The Pirates got a strong outing from Marco Gonzalez but lost to the Orioles, 5-2 in their regular Grapefruit League game yesterday. Then in the Spring Breakout Game for top prospects, Pirates pitchers dazzled the O’s in a 3-1 Bucco win.
Gonzalez threw five innings of one-run ball in the regular game. The Pirates had a 2-1 lead in the 7th when things went bad with the minor leaguers in the game, when an error, a walk, and a passed ball led to a three-run homer by the O’s’ Kyle Stowers off Ryan Borucki.
In the Breakout Game, Paul Skenes set the tone with a perfect first inning, throwing 11 pitches, eight of them strikes, striking out two and breaking the 100-mile-per-hour mark six times.
Braxton Ashcraft pitched the second inning, striking out two but walking two and he gave up the only run the Orioles scored. Continuing his return from Tommy John surgery, 2022 second round draft pick Hunter Barco threw two scoreless innings and struck out three. 2023 12th round pick Khristian Curtis threw a scoreless inning. Last year’s fifth round draft pick, Patrick Reilly, struck out the side in his one inning, although the last strikeout was on a batter’s pitch clock violation. And Bubba Chandler closed out the game with a 1-2-3 7th inning, striking out one.
First baseman Jase Bowen had two hits. Third baseman Jack Branigan and DH Mitch Webb each drove in runs.
The Pirates will play the Yankees in a night game tonight in Tampa, with Quinn Priester starting for the Bucs.
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