The Pittsburgh Pirates go for the three game sweep against the Boston Red Sox this afternoon, with Mitch Keller taking the mound against Corey Kluber.
Keller was the Opening Day starter for the Pirates, giving up four runs on six hits and four walks in Great American Ball Park. He struck out eight, but will be looking to limit damage better today.
Kluber also had a rough start to his season, giving up five runs on six hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. Both pitchers will be looking to bounce back.
Pirates at Red Sox
Game Time: 1:35 PM
Pirates Starter: Mitch Keller (0-0, 7.71)
Red Sox Starter: Corey Kluber (0-1, 13.50)
Pirates Lineup:
Game 3 at Fenway.
📺 AT&T SportsNet
📻 KDKA 100.1 FM & 1020 AM | The PRN #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/xFmeOqeSSx— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 5, 2023
Red Sox Lineup:
All set for some afternoon action at Fenway! pic.twitter.com/Nx90pFjO6E
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 5, 2023
TODAY ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
In my new daily column for the 2023 season, I looked at the early success from Colin Holderman and Dauri Moreta, wondering if the Pirates have the makings of a shutdown bullpen.
The Pirates will have a lot of money to spend on amateur talent in the next year. Today it was announced they have the highest bonus pool in the 2023 draft, and will have the highest international bonus pool for the 2023-24 signing period.
John Dreker reported today about how the Pirates are favorites to sign a top pitching prospect from Panama, who is eligible to sign next January under the 2023-24 class.
We’ve got our minor league previews going up on the site tomorrow, ahead of the opening games for the rest of the farm system.
Join the game discussion in the comments below!
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Boston may want to be careful about who they call a “hodgepodge of nothingness”.
Yeah other than Devers they look well on their way to Nothingham.
Devers got robbed by defense then got Cruzed today! (hope Cruz is ok )
I can’t remember Keller ever looking as good at MLB level as he did today. Really deserved to go 7 scoreless. Would love to see him build on this.
64% groundball rate today.
Sure hope Cruz is OK
Coming back and getting that last K can only increase his confidence, as well as knowing he can do that after throwing 106 pitches. My only slight concern is how he bounces back from throwing so many pitches. Fortunately, he’ll get an extra day of rest before his next outing.
Easy W. Just hope Cruz is okay.
I’m following on gameday from my office (can’t use my mlbtv account here, sadly). Can someone clarify what the various reported injury delays have been about? I saw one following the Yoshida double play, who was that for? And it looked like Cruz got hurt on a slide into third… any clarity what the injury might be?
Yoshida one → Turner slid into Castro trying to avoid DP and Castro was feeling pain on his ankle/leg
(He stayed in the game)
Cruz → he was sliding into third and awkwardly collided with Devers. Seemingly Devers kicked Cruz’s eye area. He is being examined for face injury.
Cruz slid into the 3Bman’s legs and caught a shoe around the eye. They didn’t look panicked about it, but I have no idea how serious it might be.
Didn’t see the other one.
Nice bounce back by Mitch to go 7 with only one run given up!
Couple inches around the foul pole made quite a difference to his stat line today, but the first 6.2 innings were phenomenal
I would argue he had phenomenal 7 innings even. Reynolds could have/should have caught the ball IMO
raise it!
In innings 2 through 9, the Sox scored a total of 2 runs over the three game set. Very nice.
Through 28 innings of season, Red Sox had scored 32 runs. Over next 26 innings, Pirates held them to 3 runs.
That was a great series. This is going to be a fun team to watch.
Yups! May not be boys of October quite yet but definitely will stay in a lot of games if they can stay reasonably healthy 🙂
Sweep the deck of all that stinky Chowder Buccos!
Can we play the Red Sox forever?
Raise it!!!!
I was smoking a really good joint and watching the game and I think I accidentally gave Andrew McCutchen some kind of digital contact high. My bad, everyone.
My God is that hilarious!!
Oof. Underwood Jr? I don’t trust him..this is going to be scary
I like DUJ, though it’s frustrating seeing him regularly walk a guy when he comes in. Maybe worth noting that Molina trusted him with high-leverage situations for Puerto Rico.
I was thinking the same. And just like that it wasn’t.
I agree and add Crowe and Dejong to that mix.
(I’m talking based on my feelings, no metrics or stats) Dejong is the least trustworthy to me then Underwood Jr. and Crowe on the same tier
Nevermind actually double play is good
Baserunning still a problem. That was brutal.
Never thought Cutch would have moved off 3rd……..
Cutch with a senior moment…..
What was Cutch doing?!!
Didn’t they lose their challenge for that foul homerun? They can challenge again?
No because Umpires initiated review of the HR that wasn’t.
Ahhh bad memories
Zastryzny mouthed the words “learn my name Wilbur” as he walked off the mound after that inning.
The Zman has spoken !!
