Notes

Spring has sprung…

Home Standing: The opener against the Angels was a one-swing offensive affair for the Bucs; Eddie Olivares blasted a grand slam. Mitch Keller nursed those runs and went the distance as the Pirates made it three in-a-row, 4-1. Pittsburgh was pretty bad from the mound and dish the next night as Quinn Priester struggled and three hits was it for the attack, losing the middle game, 9-0. The deciding contest went to LA, 5-4. After an off day, the Cubs came to town for three games to open a stretch of 10 straight division matches (Chicago, Milwaukee, @ Chicago).

The Bucco bullpen, bats and gloves all misfired in losing the first match, 7-2. The next day, Paul Skenes debuted before 34K+ and fanned seven in four frames, but the bullpen almost wasted the club’s five-homer barrage (in the fifth inning Pirate pitchers walked six guys – with the bases loaded!) before see-sawing to a 10-9 victory. Connor Joe, Yasmani Grandal, Michael Taylor, Oneil Cruz and Cutch all went deep. The series decider went extra innings; both sides had ninth inning chances they muffed, then the Cubbies broke through for a three-spot in the 10th against Aroldis Chapman. Joe’s homer cut it to a one-run edge (Cruz had also homered earlier in the contest), but that’s where it stayed as the Cubbies took the set’s rubber match, 5-4. 

So the Bucs were 4-5 at home on this stand and will spend this week on the road, first at Milwaukee for three games and then a four-game rematch against the Cubs.

Moves/Injuries:

• The Paul Skenes watch is over. 2023′s #1 overall pick, the righty fireballer was brought up (Roansy Contreras was DFA’ed) and started Saturday v the Cubs.
• 2B Nick Gonzales also got the call up. Nick was strokin’ it at a .358 rate at Indy. The #7 overall draft pick out of New Mexico State in 2020, he hit .209 for the big club last year in limited (35 games, 115 ABs) action. Gonzo singled off the first pitch he saw on Friday and drove in two runs.  IF Alika Williams was optioned to Indy; the reserve was batting .239 and recalled the next day (see below). 
• On Friday the Bucs acquired RHP Daulton Jefferies from the Giants for minor league OF Rodolfo Nolasco. Jefferies, 28 and a former #1 pick of Oakland (#37 – 2016), is coming back after a two-year layoff following TJ and thoracic outlet surgeries. Nolasco, 22, was a prospect who has lost some of his sheen; a change of scenery may jump start him again. Jefferies has been optioned to Indy while C Jason Delay was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL to make room for Jefferies on the 40-man.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes said he was developed some soreness and they’d check it out Friday; the result was a 10-day trip to the IL for back inflammation. Alika Williams, optioned the day before, was recalled.

• Oneil Cruz rolled his ankle slightly on Monday but stayed in the game; he was given the next night off but played Wednesday.

Notes:

• Aroldis Chapman overtook Jesse Orosco for the second-most MLB strikeouts by a lefty reliever after fanning a pair of Haloes on Wednesday. Chapman now has 1,170 whiffs; Billy Wagner leads southpaws with 1,196. The overall bullpen King of K is Hoyt Wilhelm with 1,363.  Aroldis ranks eighth on the all-time list.
• Mitch Keller tossed the second complete game of his career (in 108 starts). It’s the first of the year for the Pirates, who only had two CG’s in 2023, one by Kell and the other by Johan Oviedo.
• Shelty said Henry Davis will only C/DH at Indy with no other juggling acts.
• The new Pirates pooch, “Slugger,” made its debut on Tuesday, PNC’s Pup Nite.
• OF Robbie Grossman, who turned into a pretty good platoon bat since leaving Pittsburgh’s system in 2013 for Wandy Rodriguez, has been picked up by the Rangers, who sent a minor-league reliever to the White Sox for the 34-year-old. 
• The Blue Jays signed RHP Beau Sulser, a swingman who was with the Bucs in 2022 -2023 with a couple of stops in between, to a minor league contract. The Twins inked RHP Austin Brice (2022 Pirate) to a minor league deal.
• LHP Chasen Shreve has re-signed with Texas, which had DFA’ed him earlier.
• The Mets have claimed RHP Yohan Ramirez of the 2022-23 Pirates from the waiver wire after Baltimore released him and DFA’ed RH Max Kranick (2021-22 Bucco), who was trying to come back from TJ surgery.