At this point in the spring, players are really starting to put themselves in position for the regular season. The Pirates have nine games left, including a split squad day on Monday, and players are starting to do whatever they can to try and ensure a spot on the opening day roster.
Here are three takeaways from today's 15-5 win over the Orioles.
• Jack Suwinski continues to hit. I highlighted his at-bats against the Twins earlier this week, but if one wants to do so they could simply look at his final at-bat of today's game. With the bases loaded Suwinski battled through a 12-pitch at bat, fouling off six straight pitches after getting to 2-2, watched a ball and then caught all of a high fastball for a two-RBI single to right field. He's told me a lot this spring that he's not worried about results, but is rather just focused on his approach and picking the right pitches to hit. He did just that in this at-bat. He's hitting .345 with a .992 OPS this spring and is making a great case to be on the opening day roster.
• David Bednar had another rough outing today, allowing three runs, two earned, on just three hits, but I'm not sure how much of this one can actually be placed on him. He had a ball fall between three defenders, two more ground balls sneak through the infield and allowed a run to score on a passed ball. There wasn't a hard hit in the bunch and I was right behind home plate for the passed ball. Bednar threw a curveball and it looked like Endy Rodriguez got a little ahead of himself as he prepped to throw a runner out trying to steal second. The ball got under his glove and bounced to the backstop. No, it's not good to see the numbers Bednar has allowed in the past two outings, but the defense did him no favors -- outside of a diving catch in right field by Suwinski -- in this outing.
• The Pirates' situational hitting the past two games has been great as well. They are moving guys around the bases and picking the right pitches to attack. One could look at Oneil Cruz's first at-bat today after Endy Rodriguez advanced Ke'Bryan Hayes to third with a infield groundout to the right side. Cruz took a second pitch changeup on the outer half of the plate and crushed a ball through the first and second baseman for the Pirates' first run. Those types of situations are all over the past two games. It's a good sign for the regular season as that's what they'll need to do to have success this season.
• One extra: Henry Davis absolutely crushed a grand slam today over the boardwalk in left field. It had a 103.1 mph exit velocity and traveled a long way. I'll be featuring him in the next day or two.
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
8:41 pm - 03.15.2025Bradenton, Fla.Suwinski keeps on hitting
At this point in the spring, players are really starting to put themselves in position for the regular season. The Pirates have nine games left, including a split squad day on Monday, and players are starting to do whatever they can to try and ensure a spot on the opening day roster.
Here are three takeaways from today's 15-5 win over the Orioles.
• Jack Suwinski continues to hit. I highlighted his at-bats against the Twins earlier this week, but if one wants to do so they could simply look at his final at-bat of today's game. With the bases loaded Suwinski battled through a 12-pitch at bat, fouling off six straight pitches after getting to 2-2, watched a ball and then caught all of a high fastball for a two-RBI single to right field. He's told me a lot this spring that he's not worried about results, but is rather just focused on his approach and picking the right pitches to hit. He did just that in this at-bat. He's hitting .345 with a .992 OPS this spring and is making a great case to be on the opening day roster.
• David Bednar had another rough outing today, allowing three runs, two earned, on just three hits, but I'm not sure how much of this one can actually be placed on him. He had a ball fall between three defenders, two more ground balls sneak through the infield and allowed a run to score on a passed ball. There wasn't a hard hit in the bunch and I was right behind home plate for the passed ball. Bednar threw a curveball and it looked like Endy Rodriguez got a little ahead of himself as he prepped to throw a runner out trying to steal second. The ball got under his glove and bounced to the backstop. No, it's not good to see the numbers Bednar has allowed in the past two outings, but the defense did him no favors -- outside of a diving catch in right field by Suwinski -- in this outing.
• The Pirates' situational hitting the past two games has been great as well. They are moving guys around the bases and picking the right pitches to attack. One could look at Oneil Cruz's first at-bat today after Endy Rodriguez advanced Ke'Bryan Hayes to third with a infield groundout to the right side. Cruz took a second pitch changeup on the outer half of the plate and crushed a ball through the first and second baseman for the Pirates' first run. Those types of situations are all over the past two games. It's a good sign for the regular season as that's what they'll need to do to have success this season.
• One extra: Henry Davis absolutely crushed a grand slam today over the boardwalk in left field. It had a 103.1 mph exit velocity and traveled a long way. I'll be featuring him in the next day or two.
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