Gerrit Cole To Return To Pirates Lineup Sunday
BRADENTON, Fla. (93-7 THE FAN) -- The Pirates lost their fourth straight Grapefruit League game, 6-2 to the Boston Red Sox at McKechnie Field Wednesday, but manager Clint Hurdle had some positive postgame news - Gerrit Cole is getting closer.
"Bullpen tomorrow and then 2 innings, I believe Sunday," Hurdle said when the Bucs play the Tigers in Bradenton.
As for today's starter, Ryan Vogelsong, who had sailed through his 2 innings last week, he allowed 3 runs in 3 innings on 4 hits, one an opposite field home run to Boston first baseman Travis Shaw.
"He picked the wrong day to give up a fly ball to left field," Hurdle quppied on another windy Florida afternoon, this time blowing from right to left.
Vogelsong looked at the bright side.
"You don't want to not pitch well, but you need to battle every once in a while," he explained, "Get it out of the way now, than the last start before the season starts."
Starling Marte went 1-for-2 with a stolen base and is batting .455 which makes Marte about the only regular who is hitting well 9 games into the exhibition schedule. Hurdle isn't concerned nor is he overly excited about Altoona's Tim Frazier also batting .455 and Bradenton's Harold Ramirez batting.625.
"Why get ahead of ourselves," Hurdle asked the assembled media. "I'm in a different business than you're in. I'm a crock pot. People have a tendency to be microwaves."
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The Pirates will play a B Game Thursday against the Orioles with Tyler Glasnow and Kyle Lobstein scheduled to pitch. Francisco Liriano and Jamison Taillon will pitch against the Rays in Port Charlotte.
Listen to an interview with Jamison Taillon here:
Top OF prospect Austin Meadows may have broken an orbital bone when he was hit by a ball playing catch at Pirate City on Tuesday. He will be examined in Pittsburgh once swelling subsides.
