Bucs lay out pitching plans
Jenifer Langosch/MLB.com
The Pirates have announced their pitching plans for the first week of exhbition games, which begins with a contest against the Manatees of the State College of Florida (formerly known as Manatee Community College) on Tuesday. That is, if it doesn’t rain. Anyways, here’s a look at Tuesday’s pitching plan as well as some of the pitchers lined up through Saturday. In parenthesis, you’ll find how many innings/pitches someone is limited to:
- Tuesday vs SCF (7 innings): Bryan Morris (1), Donnie Veal (1), Ronald Uviedo (1), Justin Thomas (1), Ramon Aguero (1), Jeff Sues (1), Anthony Claggett (1)
- Wednesday @ NYY: Paul Maholm (1), Ross Ohlendorf (1); (Brian Bass, D.J. Carrasco, Chris Jakubauskas, Steven Jackson, Jack Taschner and Jean Machi will be available as possible relievers)
- Thursday @ ATL: Charlie Morton (2/45), Brian Burres (2/45), Brad Lincoln (1)
- Friday @ BAL: Zach Duke (2/45), Daniel McCutchen (2/45), Virgil Vasquez (1)
- Saturday vs. PHI: Kevin Hart (2/45), D.J. Carrasco (2/40)
A few notes regarding all this pitching stuff…
- Manager John Russell downplayed the significance of the order of pitchers. In other words, he said, don’t assume that since Maholm and Ohlendorf are pitching in the first Grapefruit League game that one of them will be the Opening Day starter.
- Carrasco and Burres are evidently going to be the long-relief candidates, which is why they’ll get some longer work than other relievers early.
- Don’t read anything into the fact that Maholm and Ohlendorf are only pitching one inning apiece on Wednesday. Russell said it’s being treated just as if they’re getting another side session. They’ll move to a two-inning outing in their second appearance.
- The Yankees are scheduled to start Chad Gaudin on Wednesday. The Phillies are scheduled to start Joe Blanton on Saturday. Still no word from the Braves or Phillies about who will take the mound on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
- No, Billy Crystal is not coming to bat against Maholm on Wednesday.
Follow me on Twitter: @LangoschMLB
I like the idea that we’ll see Maholm and Ohlendorf pitch on TV on Wednesday.
In my article of offseason moves posted today, I still think that if Mariner pickup Chris Jakubauskas makes the team, he should be nicknamed Jak-In-The-Box.
I am high on Burres as well. I think he did a good job in Baltimore considering how terrible those teams were.
Check out my stuff at onemanrevival.mlblogs.com.
Frank