Another record spring at McKechnie Field

Low temperatures, a steady drizzle and gray clouds did little to deter another big crowd from filling McKechnie Field as 8,134 fans took in the Pirates' final exhibition game in Florida on Thursday.
The Pirates lost 4-2, but the crowd - the seventh sellout in 12 games in Bradenton - helped establish a new average attendance record of 7,587.
The previous mark of 6,229 was set last year.
"The Pirates are humbled by the support we received this year at McKechnie Field," team president Frank Coonelly said in a statement, "from Pirates fans living in the Bradenton area and the thousands who have visited from Pittsburgh and beyond for an opportunity to watch their baseball team play in the Friendly City.
"The Pirates thank our fans and friends in Bradenton for giving us such a tremendous start to the 2014 season."
The total attendance of 91,046 wasn't enough to break the record of 93,433 set last season. Weather was the culprit - the Pirates lost three home games because of rain. Factor the in the average attendance, and McKechnie Field would have played host to over 110,000 fans had Mother Nature cooperated.
Other records did fall, however. The Pirates' home-opener this spring against the Yankees drew 6,870, a new McKechnie Field standard for the first game of the season.
The annual night game against the Baltimore Orioles was played before a crowd of 8,186, the most to watch a evening spring training game in Bradenton since lights were installed in 2008.
And on March 22 against the Philadelphia Phillies, a total of 8,566 fans passed the through the gates, the biggest crowd in the history of the 91-year-old ballpark that has served as the Pirates' southern home since 1969.
"You see it when we got to Washington, you see it when we got to Baltimore - you even see it during spring training games on the road," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "It's building. We kind of joke here that we're building Buc nation one Buc at a time, but it's starting to happen. And it's fun to watch. They're wearing the colors, they're wearing the gear, and to see the kinds branded up, that's fun to watch."

And now, the end is near...

"Well it's time to say good-bye, my friends, we're glad you stayed until the end..."
It takes a real man to quote White Lion in a sports blog. But that's what I'm here for, right?
The Pirates play their final Grapefruit League game of the year today at McKechnie Field against the New York Yankees. Then they head to Philadelphia for a pair of exhibition games against the Phillies before hosting the Chicago Cubs on Monday for Opening Day.
Today's lineups:
YANKEES
Ichiro Suzuki, cf
Eduardo Nunez, 3b
Mark Teixeira, 1b
Brian McCann, c
Zoilo Almonte, rf
Yangervis Solarte, 2b
Dean Anna, ss
Zelous Wheeler, dh
Adonis Garcia, lf
CC Sabathia, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Jordy Mercer, ss
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Russell Martin, c
Jose Tabata, rf
Josh Harrison, 3b
Neil Walker, 2b
Tony Sanchez, dh
Stolmy Pimentel, p

Wandy Rodriguez: Power hitter.

So it's 21-3 Pirates here in the seventh.
Yes, 21-3.
The Pirates have banged out 27 hits, though none more memorable than the 2-run home run off the bat of pitcher Wandy Rodriguez in the second.
Rodriguez, who has never homered in over 400 regular-season bats, hit a 3-2 pitch into the fierce jet stream blowing toward right field. The ball landed in the bullpen, where the Pirates pitchers raised their arms in celebration.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, did the same rounding first.
"You know what? A 3-2 count, I know a fastball's coming," said Rodriguez, who allowed three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. "I have good contact with the ball, and the wind helped me, too. I don't have a lot of power, so the wind helped me."
Jose Tabata and Starling Marte also homered for the Pirates, and Matthew Tuiasosopo hit one for Toronto.
All went to right field.

Penultimate lineups

The Pirates' clubhouse at McKechnie Field is cluttered with boxes and bags, ready for the big move back to Pittsburgh and the start of the 2014 baseball season.
There are two more games remaining at Bradenton, including today's contest with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lineups:

BLUE JAYS
Matthew Tuiasosopo, rf
Melky Cabrera, lf
Edwin Encarnacion, dh
Erik Kratz, c
Dan Johnson, 1b
Brett Carroll, cf
Macier Izturis, 2b
Ryan Goins, ss
Jonathan Diaz, 3b
J.A. Happ, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Russell Martin, c
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Jose Tabata, rf
Neil Walker, 2b
Jordy Mercer, ss
Wandy Rodriguez, p

