PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A return to some better pitching for the Pirates in ending a three game slide with a 4-2 win against the Twins.
Chad Kuhl went three innings allowing two hits, two talks and struck out 4. Sean Poppen gave up a hit over two innings and struck out three. Geoff Hartlieb, Mars HS David Bednar and Blake Weiman combined to throw three scoreless—all three have yet to give up a run this spring.
Kuhl start
Kuhl made his third start and has given up 2 runs so far in 6 innings on 7 hits, a homer, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.
“I thought it went well,” Kuhl said of Tuesday. “Good and bad. There were times where I was a little bit out of sync. My fastball command wasn’t great, but at times it was. Threw some really good breaking balls. Threw some good change-ups. Threw out of the stretch pretty well. A lot of good things today.”
Pop-up problems
The Bucs righty luckily just lost his breath after a scary collision in the first inning on an infield fly ball that Kuhl described.
“It was a pop-up that was between third and home,” Kuhl said. “In a pitchers world, between third base and home. I had no shot at it. One of my fielders, they are going to have the best chance at it. I kinda just put my head down and a couple seconds later, Moran was making a b-line towards the ball. I just happened to be in his way.”
“It’s just one of those freak plays that happens. Frazier caught it and I’m alright.”
Kuhl momentarily had the wind knocked out of him. But all were ok.
Newman hot
In a battle to be a starter, shortstop Kevin Newman had his fourth multi-hit game of the spring going 3 for 4 with a RBI.
“It’s been good,” Newman said. “Anytime you can get some knocks to start this spring off. It’s kind of a good feeling to build some confidence and get ready to go into a season. Definitely happy about that.”
In the competition at short, Cole Tucker went 1 for 4 (.167) with a RBI. In a competition in center, Dustin Fowler went 2 for 4 (hitting .250 this spring) and Brian Goodwin drove in a run with a sacrifice fly
In the competition to back up Jacob Stallings, Mark Wolters went 2 for 4 (.200), while Michael Perez went 1 for 4 (.111). The pair swapped between catching and being the designated hitter on Tuesday.
Up Next
Tyler Glasnow returns to LECOM Park as the Rays visit Mitch Keller and the Pirates at 1:05p. Hear that game on 100.1 FM and AM 1020, News Radio KDKA.