The Pittsburgh Pirates (6-4) take on the Houston Astros (5-6) in game two of a three-game series on Tuesday night at PNC Park. Game time is 6:35 PM. Lineups can be found below.
Mitch Keller makes his third start of the season. He has a 1-0, 3.86 record. The Astros are sending out right-handed pitcher Cristian Javier, who is 1-0, 3.27 in two starts.
**The Pirates picked up pitcher Eli Villalobos off of waivers today from the Miami Marlins. He has been optioned to Indianapolis.
We knew it was coming, but it didn’t take them long to place Oneil Cruz on the 60-day Injured List.
**The Pirates gave injury updates on JT Brubaker, Jared Triolo, Mike Burrows and Lonnie White Jr today, via Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk.
That link also has some minor roster moves for Indianapolis.
**Anthony Murphy has some early Statcast observations from the Indianapolis Indians after nine games.
**Jeff Reed looked at the match-ups this week around the minors for the four full-season affiliates of the Pirates. The is the first full week for Altoona, Bradenton and Greensboro.
**Brad Case has been assigned to Bradenton. He had a minor setback while getting ready for Opening Day, which landed him on the Altoona injured list. This will be his debut if he pitches today.
**Anymore news comes up, we will add it here.
UMPIRE SCORECARD
If you don’t follow Umpire Scorecard, you really need to add it to your life, just to experience the lows and sometimes highs of Major League umpires. Here’s yesterday’s Pirates game
Umpire: Nick Mahrley
Final: Astros 8, Pirates 2#Ready2Reign // #LetsGoBucs#HOUvsPIT // #PITvsHOUMore stats for this game 👇https://t.co/qIvzsypTZk pic.twitter.com/TMo9hM5EX4
— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) April 11, 2023
LINEUPS
Pirates
Game 2 vs. Houston.
📻 93.7 The Fan | The PRN
📺 AT&T SportsNet-PIT2: https://t.co/3reodtGWJj #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/7Uvl8DtNX3— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 11, 2023
Astros
Ready for round two.
🕠: 5:35 PM
📺: @ATTSportsNetSW
📻 @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#Ready2Reign x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/Z6JCtOMYpl— Houston Astros (@astros) April 11, 2023
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
It’s starting’ to come together Pepper, it’s starting’ to come together
Great win. Some Takeaways:
-that insurance run based on an awesome 2 strike , opposite field hitting by CSN was huge ;
– we probably won’t see castro at ss during late innings anymore, although Santana should’ve scooped it
– I thought for sure DUJ over Moreta in 7th was a Shelton mistake , I was wrong.
– it was smart lineup composition tonight. Boom or bust hitters like jack k against a team you need to get a little bit lucky to beat
– #22 = Magic. Kudos to Shelton for pinch hitting the catchers spot there
– look at the facial reactions of the guys while Bae leaps home. They are having some FUN & playing solid baseball
Baseball is a funny game! The two biggest whipping boys on the offense, Choi and Suwinksi, both hit homers in tonight’s win.
Now, can we point out that Hayes is playing nowhere near close to what we expect for the money we are paying him?
He isn’t playing how we expect but he more than makes his money with 3 WAR seasons like 2022. He isn’t making much money you know. Keep it in perspective. He is paid precisely the right amount, really. Maybe less than he is worth. If he hits he will be way underpaid.
I was there, baby!!
Let’s go!!!
raise it!
This game will get a lot of attention in Korea, and how about Bae’s English there saying how he imitated Cutch from a game he was watching because Kang was playing?
Wait I missed Bae interview… could you be more specific as to what he said? Thanks.
“When I was growing up I was watching Jung Ho play and there was Cutch there and when he hit a walk-off homer he did a slam to the plate and I copied that today. Thank you fans today”
Fantastic. Thanks!
It was awesome
It’s been quite awhile since I enjoyed a Pirates victory as much as this one!
Amazing hitting ability on that Bae homer. Watch it in slow-mo and see him shift his hips and get those hands inside and barrel it. Not everyone can do that. This guy has “it”.