Pirates cut 11 players

Outfielder Jaff Decker was among 11 players cut by the Pirates on Tuesday morning. The roster is now at 31 with Opening Day a little less than a week away.
Decker was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis along with pitcher Jared Hughes and outfielder/first baseman Andrew Lambo.
Assigned to minor-league camp were pitchers Adam Wilk, Daniel Schlereth and Zack Thornton; infielders Robert Andino and Michael Martinez; outfielder Chris Dickerson; and catcher Omir Santos.
"We had some really hard decisions today. Today's hard," general manager Neal Huntington said this morning at McKechnie Field, where the Pirates are set to play the Toronto Blue Jays. "As we've gotten better, today's gotten harder. We've got any number of guys that don't deserve to get sent out of camp."
A notable cut was Lambo, an outfielder and the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year in 2013 who was battling to make the team as a first baseman.
He hit .095 (4 for 42) this spring while trying to learn a new position.
"We talk all the time about not making emotional decisions based on spring training results, and that means good or bad," Huntington said. "But as we looked at a young player with some challenges remaining in front of him, we thought the best for him was to start the season in Indianapolis."
Lambo will continue to play first base with the Indians, Huntington said.
"We asked him to tackle a new position and try to compete to make the major league team at the same time. We threw a lot at him," Huntington said. "He handled a lot of it very well. Hopefully, again, with the ability to go to Triple-A, he'll take a deep breath, get comfortable at first base in a regular setting and get back to a level he's done well at, and let that confidence play."
The Pirates have three more games remaining in Florida, including today, and play two exhibition games in Philadelphia against the Phillies on March 28 and 29 before opening the regular season March 31 at home against the Chicago Cubs.
Huntington said the Pirates may take more than 25 players up north before making their final cuts in Philly.

Tarp off. Game on - for now.

The tarp is off McKechnie Field and the Pirates are taking infield in preparation for today's game against the Detroit Tigers, which will be broadcast live on ESPN.
It's ESPN's first trip to McKechnie since Daisuke Matsuzaka made his American debut in 2007 while with the Boston Red Sox.
Here are the lineups:

TIGERS
Andrew Romine, dh
Ezequiel Carrera, lf
Austin Jackson, cf
Tyler Collins, rf
Nick Castellanos, 3b
Bryan Holaday, c
Aaron Westlake, 1b
Hernan Perez, ss
Danny Worth, 2b
Rick Porcello, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Russell Martin, c
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Neil Walker, 2b
Jose Tabata, rf
Josh Harrison, 3b
Jordy Mercer, ss
Wandy Rodriguez, p

History today at McKechnie. More to come?

Today's crowd at McKechnie Field is 8,566, the largest in the history of the venerable ballpark, which opened its doors in 1923. It also pushes the total attendance this spring to 75,952 in 10 games.
Despite losing two games to rainouts, including one against the New York Yankees on St. Patrick's Day, the Pirates have a chance of shattering last year's total of 93,433, which established a McKechnie Field record.
It's a record that is well within reach.
The Pirates have to draw 17,482 fans and have three more home games, which averages out to 5,827 fans per game.
The average crowd at McKechnie this spring is 7,595. (The per game record is 6,229, also set last season.)
Bettering the chance is the opponents. The Pirates host the Detroit Tigers on Monday in a game broadcast live on ESPN. The Tigers didn't come to Bradenton last spring and always draw well, and should this season, especially since fans have a chance of seeing high-voltage stars such as Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander.
The Toronto Blue Jays will be here Tuesday. They drew over 8,000 during a trip last year.
And things wrap Thursday against the Yankees, who lured 6,870 McKechnie on Feb. 26. It was the largest crowd to ever attend a Grapefruit League opener at McKechnie Field.
So if you have some time and a little bit of cash, head out to McKechnie next week. You could make history by just walking through the gate.

