March 21, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Getting ready for first pitch …
Game: Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox, exhibition, 1:05 p.m., McKechnie Field
Pitchers: LHP Francisco Liriano vs. LHP Wade Miley
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday / Multimedia / Official game notes
March 21, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. — A weekly look at what’s new, what’s coming on our site …
• Since the site’s inception, we’ve offered free subscriptions to all men and women serving actively in our military. That will never change. I hear too many tales of how staying connected to Pittsburgh’s sports teams is vital for those far from home, and it’s absolutely our honor to give back.
If you qualify, please email us verification of service at [email protected]
Unfortunately, we’re not in a business position to include all military veterans, which is obviously a very large group. But here’s what we’ve done in lieu of that: We recommend to anyone who wishes to donate to the site that they instead buy a gift subscription for a veteran. In turn, we assign that gift and, if you want, we’ll let you know who got it.
We’ve already had many, many generous readers who have done this.
March 20, 2015
Vance Worley pitches to the Phillies in the first inning Friday at McKechnie Field. — DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Sights, sounds and the scene at McKechnie Field today …
• Vance Worley’s pitching line was fairly ordinary in the Pirates’ 6-5 victory over the Phillies — three runs, six hits over five innings — but that didn’t mean he was exaggerating when he declared afterward, “Man, I felt great out there. I mean great.”
All of Philadelphia’s runs came on two home runs, the first when Brian Bogusevic did a fine job tracking a fastball that drifted back over the middle, the other when Cody Asche remarkably fisted off intended chin music for a two-run shot.
“That second home run, he was supposed to do this,” Worley said, making a diving motion.
March 20, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. – Here’s the podcast of my weekly rapid-fire segment on 970 ESPN Pittsburgh with David Todd. We tore through Pirates, Penguins and a bit of Steelers to close.
March 20, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Getting ready for first pitch …
Game: Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, exhibition, 1:05 p.m., McKechnie Field
Pitchers: RHP Vance Worley vs. RHP Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
Audio: MLB.com
Online: Gameday / Multimedia / Official game notes
March 20, 2015
Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker each has slugged a three-run home run for the Pirates this spring. — GETTY
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
SARASOTA, Fla. — Roundup of a lot of randomness from a lot of time around our teams …
• Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez make up the right side of the Pirates’ infield and, if both hit to their goals, they’ll also make up the heart of the order, along with Andrew McCutchen.
Seems like they’re pretty important pieces. And they are.
But for how long?
Each case is different, but here’s what they carry in common: Both can become free agents after the 2016 season, and management has yet to make a meaningful move to keep Walker beyond that, and there hasn’t been any move to keep Alvarez.
I’ve been talking with team officials all week on these topics, topped by a candid conversation with Frank Coonelly yesterday behind home plate at Ed Smith Stadium, and I’m comfortable with portraying the above situations as follows:
March 19, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
Getting ready for faceoff …
Game: Penguins (39-21-10) vs. Dallas Stars (32-28-10), 8:38 p.m., American Airlines Center, Dallas
Goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury (31-15-7, 2.23) vs. Kari Lehtonen (29-14-10, 2.91)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 105.9 the X
Online: GameCenter / Multimedia / Official game notes
March 19, 2015
Corey Hart homered and singled Thursday against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla. — GETTY
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
SARASOTA, Fla. — Sights, sounds and the scene at Ed Smith Stadium today …
• Radhames Liz got the start he’d been promised early in spring training, and he fared … eh, OK. He was charged with a run and two hits over his two innings of the 6-4 loss to the Orioles, with a strikeout, a walk and 18 strikes among his 27 pitches.
I’d considered this day a pretty big day in the spring context, in that Liz, a lifelong starter, might have at least begun a conversation about being used in that role in Pittsburgh, something management absolutely hasn’t ruled out. And with the current pickings at No. 5 starter and further depth issues, it would be huge if he made that push.
As it was, the performance came across as overly cautious. Ray Searage has advised Liz, who was crushing radar guns at 98 mph in the eighth inning of starts in the Dominican this past winter, sat at 94-95, elevated a bit when there, and was overly reliant on good but not great breaking stuff.
March 19, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
SARASOTA, Fla. — Getting ready for first pitch …
Game: Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles, exhibition, 1:05 p.m., Ed Smith Stadium
Pitchers: RHP Radhames Liz vs. RHP Chris Tillman
Audio: MLB.com
Online: Gameday / Multimedia / Official game notes
March 19, 2015
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Backup catcher Chris Stewart’s ailing hamstring, reported on this site Tuesday, is severe enough that he’ll miss two weeks of spring games, the Pirates announced this morning. That clears a path for Tony Sanchez to make the roster.
Views: How convenient. And I don’t write that in a flip way.
Sanchez is 10 for 17 with two home runs and two doubles this spring and, even if tossing spring stats to the wind, he’s looked much improved behind the plate, which long has been the greatest concern. He even had management discussing how to keep him as a third catcher to have his bat available.
Well, good things come to those who perform, and here it is.
