• Who: Pirates (14-10) vs. Rays (10-10) • When: 1:05 p.m. • What: Grapefruit League exhibition • Where: Charlotte Sports Park • Weather: 79°, clear • Pitchers: LHP Andrew Heaney vs. RHP Zack Littell • Streaming:Pirates.com • Boxscore: MLB.com
► FOLLOW ALONG
• That's the game. Rays win, 5-2.
• What a ridiculous play by Westbrook at second base. Robs Stewart of a hit. He can't buy one at this point.
• Jarod Bayless gave up one single in the eighth before retiring three straight. Pirates down to their final three outs.
• Suwinski strikes out looking at a pitch on the outer half.
• Mayza strands Westbrook at third with an inning-ending strikeout. We head to the eighth.
• RUN: Make that back-to-back-to-back doubles as Jamie Westbrook drives one to the right field corner to score Morel from second. Rays, 5-2.
• RUN: Mayza gives up a second straight double, Bob Seymour sends this one to the left center wall as Morel comes around to score. Rays, 4-2.
• Morel sends a double off the wall in left center.
• Wentz worked through a 1-2-3 inning and Tim Mayza has now taken over in the seventh.
• Josh Lowe doubles down into right field as it bounces off the wall in front of the Rays' bullpen. That's it for Holderman. Joey Wentz is entering the game.
• Stewart strikes out for the 14th time this spring. The second-highest amount on the team.
• McCutchen just stole second base as Suwinski struck out. Not everyday you see McCutchen swipe a base at this stage of his career, had a nifty slide into second to avoid the tag.
• Holderman works quickly and records two strikeouts. Caminero was not happy with his at-bat there. Slammed down his helmet and his bat after swinging at a pitch outside the zone.
• Outside of that second inning, it was a pretty solid outing from Heaney. He worked through the last two innings fairly quickly once he settled in. He threw 4 1/3 innings, gave up six hits, no walks and struck out two.
• Heaney gets fly out that Suwinski tracks down on the run in left field and Shelton comes out to get him. Colin Holderman is entering the game.
• Pham hits a hard line drive to Caminero at third base and he's robbed off a hit with runners on second and third.
• Bae with another double off the wall in left field. Hit near the top of the wall as Davis reached third. He's making a strong case for the opening day roster.
• Davis really making strong contact today. He sends a single out to centerfield.
• A nice and efficient 1-2-3 inning for Heaney. Good way to bounce back after giving up two home runs in the second inning.
• Stewart strikes out to end the top half of the inning.
• Gonzales erases Suwinski with a double play ball.
• Suwinski nets another base hit. He's looking really confident at the plate this spring and the results show that.
• A much better inning from Heaney there, gave up a single but got two strikeouts.
• Heaney strikes out Jimenez, that's his first of the day.
• Lowe hits a comebacker that bounces off Heaney's ankle and into no man's land for a base hit.
• McCutchen strikes out on a dropped third strike.
• Pham's hitless streak ends with a stand-up triple off the wall in right center. Could've been a double but the Rays were a little lazy with the relay in and Pham took advantage.
• RUN: Frazier grounds out to second base and Davis scores from third. Rays, 3-2.
• RUN: Bae goes the opposite way and doubles down the left field line. Davis scores all the way from first and Bae advances to third on the way home. Rays, 3-1.
• Davis singles up the middle, took a really tough bounce on Lowe behind the mound and carried into center field. Davis got ahold of a few foul balls before that base hit.
• Yorke grounds out to third base to start the third.
• Brandon Lowe flies out to Pham in right field and we head to the third.
• Heaney is getting touched up today as Diaz sends a hard-hit line drive to left field.
• Morel records the Rays' fourth hit of the game with a single to left field between Frazier and Gonzales.
• Heaney gets a ground out before Walls sends one out near the warning track in straightaway center field.
• HOME RUN: Danny Jansen then sends one over the left field wall. Rays, 3-0.
• HOME RUN: Eloy Jimenez sends a 2-0 pitch to straightaway center field to put the Rays ahead. That's the third home run Heaney has given up this spring. Rays, 2-0.
• Heaney gets Josh Lowe to a 3-2 count, followed by three foul balls before giving up an infield single to shallow left field.
• Stewart grounds out to second base for the third out and we head to the bottom half.
• Suwinski is moving on the pitch with a little hit-and-run action, but it's a 5-3 groundout for Gonzales.
• Jack Suwinski gets ahold of one and sends it out to right field. Really nice contact there.
• Andrew McCutchen swings at the first pitch he sees and pops up to Diaz in foul territory. He ran down to first base with his bat in hand.
• It's a 1-2-3 inning for Heaney as Junior Caminero pops up to second base.
• Brandon Lowe lines out to Gonzales. That one had some pace to it. Really flew off the bat.
• Yandy Diaz is first pitch swinging as well and he pops out to Nick Gonzales at shortstop.
• Pham grounds out. He's 0 for his last 16.
• Taylor Walls makes a really nice play behind second base to rob Adam Frazier of a base hit. He was shaded toward the right side and made a sliding spot before firing the ball to first.
• Bae goes quickly as he's first pitch swinging. He pops out to center field.
• First pitch: Pirates vs. Rays, Zack Littell to Ji Hwan Bae, Charlotte Sports Park, 1:05 p.m. 77 degrees, clear
• Colin Holderman, Joey Wentz and Tim Mayza are also expected to pitch today.
• Here’s how the Pirates will line up against the Rays this afternoon:
• Rays lineup:
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
3:03 am - 03.19.2025Port Charlotte, Fla.Final: Rays 5, Pirates 2
• Who: Pirates (14-10) vs. Rays (10-10)
• When: 1:05 p.m.