Live from atop the fog

Don't mind that sheet of fog hanging over McKechnie Field: Today's forecast is supposed to be sunny with a high of 76 for the Pirates' game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Here are the lineups:
PHILLIES
Ben Revere, cf
Jimmy Rollins, ss
Carlos Ruiz, c
Ryan Howard, 1b
Marlon Byrd, rf
Tony Gwynn Jr., lf
Cody Asche, 3b
Cesar Hernandez, 2b
A.J. Burnett, p

PIRATES
Chris Dickerson, cf
Russell Martin, c
Travis Snider, rf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Andrew Lambo, 1b
Travis Ishikawa, dh
Michael Martinez, 2b
Jaff Decker, lf
Clint Barmes, ss
Stolmy Pimentel, p

Tight left groin ends Liriano's night

Francisco Liriano, tabbed the Pirates' Opening Day starter, left Thursday night's start with tightness in his left groin.
But the lefty said he doesn't think it's serious.
"I didn't want to push it and have it get worse," Liriano said. "They'll check it out and we'll see how it feels tomorrow, and we'll go from there. It's not that bad."
Liriano allowed no runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out four. He said he felt the tightness all game, though it didn't get worse as the night progressed.
 "I didn't want to keep pitching with it, and I don't think we need to in spring training," said Liriano, a 16-game winner last year. "I just want to make sure I'm ready for Opening Day."
Pirates catcher Russell Martin noticed something different about Liriano in the sixth and alerted the Pirates dugout.
"He had been spot-on for the whole game, and the last few pitches weren't coming out like they had been coming out the whole game," Martin said. "That was all I recognized. I didn't see him jump out or anything like that...I asked him if he was OK, and he's not going to tell me (if he's hurt). So I was like, 'I'm not taking the chance - I'm calling the trainer out there.'"

Night!

The sun is out but the lights are on at McKechnie Field, where the Pirates host the Baltimore Orioles for the lone night game at McKechnie this spring.
(The Bradenton Marauders will play about 70 night games over the summer, so don't fret if you're a big fan of night baseball.)

The lineups:
ORIOLES
Alexi Casilla, ss
Nolan Reimold, dh
Adam Jones, cf
Nelson Cruz,rf
Steve Pearce, 1b
Delmong Young, lf
Jonathan Schoop, 2b
Caleb Joseph, c
Michael Almanzar, 3b
Bud Norris, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Andrew Lambo, dh
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Russell Martin, c
Neil Walker, 2b
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Jose Tabata, rf
Jordy Mercer, ss
Francisco Liriano, p

Yankees are coming. Rain, too?

It's St. Patrick's Day today at McKechnie Field, so maybe the luck of the Irish will keep the rain away as the New York Yankees make their way into town.
Lineups:

YANKEES
Eduardo Nunez, 3b
Brian Roberts, 2b
Mark Teixeira, 1b
Brian McCann, c
Zolio Almonte, lf
Austin Romine, dh
Yangervis Solarte, ss
Adonis Garcia, rf
Antoan Richardson, cf
Hiroki Kuroda, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Andrew Lambo, 1b
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Russell Martin c
Neil Walker, 2b
Gaby Sanchez, dh
Travis Snider, rf
Clint Barmes, ss
Stolmy Pimentel, p

Myers OK; Odorizzi happy with outing

Safe to assume there were more than a few Rays fans among the 8,080 fans packed into McKechnie Field this afternoon.
All of them took a gasp when Wil Myers, the American League's reigning Rookie of the Year, fouled a ball of his right leg and limped all the way back to the clubhouse.
The good news is Myers is fine. He's been diagnosed with a bruised right quad and is day-to-day.
"It initially kind of scared me. But it's fine right now," Myers said Saturday, when the Rays beat the Pirates 6-3.
Myers plans to ice his leg and will see how it feels Sunday before handicapping when he will be back in the lineup.
"It's sore, and it's going to be sore in the morning," he said. "So we'll see how tomorrow goes. I may play tomorrow. Who knows?"
Myers left the game during the middle of an at-bat, which was finished by Jerry Sands, who stayed in the game and drove in two runs.
"I probably would have stayed in if it was a normal regular season game that meant something," Myers said. "But this right here,  I just want to be cautious."
 Myers' teammate, Jake Odorizzi, threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and a run, walking three and striking out two. In the running to win the No.5 spot in the rotation, Odorizzi lowered his spring ERA to 2.25.
"I don't think it hurt my case at all," he said. "I'm happy with it."
Cesar Ramos, also in the hunt for the final spot, allowed two earned runs on four hits over the final 5 1/3 innings.
As for the Pirates, they have three home games next week, beginning Monday, St. Patrick's Day, against the New York Yankees.
Thursday the Baltimore Orioles make the short trek from Sarasota for the only night game at McKechnie Field this spring, and the Phillies come to Bradenton on Saturday.

Good morning!

