Pirates, Gerrit Cole Cruise Over Team Spain

A lineup that included just one player that could be on the Pittsburgh Pirates roster on April 1 erupted today in Bradenton as the Bucs cruised over Spain’s World Classic Baseball team.

More importantly, the pitcher many trust will be the future long-term ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised against Team Spain for two innings today. Gerrit Cole went three innings and struckout six members of the World Baseball Classic club. The right hander walked one, allowed two hits, and zero runs.

Cole fired mainly fastballs in the 95-mile per hour range.  It’s just more good news for the Bucs rookie as he struckout the first six batters he faced.

We think he might have been told to pitch with his left hand in the third inning, because that is when he ran into some ‘trouble.’  But let’s face it, it’s hard not to imagine what might happen in the near future with Cole in the Bucs rotation at some point this season.   The first-rounder is looking more and more like the pitcher the Pirates will need to end a 20-year futility streak in 2013.

Gaby Sanchez homered for the Bucs.  Sanchez is getting time at the hot corner which could be an interesting option in select situations for Clint Hurdle this season.

Andy Hernandez hit a three-run shot to set the Bucs lead at 8-0.  Jeff Larish also homered.   (Hernandez showed us some pop during BP launching several bombs over the right field wall in McKechnie.  It surprised us, because he hasn’t shown a lot of pop at Indy.)  Jarek Cunningham had an RBI single to set the Bucs lead at ten.

It’s about when I stopped caring about the game.

It wasn’t just me.  If only the fans gave a shit about Team Spain.  Reports from Bradenton noted that perhaps 1,000 people were at McKechnie Field today.  The temperatures weren’t blistering, but a calm 70 degrees.

There are very few recognizable names on the Spanish team, while the Pirates trotted out a lineup of Darren Ford in center, Felix Pie in left, Gaby at third, Clint Robinson at first, Jerry Sands in right, Goedert was the DH, Hernandez played second base, Ivan De Jesus, Jr was at short, and Carlos Paulino was the catcher.