I don’t really like writing about spring training games, especially when I can’t watch them. There’s so much that happens that just doesn’t mean anything that writing blog posts feels like an exercise in futility to me. I don’t mean anything against the guys that recap spring training games; it’s just not something that I like to do.
THAT SAID, the Pirates/Orioles game was on MLB.tv tonight since the Orioles televised it on MASN and I watched quite a bit of it and so I have some random observations. Some of them are related to the game, some of them aren’t.
- Jo-Jo Reyes started. Figures that would happen on the first game I got to watch this year.
- In terms of the other pitchers, Justin Wilson showed some nice zip on his fastball in his two innings of work, striking out three hitters. Given that the Pirates’ potential bullpen lefties behind Tony Watson are no great shakes, there’s a pretty good chance that Wilson could find himself in the bullpen at some point in 2012.
- Jared Hughes’ sinker is pretty nasty, too. I’m telling you: get on the Jared Hughes Bandwagon now.
- The Pirates had 18 hits, but from what I saw lots of them were of the seeing-eye single variety.
- Starling Marte laid down a b-e-a-utiful drag bunt for a single. Kid can fly. He looked a bit lost out in right field, but there was definitely something funny going on with the lights/wind at the Orioles’ park tonight because quite a few people had trouble. He ended up going 3-for-3.
- After Marte’s bunt single (which game in a sac-bunt situation), Jim Palmer exclaimed, “That’s Pirate baseball!”
- Alex Presley went 3-for-3, too, and hit the ball pretty hard for his triple.
- Matt Hague also had three hits, one of which was a home run. I know it was windy in Sarasota tonight, but it looked like he hit his homer right on the nose and sent it over the fence (and off of the Pirates’ buses) on a line.
- Gorkys Hernandez looked lost at the plate, striking out three times. I’m pulling for him, but probably only because I think Gorkys Hernandez is an awesome name. I would love to see Marte, McCutchen, and Gorkys in the outfield all at the same time just once. My goodness, with those three in the same outfield I don’t think raindrops would be able to hit the ground.
- Pedro Alvarez got behind in two counts and struck out twice. Siiiiiigh.
- Evan Chambers is little.
- On the Orioles’ side, Manny Machado looks really slick in the field. You may recall him as the guy the Pirates were considering drafting along with Jameson Taillon. There’s no reason to be upset with the Taillon pick at all right now, but wow, it’s not hard to see why people are dreaming big on Machado.
That’s about all I can remember from this game. I may or may not have been in an Andrew McCutchen-induced haze of happiness.
