Is this the Pittsburgh Pirates opening day lineup?

Travis Sawchik of the Tribune Review posted a tweet today that may give us the final clue to the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day lineup.

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With just two exhibition games left against the Philadelphia Phillies before the games actually count, it stands to reason that Clint Hurdle would start to put out lineups that are going to strongly resemble his lineup for Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Looking at the lineups, there does not seem to be any major surprises. Despite my pleas for Pedro Alvarez to be given a shot at batting cleanup, Hurdle has him here in his more-familiar sixth spot. Since the time that I voiced that opinion, my stance has softened somewhat. Despite Pedro sticking to the 6-hole, the lineup still alternates R-L-R-S-R-L, which could make navigating the Pirates lineup even trickier than it normally is.

Another thing that strikes me when looking at this lineup is the lone left-handed bench bat, that belonging to Andrew Lambo. With Jaff Decker‘s injury, Lambo should now be considered an absolute lock for the last spot on the 25-man, as the value of a left-handed bench bat cannot be overstated. Pedro Florimon has dazzled with his speed and defense this spring, but I cannot see Hurdle not carrying a lefty batter under any circumstances, in addition to the not-so-secret fact that Flormion is nowhere near major-league ready as a hitter.

As we watch tonight’s game, it will be interesting also to see how Hurdle manages. I expect that we will see a bit more situational managing, both on the field and on the pitcher’s mound.

Thankfully, there are only three short days until the games finally count.

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