I

It's a beautiful Saturday morning at McKechnie Field, where the Pirates continue Grapefruit League play against a split squad of Tampa Bay Rays.
Despite halving the team, the Rays brought quite a few familiar faces from Port Charlotte, including Rookie of the Year Wil Myers and Armwood alum Matt Joyce.
LINEUPS:
RAYS
David DeJesus, lf
Desmond Jennings, cf
Ben Zobrist, ss
Matt Joyce, dh
Wil Myers, rf
Wilson Betemit, 1b
Jose Molina, c
Cole Figueroa, 2b
Jayson Nix, 3b
Jake Odorizzi, p

PIRATES
Chris Dickerson, cf
Russell Martin, c
Travis Snider, rf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Travis Ishikawa, dh
Jose Tabata, lf
Robert Andino, ss
Michael Martinez, 2b
Edinson Volquez, p

Hurdle: Polanco will be back

The Pirates' top prospect, outfielder Gregory Polanco, was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to the Pirates' 6-5 win over the Phillies on Friday at McKechnie Field.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Polanco will be in Pittsburgh soon. But when Polanco arrives, the mission is to keep him there, adding the process has worked with players such as Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker.
All three were cut from camp at the start of their careers, but never returned to the minors once reaching the big leagues.
"We want him to go down and deal with the next challenge. Every time he steps in the box, there's going to be a pitcher trying to get something done because they think that's a springboard to the big leagues," Hurdle said. "What an opportunity for him to go and really add some quality to his at-bats."
Polanco hit .273 with one home run and two RBIs in 10 games this spring and is a career .277 hitter in 410 professional at-bats. He was named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year in 2012 and ended last season in Triple-A.
"He's had a very positive and steady progression. Things done in spring training still need to be kept in context," Hurdle said. "These are always the toughest times to critique and analyze...I'm not downplaying anything he's done. But again, this is why we're pushing him out there to Triple-A: To try to get  a bulked-up volume number of at-bats.
"We got him, we're happy to have him, he's going to be a great player."

Chilly for the Phillies

It's a little chilly this morning at McKechnie Field, though it may warm up before the Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies begin their game at 1:05 p.m.
Here are the lineups for today's Keystone State tussle:

PHILLIES
Tony Gywnn Jr., cf
Jimmy Rollins, ss
Chase Utley, 2b
Carlos Ruiz, c
Ryan Howard, 1b
Darin Ruf, lf
Domonic Brown, dh
John Mayberry Jr., rf
Cody Asche, 3b
Jeff Manship, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Neil Walker, 2b
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Travis Snider, rf
Tony Sanchez, c
Andrew Lambo, dh
Chris McGuiness, 1b
Clint Barmes, ss
Brandon Cumpton, p

Matt Moore now has three complete innings

Rays Matt Moore has already exceeded his last outing that lasted less than an inning. The lefty has completed three innings against Pittsburgh allowing two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Moore tries to make amends against Pirates today

Windy, chilly day at Charlotte Sports Park for Pirates at Rays game.
Matt Moore, who couldn't get out of the first inning in his last start (against the Pirates)
goes again today for Rays. Jenmar Gomez on mound for Bucs.

Only a game during spring training

The best and worst part of spring training is the games don't count.
So if you're looking to stoke your competitive juices and root, root, root for the home team, save your money and wait until April.
The home team - or the away team - doesn't care much about winning, which is why guys with numbers like 89 and names you'll never hear again routinely make their way into a March boxscore.
The pro in all this is you don't need to be glued to your seat for three hours. Spring training is less about the game and more about the experience and the intimacy that you don't get anywhere else.
That's why the $10 million renovation to McKechnie Field was such a necessity. While plenty of hubbub has been made about the boardwalk's tiki bar - rightfully so, because it's awesome out there - the expanded fan plaza located along the first-base side of the ballpark may have been the biggest masterstroke.
It's like a carnival out there. On a beautiful spring day like this, you'll find couples playing corn hole as they sip on beverages from the Yuengling bar or people lazying around on one of those green or white lounge chairs.
(I tried one out today before the gates opened and nearly fell asleep. They're good stuff.)
Or kids can see how hard they throw with the speed pitch.
It's your money and your time, and no one can tell you how to spend either. But if you come to a spring training game, be it any spring training game, whether you're in the midst of Florida's swaying palm trees or Arizona's expansive deserts, you shouldn't spend the entire day in your seat.
That's for when the games count.
This is spring training, an experience that stretches far beyond the diamond.

