – It was yet another efficient outing for Paul Maholm.
The Pirates lefty needed just 72 pitches to coast through six innings Saturday at Ed Smith Stadium, where the Pirates beat the Reds 6-5.
Maholm has thrown 15 2/3 straight scoreless innings and is 2-0 with a 0.46 ERA in five starts this spring.
“He’s right on track,” said manager John Russell. “He’s on a good pace now. He’ll be ready to go over that 100-pitch mark by his last start.”
The only pitcher on the staff promised a spot in the rotation entering the spring, Maholm is considered the favorite to start Opening Day on April 6th in St. Louis.
“We haven’t officially told anybody yet, but when we do, we’ll let you know,” Russell said. “But obviously we’re probably leaning toward that way.”
PHILLIPS HURTING: An MRI on And y Phillips’ ailing back revealed a couple of bulging discs, Russell said.
“A lot of people have them,” Russell said. “We’re going to really try and quiet those down before he can get back to activity.”
Phillips hasn’t played in a game since March 7.
“He was doing some things and it just doesn’t feel right,” Russell said. “There’s not much you can do about it. Anybody who has had lower back problems knows it’s not fun. So we’re just going to see how he’s going to progress.”
RYAN IS ROLLING: Ryan Doumit went 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored Saturday and has six hits in his last 11 at-bats. He is batting .289 on the spring.
STREAK GOES ON: Nate McLouth homered Saturday, and has reached base in 12 straight games. It was McLouth’s third home run of the spring. He has seven RBIs and three home runs.