PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates are without reliever Kyle Crick for the opening of the season as he is on paternity leave. That means Clay Holmes is in the bullpen for Opening Day along with Sam Howard, Chris Stratton, Michael Feliz, David Bednar, Wil Crowe, Richard Rodriguez, Duane Underwood and Luis Oviedo.
Alford wins CF job
“I know you will see both guys play out there,” manager Derek Shelton said of Anthony Alford starting in center Thursday afternoon. “I think I went with Anthony primarily last year at the end of the year. He did a nice job before he got hurt. I thought I would give him the opportunity Opening Day to start.”
Alford played in five games with the Pirates last season hitting a homer with 4 RBI. A former Division 1 football player, Alford has yet to tap into his power potential.
“I think its more consistency with his swing,” Shelton said. “The way his swing looks and how his swing is moving is continuing to improve. That’s going off having him in Toronto and seeing that. I think some of the adjustments that Rick (Eckstein) has started to make with him are going to translate. He looks better than he did then. We just have to continue to work on those things, but he’s a strong kid. The power is going to come.”
Newman hits 5th
Despite leading the team and most of baseball with a .606 average this spring, Kevin Newman will start the season batting fifth.
Shelton said he was just putting a righty in-between clean-up hitter Colin Moran and right fielder Gregory Polanco.