Day off tomorrow, but i would still be tempted to rest Bednar today, save situation be damned.
can someone explain what happened with Bae’s AB (following on Lameday)?
It just says that it’s awaiting scorer’s decision, but didn’t reflect a hit or an error so far
They called it a hit and an error
Might get changed.
Pitcher overthrowing batted ball. Guessing single and an error
Now Game day has single and error
Hit off the pitcher’s glove. He picked it up and threw it to first, wide. So, I guess they’re determining if single and 1-base error, or just 2-base error
Thought it was gonna be a Crowe Day
Prayers answered!
These late game defensive maneuvers are baffling to say the least.
Which one? If it’s Joe/Castro, it’s because Cruz got injured (hopefully not serious) so he’s out of the game 🙁
Specifically the CF & 2b situation.
Yup that’s because Cruz’s out of the game. He got kicked around his eye area while sliding to third
WTF happened, not home left to run an errand, check gameday, score was 4-4, now is not…..
1B Ump called it a HR, but rest of crew said WTF are you looking at? Went to replay and confirmed the 1B Umpire wasn’t watching the ball.
Maybe the 1B ump got some of that digital contact high from Tim like Cutch did just prior to wandering off 3rd……
The MLB Omnipresent Beings decided to troll the Red Sox
LOL! Can just picture the Omnipresent Beings…..Ok, Ok Ok!!! How bout this one We know that Devers is gonna hit one off the monster. Lets make the little guy in CF jump higher than he ever has and he catches it, Hahahahahaha!!! Ok, Lets push that drive by McGuire headed for the pole just a bit outside !!! hahaha Just like the Ueck!!! hahahahahaha
ESPN has it 4-1 bottom of the 8th
At one time Gameday had it 4-4, hence my confusion!!!!
I don’t do Lameday. I just follow the box on ESPN
Ump called a clear foul homerun a fair one and almost tied the game until the replay showed it was not
Whoa!
Thanks. Home now watching the 7th inning!!!
Reese had a monster bat flip, a Pirate fan by the pole was shaking his head no!
This game is really full of weirdness
Nothing comes easy for Pirates.
Funny thing is the Red Sox are probably saying the same thing right now
I just felt all the emotions the human body is capable of within a single at-bat
Maybe this year is different. The last three years, the replay camera would have malfunctioned.
It felt different during Rich Hill’s start throwing to Hedges. He was getting a lot of the vet strike calls I’m used to only going against us.
Keller = TOR Ace
🔥🔥🔥🔥!!!
I also thought Keller could finish it so I’m actually thankful Shelton left him in.. 🙂
A little worried about how much he’s throwing already in April though.
Shelton bad. Replay good.
Shelton is using Hurdles “leave him in till he blows it” philosophy.
Second start running where Shelton has left Keller in a couple of batters too many.
I like the show of confidence but wow, 107 pitches on a cold day in a pitcher’s second outing of the season?
Good thing we’ve got two lefties in the bullpen.
why did they leave Mitch in this long?
Cause he was dealing
My god seriously????
Yes thank you. Come on. Foul ball!!!
I don’t remember Reynolds being this bad in the outfield. Catch the ball.
What a shame. Would have been 7 shutout innings
What happened? Reynolds made a bad play or Keller run out of gas?
Reynolds didn’t play it very well. His mistake was not getting back to base of wall early enough to jump up and catch it.
Reynolds almost caught the ball (ball hit the top of his gloves or sth) and then Bae couldnt find the ball so the runner could score (not held at 3rd)
Cruz is out of the game. Really hope he’s okay. Getting eye area kicked is scary.
I thought head at first but was it his eye???? My god
he need a chin strap to keep his helmet on
looks really cool to run the bases until you get kicked in the head
I was really worried about concussion!
Thankfully a glancing blow.
Saddle up. We’re headed to Boston
That’s a silly lookin broom LFGGGGG
Yours is for the game outcome. My broom is for kicking Cruz in the head!
Got kicked in the head.
Nooooo is Cruz okay??
Thank goodness that was not Polanco sliding. Might have put both Gregory and Devers in the hospital on that play.
Hes ok
Yeah who needs Hedges when we have Delay the good gloves, power hitting catcher?
I just hope we’re not using all our luck up this game lol
Lots of LOBs.
Send down Castro, eff the Super Two date, call up Drew Maggi you cowards!
I settle for Tucu right now .500. 500 .917 1.417 with 1 HR 🙂
Hey!! You stole my Thunder!!!!
Come on… someone hit something. Insurance run…
Double Crud !!
C’mon Rudy !!!!!!
Crud……
Let’s hope those two infield hits get Cutch and Hayes going.
Has Cutch been “not going”? Mostly he has just been patient. It’s up to the pitchers to get him going in the zone.
Yeah Cutch looked good to me! Actually looks like the most stable one so far
He just isn’t creating runs yet.
Scott, buddy…
0 HR, 1RBI
This is a fair statement…mostly.
Dang!