• What: Grapefruit League exhibition
• Where: Charlotte Sports Park
• Weather: 79°, clear
• Pitchers: LHP Andrew Heaney vs. RHP Zack Littell
• Streaming: Pirates.com
• Boxscore: MLB.com
► FOLLOW ALONG
• That's the game. Rays win, 5-2.
• What a ridiculous play by Westbrook at second base. Robs Stewart of a hit. He can't buy one at this point.
• Jarod Bayless gave up one single in the eighth before retiring three straight. Pirates down to their final three outs.
• Suwinski strikes out looking at a pitch on the outer half.
• Mayza strands Westbrook at third with an inning-ending strikeout. We head to the eighth.
• RUN: Make that back-to-back-to-back doubles as Jamie Westbrook drives one to the right field corner to score Morel from second. Rays, 5-2.
• RUN: Mayza gives up a second straight double, Bob Seymour sends this one to the left center wall as Morel comes around to score. Rays, 4-2.
• Morel sends a double off the wall in left center.
• Wentz worked through a 1-2-3 inning and Tim Mayza has now taken over in the seventh.
• Josh Lowe doubles down into right field as it bounces off the wall in front of the Rays' bullpen. That's it for Holderman. Joey Wentz is entering the game.
• Stewart strikes out for the 14th time this spring. The second-highest amount on the team.
• McCutchen just stole second base as Suwinski struck out. Not everyday you see McCutchen swipe a base at this stage of his career, had a nifty slide into second to avoid the tag.
• Holderman works quickly and records two strikeouts. Caminero was not happy with his at-bat there. Slammed down his helmet and his bat after swinging at a pitch outside the zone.
• Outside of that second inning, it was a pretty solid outing from Heaney. He worked through the last two innings fairly quickly once he settled in. He threw 4 1/3 innings, gave up six hits, no walks and struck out two.
• Heaney gets fly out that Suwinski tracks down on the run in left field and Shelton comes out to get him. Colin Holderman is entering the game.
• Pham hits a hard line drive to Caminero at third base and he's robbed off a hit with runners on second and third.
• Bae with another double off the wall in left field. Hit near the top of the wall as Davis reached third. He's making a strong case for the opening day roster.
• Davis really making strong contact today. He sends a single out to centerfield.
• A nice and efficient 1-2-3 inning for Heaney. Good way to bounce back after giving up two home runs in the second inning.
• Stewart strikes out to end the top half of the inning.
• Gonzales erases Suwinski with a double play ball.
• Suwinski nets another base hit. He's looking really confident at the plate this spring and the results show that.
• A much better inning from Heaney there, gave up a single but got two strikeouts.
• Heaney strikes out Jimenez, that's his first of the day.
• Lowe hits a comebacker that bounces off Heaney's ankle and into no man's land for a base hit.
• McCutchen strikes out on a dropped third strike.
• Pham's hitless streak ends with a stand-up triple off the wall in right center. Could've been a double but the Rays were a little lazy with the relay in and Pham took advantage.
• RUN: Frazier grounds out to second base and Davis scores from third. Rays, 3-2.
• RUN: Bae goes the opposite way and doubles down the left field line. Davis scores all the way from first and Bae advances to third on the way home. Rays, 3-1.
• Davis singles up the middle, took a really tough bounce on Lowe behind the mound and carried into center field. Davis got ahold of a few foul balls before that base hit.
• Yorke grounds out to third base to start the third.
• Brandon Lowe flies out to Pham in right field and we head to the third.
• Heaney is getting touched up today as Diaz sends a hard-hit line drive to left field.
• Morel records the Rays' fourth hit of the game with a single to left field between Frazier and Gonzales.
• Heaney gets a ground out before Walls sends one out near the warning track in straightaway center field.
• HOME RUN: Danny Jansen then sends one over the left field wall. Rays, 3-0.
• HOME RUN: Eloy Jimenez sends a 2-0 pitch to straightaway center field to put the Rays ahead. That's the third home run Heaney has given up this spring. Rays, 2-0.
• Heaney gets Josh Lowe to a 3-2 count, followed by three foul balls before giving up an infield single to shallow left field.
• Stewart grounds out to second base for the third out and we head to the bottom half.
• Suwinski is moving on the pitch with a little hit-and-run action, but it's a 5-3 groundout for Gonzales.
• Jack Suwinski gets ahold of one and sends it out to right field. Really nice contact there.
• Andrew McCutchen swings at the first pitch he sees and pops up to Diaz in foul territory. He ran down to first base with his bat in hand.
• It's a 1-2-3 inning for Heaney as Junior Caminero pops up to second base.
• Brandon Lowe lines out to Gonzales. That one had some pace to it. Really flew off the bat.
• Yandy Diaz is first pitch swinging as well and he pops out to Nick Gonzales at shortstop.
• Pham grounds out. He's 0 for his last 16.
• Taylor Walls makes a really nice play behind second base to rob Adam Frazier of a base hit. He was shaded toward the right side and made a sliding spot before firing the ball to first.
• Bae goes quickly as he's first pitch swinging. He pops out to center field.
• First pitch: Pirates vs. Rays, Zack Littell to Ji Hwan Bae, Charlotte Sports Park, 1:05 p.m. 77 degrees, clear
• Colin Holderman, Joey Wentz and Tim Mayza are also expected to pitch today.
• Here’s how the Pirates will line up against the Rays this afternoon:
• Rays lineup:
Want to participate in our comments?
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Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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