As I mentioned before there is some young Trea Turner vibe’s watching Bae. Speed and sneaky pop.
In the immortal words of Marshal Nathan Van Cleef “How the hell did that happen? “
CSN, Suwinski, Bae…Young Bucs were difference makers tonight.
And who was it that said Bae doesn’t have any power needs to eat a sandwich yeah exactly go Bucs.
That bat FLIP! Lol.
Bae is slowly winning me over…..
I am a member of a club on this message board. I only know one other member. Talk to him first because the bouncers can be tough to get by.
I don’t expect to get in after all the sh*t I’ve talked about him.
Let me see what I can do. I may know some one.
Ba(b)e comes through!!!
Ahh, who cares about errors? We had ’em all the way!! Go Bucs! #BaeWatch
I just fell in love again. A real leadoff hitter?
Bae Watch, baby!!! How do you say Boom, Son in Korean?!!!
Castro compounds his throwing error by jogging to 1B on his Texas leaguer. If he’s busting it off the bat, he’s on 2B easily.
That’s exactly how I felt. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.
I really don’t get that at all. I’ve seen it this spring or regular season from Castro, Cruz, Reynolds, Hayes, Choi, Canaan. When one player does it, it is 100% on that player. If several players do it, that is Shelton’s job to correct. One of the things that upsets me most about the players jogging is it is a lack of respect to Cutch who runs hard everytime.
And we’d be celebrating a walk off Cutch hit. 🤬🤬🤬
Castro is not a major league shortstop. That has to be a routine play at this level.
Where’s Tim Foli when we need him?
In a van, down by the river
How the mighty have fallen!
He’s a 2B playing SS, because the starter is injured. Santana could have saved him. Hayes made a poor throw as well…
True. Not his fault he’s being made to play out of position.
Agree, but I feel that Santana should’ve made that play as well.
You’d hope for that but it was kind of an in-between hop. Santana isn’t here for his glove, either.
He actually is very much a good glove.
FUDGE!
This would’ve been an opportunity to use relievers in a less traditional manner. Bednar in the 8th to face the good hitters, and Holderman in the 9th to face the bottom of the order.
So can we not share pics? It’s pup night!
I haven’t been able to figure out how to upload pictures.
The option is gone, for now.
Even though that AB ended in a long opposite field fly out, it was a nice AB from Suwinski. Good laying off pitches that were close, gave it a long ride the other way. Showing some signs of life
Jack is seeing the ball better the last 3 games.
woot woot
Ji-Man is on fire. Small sample sizes can be so deceiving.
Nice execution from Hayes and CSN.
Key!!!! No! Ke!
Choi!
Another game where Keller wasn’t exactly in command, but somehow battled through for a very good start.
He did a nice job changing speeds. Kept Astros off balance.
That last Baseball Zen, there was dog poo on the tire. You could smell it…total Zen.
I was wondering why today’s discussion is so slow in a close game, but I’m guessing it has to do with the Penguins game? Seems like it’s a big game for them
Put a fork in them, John, they’re done!
I’m guessing this refers to the Penguins? I looked at the NHL standings for the first time yesterday in about two years, and that was just to see if the season was over. I used to watch hockey a lot until it got too much like soccer on skates. I couldn’t tell you for sure what teams have played in the Stanley Cup in the last ten years, other than I think Las Vegas made it in their first season ever. I’m not 100% sure that’s right, but it would explain why I “know” it.
Some of us can multi-task ! 😁😁😁
Who? lol
Before all of the ninth inning excitement, there was nothing but crickets here in a close game, so I figured it had to be something. I think I was the tenth comment, and I made it mid-fourth inning
Not much hitting last 3 games .
DP here would be nice.
Choi attempting to bunt…..🤣
Mitch is a stud!
Extend that man!
Jack Awakens !!!!
Now, give him a LOT of coffee to keep him awake !!!!
Go 70’s-80’s style and get him blow!
Keller first pitch seems a little slow, pull him now?
lets go bucs!
Good luck to Keller!! I hope I see a win when I wake up tomorrow 😤
Best chance to win one game in the series.