Marco Gonzales had his best start of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Baltimore Orioles came out on top 5-2 at LECOM Park on Thursday.
Connor Joe led off the bottom of the first with a double. After he moved up 90 feet, Ke’Bryan Hayes drove him in on a groundout to first base.
The Orioles answered in the top of the second inning off of Gonzales on a Jorge Mateo run-scoring single. It was the only run Baltimore managed off of Gonzales.
Pittsburgh quickly regained the lead in the home-half of the inning when Billy McKinney recorded an RBI-single of his own. McKinney has reached base in all 13 games he’s played this spring.
The Pirates maintained a 2-1 advantage until the seventh inning when Baltimore struck four times (three earned) off of Ryan Borucki. Tyler Nevin delivered an RBI-single and Kyle Stowers immediately followed with a three-run shot over the right-field fence.
Prior to the start of the game, Andrew McCutchen was scratched from the lineup due to an illness.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
- Marco Gonzales went five innings and allowed just the one run on one hit. He walked a pair and struck out four.
- Aroldis Chapman, Brent Honeywell Jr and prospect Justin Meis all threw scoreless innings of relief.
- Connor Joe went 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Alika Williams went 1 for 2 with a double.
- Henry Davis drew a pair of walks and scored a run.
UP NEXT
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles will meet again later on Thursday in different fashion. Prospects from each organization will battle in the first-ever Spring Breakout game.
For the Pirates, prized pitching prospect Paul Skenes will be on the mound. He will be opposite lefty Cade Povich. First pitch: 7:05 ET
Here is how the Pirates will line up for the contest:
- Tsung-Che Cheng SS
- Termarr Johnson 2B
- Lonnie White Jr. RF
- Jack Brannigan 3B
- Tres Gonzalez LF
- Jase Bowen RF
- Garret Forrester 1B
- Mitch Jebb DH
- Abrahan Gutierrez C
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