Howdy, neighbors!

The grounds crew is sprucing up McKechnie Field for today's game against the Baltimore Orioles, who are making the short trip from Sarasota today to play the Pirates.

Here are the lineups:
ORIOLES
Jemile Weeks, 2b
Quintin Berry, cf
Delmon Young, rf
Steve Clevenger, c
Steve Pearce, 1b
Henry Urrutia, lf
Alex Gonzalez, ss
Xavier Paul, dh
Michael Almanzar,ss
Chris Tillman, p

PIRATES
Michael Martinez, 2b
Russell Martin, c
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Chris Dickerson, lf
Travis Snider, rf
Travis Ishikawa, 1b
Josh Harrison, 3b
Chris McGuiness, dh
Clint Barmes, ss
Jay Jackson, p

Jameson Taillon among first round of cuts

photo by Grant Jefferies

Pitcher Jameson Taillon, ranked baseball's 16th-best prospect by MLB.com and 19th by Baseball Prospectus, reassigned to minor league camp Monday morning.
The righty was one of six players cut by the Pirates, who now have 53 players in camp heading into today's home game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Taillon was battling a bit of a blister, said Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, adding the goal is for Taillon to get prepared for the 2014 season, which will probably include a bump to Pittsburgh.
"This the right move to help him get stretched out," Huntington said, "so he can be ready to help us this summer."
Taillon, 22, had a 3.38 ERA in two appearances this spring with the Pirates. He ended last season with the organization's Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, going 1-3 with a 3.89 ERA in six starts.
Though Huntington said Taillon's change-up needs work, he commended the pitcher's command of his two- and four-seams fastballs as well as his ability to control the running game, and his maturity on and off the field.
"We're very excited," Huntington said.
Infielder Matt Hague and catcher Carlos Paulino were also assigned to minor league camp Monday, while pitcher Casey Sadler was optioned to Indianapolis, and shortstop Alen Hanson and pitcher Joely Rodriguez were optioned to Double-A Altoona.

Here come the world champs. Sort of.

The Boston Red Sox irritated the Miami Marlins last when they brought the "B" team to a Grapefruit League game in Jupiter.
There may be some disappointment today at McKechnie Field, as well, where the Red Sox meet the Pirates for the second time in less than a week.
In fairness to the Red Sox, they played two games yesterday - a day game in Sarasota and a night affair at home in Fort Myers - so it is understandable that manager John Farrell wanted to rest some of his stars, even if some of you Sawx fans disapprove.
So here is the lineup for today's game. And if you want to catch a more familiar Pirates lineup, head south to Sarasota, where the other half of the team plays the Baltimore Orioles today at Ed Smith Stadium.
This game will be broadcast live on Root Sports in Pittsburgh and NESN in New England.

RED SOX
Jackie Bradley Jf., cf
Alex Hassan, lf
Mike Carp, dh
David Ross, c
Brock Holt, 2b
Bryce Brentz, rf
Garin Cecchini, 3b
Travis Shaw, 1b
Deven Marrero, ss
Clay Buchholz, p

PIRATES
Jaff Decker, cf
Chris Dickerson, lf
Travis Snider, rf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Andrew Lambo, 1b
Travis Ishikawa, dh
Jordy Mercer, ss
Robert Andino, 2b
Chris Stewart, c
Charlie Morton, p

Baseball weather?

There. That's more like it.
It's windy and chilly here at McKechnie Field - especially in the press box, where we assume there is a 20-degree difference here than in the stands - but there is no sign of rain, giving us hope the Pirates' game with the Minnesota Twins will go off without a hitch.
Included on the Twins' travel roster is outfielder Byron Buxton, ranked as baseball's No.1 prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America. A first-round pick in 2012, Buxton is a career .312 hitter in 173 minor-league games.
LINEUPS
TWINS
Alex Presley, cf
Brian Dozier, 2b
Joe Mauer, 1b
Josh Willingham, dh
Trevor Plouffe, 3b
Wilkin Ramirez, rf
Darin Mastroianni, lf
Kurt Suzuki, c
Jason Bartlett, ss
Vance Worley, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Russell Martin c
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Neil Walker, 2b
Travis Snider, dh
Jordy Mercer, ss
Andrew Lambo, 1b
Jaff Decker, rf
Wandy Rodriguez, p

Rainout

As expected, today's game between the Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays has been washed away by torrential rains.
Tickets for today's game can be exchanged for one to another game this spring or a ticket to a Bradenton Marauders game this summer, based on availability. Tickets can be exchanged at the McKechnie Field box office and it does not have to be today.
Fans requesting a refund have to complete a refund request form and attach today's ticket stub to it. Forms are available online at BradentonMarauders.com or at the McKechnie Field box office.
The Pirates host the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 p.m. Friday.

