Veal is 2-0 with a 3.60ERA this spring.

When your ballclub is trying to snap a skid like the Pittsburgh Pirates are on, I don’t care to hear any excuses whatsoever.  None. Zip. Zero.

I stare at ”Live” boxscores wondering who in the world walked, who drove in that run, did he get picked off and caught stealing?

I go to spring training and fill up a memory card with 1200 pictures.  Ian Snell thought I was with TMZ for God sakes.

Then I study the pictures looking for those players that will help my beloved Pirates turn it around. 

I love baseball.  Always have. 

I tried to stay away from PNC Park.  Tried to stay away from the game I spent hours playing growing up.  I just can’t stay away.  And I want this skid to end.  Right now.

I would love for nothing more than the Pirates to win the Grapefruit League.  Well, maybe a few things would bump that wish from my list, but not many would.

Enough, enough, we must move on…So I focus on the pitching for the game today.  One game closer to Spring Training ending, one game closer to a winning season.

 Today on the hill against the Blue Jays will be Paul Maholm, Jeff Karstens (who I thought wass originally scheduled to start?), Matt Capps, Donnie Veal, Evan Meek and Juan Mateo.  Karstens has only thrown 4.2 innings in relief and has given up seven hits, ERA is 5.79.  I look for a good outing today from him.

Capps has been providing his usual solid performance he has not been scored upon this spring.

The ballclub will be watching DV closely today as I was when I took this picture in spring training.  I think he will bounce back.  It will be a big sigh of relief.  Bahahahha. 

Meek and Mateo are question marks for me.  I absolutely love watching Meeks movement on his pitches. He hasn’t been touched this spring, has three saves, and four K’s.  However, I haven’t seem him early enough to get a solid read.  I would like to see him pitch earlier in the game. 

Mateo was rocked against the Sox.  I just don’t see the confidence in Mateo.  Yet he does have five K’s. 

All in all some bright spots in the Pirates pitching for certain this year, just so many question marks.  And there are so many people telling us it’s early.  REALLY???  I did not know that.  You must be kidding me.  It’s early.  Get away from me.  It’s early.

Lately I also hear well…. They are working on sliders.   They are working inside.  Blah, Blah, Blah.  One can never be certain, but my gut tells me that there is hope.  Just keep working, it’s going to happen.

20 game winner Roy Halladay will start for Toronto.  He has been near perfect.  Funny how nobody says it’s early when talking about Roy.  He hasn’t given up a run while striking out six batters.  Let’s see if we can’t dent that ERA today.

But of course, if we don’t…don’t even say it.

It was disturbing to watch Gorzy today.  The others have little chance on making the team, but Gorzy is pitching for a rotation spot.  Some would say he is pitching his way off the rotation.

Gorzelany gave up four earned runs on two home runs today. A three run shot by DH Josh Bard (C with Padres last year who hit .202) with nobody out in the first inning and journeyman SS Neil Green launched his solo shot in the second, also with nobody out.

Chris Bootcheck who was having a solid spring came on in the third after Gorzelany faced two batters.  (Bootcheck had gone six innings without giving up a run and allowed only three hits.)  Bootcheck allowed a grand slam to Brad Wilkerson.  That Wilkerson, you know the one that OF picked up from the Jays this year after hitting .216?

Bright side for Bootcheck? He recorded all three outs in his one inning on the mound via strikeout. 

The Pirates trailed 8-0 when they came to the plate in the bottom half of the third inning.  It looked like the Bucs would have a big inning as Robinzon Diaz doubled,  Jeff Salazar walked, and Nyjer Morgan (who was 2-3 at the plate, but got picked off first base) had his second hit of the game. 

With the core of the lineup coming to the plate, Freddy Sanchez drove in Diaz with a sacrifice, but the bases were left loaded by Nate McClouth on a questionable strike three call.  DH Ryan Doumit drove in Salazer and then with two outs Adam LaRoche drove in the fourth run of the inning as Sox Pitcher Michael James allowed all three of the inherited runners to score. With two Buccos aboard, Jack Wilson (.122)struck out to end the inning.

Tyler Yates ran his scoreless innings streak to five this spring. He retired all three batters he faced in the fourth inning.

The Pirates brought former Indian righthander Brian Slocum to work the fifth inning and he was touched for three runs on four hits in his inning of work.  He also hit two batters including Neil Green (it seemed Green might have looked like one of those Kerrigan dummies as he was also plunked by Gorzy.)

Craig Hansen continued to look strong as he retired all three Sox batters he faced in the sixth inning.  Hansen has 7K, 6IP, 0ER this spring.

In bottom of sixth, Garrett Jones, who was 2 for 2 with three runs scored on the day, walked and then scored on Andrew McCutchen’s two out RBI triple to left center.  McCutchen had a solid day drawing two walks and scoring three runs.  Jose Tabata plated McCutchcen to close the gap to 11-7.

The Pirates youngsters kept  hammering the ball with Tabata having another hit, this one a double in the four run eighth inning when he, Brian Bixler, and then Neil Walker who was 2 for 3 all had key two out RBI with big Neil’s pulling the Pirates to within one at 12-11.  However, Pirate right hander Juan Mateo allowed two more runs in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jose Tabata, who must have read the morning post regarding outfielders taking a job, blistered his third hit on the day, another double driving in two runs to allow the Buccos to come all the way back and tie it at 14.  Quite a comeback  in spite of leaving ten runners on base.

The Red Sox didn’t stop scoring as Mateo give up another run in the top of the tenth setting the final at 15-14.

On this day, the Pirates youth proved to be a solid match against the Red Sox.  Another good sign despite our poor pitching effort.