Game Summary

The Pirates come to town for their first visit to RDS ever and leave with a 28-year streak of never having lost a game in Jupiter. The Pirates broke on top early with a 2-run HR by phenom Konnor Griffin, added a 2 spot in the second inning and single tallies in the fourth and seventh. Offensively, the Cardinals mustered by one hit and scored a lone run a rally killing GIDP in the fifth.

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Pre-Game Notes

The venue remains unchanged. Roger Dean Stadium. Pittsburgh is in.

Barco pitches for the Pirates. Leahy for the Cardinals.

Mautz, Rincon, Romero, Roycroft, Moreno to follow Leahy, not necessarily in that order.

Herrera at lead-off today. Followed by Urias, Gorman, Walker, Fermin, Pozo, Church, Davis, Rivas

Looking forward to seeing K. Griffin.

The big news is Oli’s extension gets rolled out today. Have you heard?

Otherwise, a quiet day at camp. MiLBers have the day off.

The Manager’s Corner (pre-game)

Oli came into the media room shortly after the press conference.

Noted Herrera at lead-off is a way to get him ABs early in the game and still get him some time behind the plate. Still in build up mode, but they like what they see.

Does not think WBC attendance by the 9 players listed will be nearly as disruptive as last time. Sounds like it can be hit-and-miss on what information they get back from WBC teams on how their players are progressing. Some orgs are better at that than others. Isn’t it that way with everything?

Seems he might know the Team USA manager.

Urias has been a topic of Q&A each day. I will explore that more in-depth in an article later in camp.

First trip ever into RDS for the Pirates. Cardinals return the favor this upcoming Thursday.

Game Observations

A double and a Griffin HR put a quick 2-spot on the board for the Bucs. Griffin launched a center-cut sweeper that swept into the hitting sweet spot instead of out of it.

Another 2-spot in the second inning, featuring more bloops and bleeders than anything.

Bedell into take the last batter of the third inning, with Leahy’s pitch count in the 50’s.

Through three innings, the Cardinals are hitless (been a bit of that at the start of this camp) and find themselves down 4-0.

Jhostynxon Garcia greets Romero in the 4th with a solo shot, otherwise a quiet inning.

Cardinals load the bases in fifth to make some noise. Davis GDP plates a run but ends the noise.

Mautz pitches 2.2 with 3 Ks, complicated by 3 walks, ultimately giving up a run. Nunez finishes the inning with a K after giving up a run scoring single to right. He is high octane.

Roycroft pitches a scoreless 8th w 2Ks.

The bottom of the eighth produces a Tai Peete sighting. He K’s looking. He loses the challenge and the Cardinals are out of challenges.

Rincon in to cap off the ninth. 11 pitches. 4-seamer tops at 97, avg closer to 95. Slider got outs.

The Manager’s Corner (post-game)

Leahy wasn’t as sharp as he’d want to be today. Got back in the 1st after the HR and got out in 11 pitches.

Herrera and Leahy seemed to be on the same page, Ivan managed the game well

Mautz let some counts get away.

Final notes

Will work the back fields tomorrow in the AM and then begin to long trek home, so this is the last game recap.

Will recap the back field experience for my Friday article. It may take that long to re-surface and process all the impressions I’ve gotten. Some may marinate all summer.