Rain? Rain? Go away!

Not a good sight here at McKechnie Field. Lots of rain is in the forecast, jeopardizing the Pirates' scheduled game with the Toronto Blue Jays.
A shame, too, considering the Blue Jays planned on bringing lots of big names over from Dunedin.
In the event they play this thing, here are the lineups:

BLUE JAYS
Jose Reyes, ss
Melky Cabrera, lf
Jose Bautista, rf
Edwin Encarnacion, dh
Adam Lind, 1b
Brett Lawrie, 3b
Dioner Navarro, c
Anthony Gose, cf
Ryan Goins, 2b
Mark Buerhle, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Jordy Mercer, ss
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Gaby Sanchez, dh
Brent Morel, 1b
Neil Walker, 2b
Jose Tabata, rf
Chris Stewart, c
Clint Barmes, 3b
Gerrti Cole, p

Final: Pirates 7, Red Sox 6

The Pittsburgh Pirates fought off a furious rally by the Boston Red Sox, who scored a combined five runs in the seventh and eighth innings, to earn a 7-6 victory in Grapefruit League action Monday at McKechnie Field.

Check out tomorrow's Bradenton Herald for more on this story.

Pirates lead down to three

Pittsburgh remains on top of Boston after six innings. It's 6-3 for the Pirates after Boston pulled two back in the top of the seventh inning.
The two runs came via a home run, the game's third following Pedro Alvarez and Russell Martin providing the bombs for the Pirates.
Those players, along with the rest of Pittsburgh's starters, have since left the game. We're in the bottom of the seventh inning now.

Pirates take commanding 6-1 lead after three

Pittsburgh catcher Russell Martin's two-run homer to left field highlighted the Pirates' four-run third inning. That gives the Bucs a 6-1 lead.
Also contributing to the output were Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and Travis Snider.
McCutchen doubled, stole third base and scored on an Alvarez single off former Pirate Chris Resop.
Snider drove Alvarez in with a double off the left field wall.

Pittsburgh leads Boston 2-0 after one

The Pirates lead Boston 2-0 after one inning. Pedro Alvarez rocked a two-out, two-run home run to right field to also plate Starling Marte, who had a leadoff single.

Pittsburgh's Francisco Liriano, who worked a scoreless opening frame, is back out for his second inning of work.

World Champs arrive in Bradenton

The Boston Red Sox are in town for today's Grapefruit League matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field.
And that means, a throng of Red Sox Nation has made the trip, too, to see the defending world champions battle last year's National League surprise story.
Check back here for updates as the game progresses. It's currently 0-0 with Pittsburgh batting in the bottom of the first inning. Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano had little trouble in the top of the first inning, getting two ground outs and strikeout around one walk in the opening frame.

Final: Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh tie 2-2

The Pittsburgh Pirates played a 2-2 tie with the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at McKechnie Field on Saturday. The Rays tied the game in the ninth inning, and Grapefruit League action wraps up after ten innings whether either team breaks the deadlock.

Rays lead Pirates 1-0 after one

The Tampa Bay Rays hold a 1-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates after the first inning at McKechnie Field. Pittsburgh shortstop Robert Andino booted a two-out grounder that led to Tampa Bay plating the first run.
Rays starting pitcher David Price allowed one hit, to reigning National League Most Valuable Player Andrew McCutchen, in a scoreless inning of work.

Final: Pirates 6, Yankees 5

Tony Sanchez hit his second home run in as many days the Pirates opened Grapefruit League play with a 6-5 win over the New York Yankees at McKechnie Field,

The attendance of 6,870 was a record for an Opening Day crowd at McKechnie.

Sanchez, who homered during Tuesday's intrasquad game, hit a three-run shot in the seventh to tie the game at 5. 

Chris McGuiness, who played the final four innings at first base, drove in the go-ahead run and had two hits.

