What is the story about?
Game Summary
The
Pirates come to town for their first visit to RDS ever and leave with a 28-year streak of never having lost a game in Jupiter. The Pirates broke on top early with a 2-run HR by phenom Konnor Griffin, added a 2 spot in the second inning and single tallies in the fourth and seventh. Offensively, the Cardinals mustered by one hit and scored a lone run a rally killing GIDP in the fifth.
Pre-Game Notes
The venue remains unchanged. Roger Dean Stadium. Pittsburgh is in.
- Barco pitches for the Pirates. Leahy for the Cardinals.
- Mautz, Rincon, Romero, Roycroft, Moreno to follow Leahy, not necessarily in that order.
- Herrera at lead-off today. Followed by Urias, Gorman, Walker, Fermin, Pozo, Church, Davis, Rivas
- Looking forward to seeing K. Griffin.
- The big news is Oli’s extension gets rolled out today. Have you heard?
- Otherwise, a quiet day at camp. MiLBers have the day off.
The Manager’s Corner (pre-game)
- Oli came into the media room shortly after the press conference.
- Noted Herrera at lead-off is a way to get him ABs early in the game and still get him some time behind the plate. Still in build up mode, but they like what they see.
- Does not think WBC attendance by the 9 players listed will be nearly as disruptive as last time. Sounds like it can be hit-and-miss on what information they get back from WBC teams on how their players are progressing. Some orgs are better at that than others. Isn’t it that way with everything?
- Seems he might know the Team USA manager.
- Urias has been a topic of Q&A each day. I will explore that more in-depth in an article later in camp.
- First trip ever into RDS for the Pirates. Cardinals return the favor this upcoming Thursday.
Game Observations
- A double and a Griffin HR put a quick 2-spot on the board for the Bucs. Griffin launched a center-cut sweeper that swept into the hitting sweet spot instead of out of it.
- Another 2-spot in the second inning, featuring more bloops and bleeders than anything.
- Bedell into take the last batter of the third inning, with Leahy’s pitch count in the 50’s.
- Through three innings, the Cardinals are hitless (been a bit of that at the start of this camp) and find themselves down 4-0.
- Jhostynxon Garcia greets Romero in the 4th with a solo shot, otherwise a quiet inning.
- Cardinals load the bases in fifth to make some noise. Davis GDP plates a run but ends the noise.
- Mautz pitches 2.2 with 4 Ks, complicated by 3 walks, ultimately giving up a run. Nunez finishes the inning with a K after giving up a run scoring single to right. He is high octane.
- Roycroft pitches a scoreless 8th w 2Ks.
- The bottom of the eighth produces a Tai Peete sighting. He K’s looking. He loses the challenge and the Cardinals are out of challenges.
- Rincon in to cap off the ninth. 11 pitches. 4-seamer tops at 97, avg closer to 95. Slider got outs.
The Manager’s Corner (post-game)
- <
>
Final notes
- Will work the back fields tomorrow in the AM and then begin to long trek home, so this is the last game recap.
- Will recap the back field experience for my Friday article. It may take that long to re-surface and process all the impressions I’ve gotten. Some may marinate all summer.