Jacoby Ellsbury scored twice and Yangervis Solarte and three RBIs and a home run for the Yankees.

STAR OF THE GAME: Sanchez, who went 2-for-2 with the home run. Though Tuesday's intrasquad stats do not count toward spring training records, Sanchez has two home runs and a double in four at-bats this spring.

UP NEXT: The Pirates and Yankees meet again Thursday, this time at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Charlie Morton is expected to start for Pittsburgh against the Yankees' David Phelps. Game time is 1:05 p.m. and it will be broadcast onpirates.com.

Liriano happy with first outing

This time last year, Francisco Liriano was recovering from a freak offseason accident he suffered to his non-pitching arm. He didn't make a single spring training appearance, going to straight to rehab before landing in Pittsburgh.
So he wasn't too upset with his outing Wednesday, when he allowed two runs and three hits in one inning against the New York Yankees during each team's Grapefruit League opener.
"Physically, I feel 100 percent. My arm feels great," Liriano said. "Didn't throw any four-seamers today - just two-seam...I'll mix it up in the next couple of games."
Liriano said he doesn't plan on deviating much from last year's preparation, which sounds like a good move: Liriano won 16 games, beat Cincinnati in a Wild Card playoff game and was named the National League's Comeback Player of the Year.
He's also been named the Opening Day starter, but he doesn't plan on handling or carrying himself differently than in the past.
"I'm just trying to focus on the things I have to work on," Liriano said. "I'm just going to go out there and get ready for the season...We've got a pretty good starting rotation. Like I said, I'm just worried about getting myself ready for Opening Day."

Slicing open the Grapefruit...League

Don't expect McKechnie Field to stay empty for long - the New York Yankees are in town for the Pirates' Grapefruit League opener.

Here are the lineups:
YANKEES
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Eduardo Nunez, ss
Carlos Beltran, rf
Brian McCann, c
Ramon Flores, lf
Zelous Wheeler, 3b
Dean Anna, 2b
Corban Joseph, 1b
John Ryan Murphy, dh
Ivan Nova, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Russell Martin, c
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Neil Walker, 2b
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Andrew Lambo, dh
Jose Tabata, rf
Jordy Mercer, ss
Francisco Liriano, p

Black and Gold game

Good to be back at McKechnie Field, site of the today's Black and Gold Game, the unofficial start to the Grapefruit League season.
(The official start is Wednesday when the New York Yankees come to Bradenton).

Here are the lineups for today's seven-inning game, which is set for a noon start:

GOLD
Jose Tabata, rf
Jaff Decker, cf
Andrew Lambo, 1b
Tony Sanchez, c
Josh Harrison, 3b
Robert Andino, ss
Gift Ngoepe, 2b
Carlos Paulino, dh
Mel Rojas Jr., lf
Joely Rodriguez, P

BLACK
Alen Hanson, ss
Gregory Polanco, cf
Chris Dickerson, lf
Matt Hague, 3b
Travis Ishikawa, rf
Nevin Ashley, c
Chris McGuiness, 1b
Michael Martinez, 2b
Omir Santos, dh
Stolmy Pimentel, p

Black and Gold game information

The Pittsburgh Pirates open McKechnie Field noon Tuesday with the seven-inning intrasquad Black & Gold Game.

All tickets are $8 and benefit the Manatee Education Foundation.

Among those in the starting lineups Tuesday is outfielder Gregory Polanco, considered baseball’s 13^th-best prospect by MLB.com, and shortstop Alen Hanson, considered one of the Pirates’ 10 best prospects. They will be on the Black Team.

Andrew Lambo, named the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2013, will play first base for the Gold Team, and Tony Sanchez, the team’s top pick in 2009 who made his big-league debut last year, will do the catching.

Here are the lineups:

GOLD

Jose Tabata, rf

Jaff Decker, cf

Andrew Lambo, 1b

Tony Sanchez, c

Josh Harrison, 3b

Robert Andino, ss

Carlos Paulino, dh

Mej Rojas Jr., lf

Joely Rodriguez, p

BLACK

Alen Hanson, ss

Gregory Polanco, cf

Chris Dickerson, lf

Matt Hague, 3b

Nevin Ashley, c

Chris McGuiness, 1b

Michael Martinez, 2b

Omir Santos, dh

Stolmy Pimentel, p

The Pirates open the Grapefruit League season at 1:05 p.m. Wednesday against the New York Yankees.