Pirates/MLB
Pittsburgh Pirates
DODGERS 3 – PIRATES 0
Win: Zack Greinke (1-0)
Loss: Jonathan Sanchez (0-1)
Save: Brandon League (1)
Zack Greinke pitched like a $147 million dollar pitcher Friday night, allowing 2 hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings, while striking out six and walking none in the Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2) 3-0 shutout win over the Pittsburgh Pirates (1-3).
The Pirates falling to 1-3 on the season managed just two hits in the game and had no extra base hits.
The only Pirates to get hits were Garrett Jones, a single to right with two outs and no one on in the top of the 2nd, and Andrew McCutchen who singled to center in the top of the 7th with no one on and one out. McCutchen would be caught stealing to second base and the Pirates were never a threat in the inning.
Pirate batters combined for 10 strikeouts and 1 walk in the loss as Jones, McCutchen and Russell Martin who walked in the 8th were the Pirates only base runners in the game.
Through four games the Pirates rank 30th in runs (6), 30th in batting average (.127) and 30th in slugging percentage (.161)
McCutchen has been the Pirates only bright spot at the plate, hitting .308/.400/.462 with 2 RBIs, 2 doubles, 1 triple and 4 stolen bases in four games.
The Pirates second best hitter through four has been Clint Barmes hitting .222/.222/.444 with 2 doubles.
PIRATES HITTERS ON THE SEASON
Starling Marte .133/.188/.133
Neil Walker .143/.250/.143
Andrew Mccutchen .308/.400/.462
Pedro Alvarez .133/.133/.133
Garrett Jones .167/.167/.167
Gaby Sanchez .100/.250/.100
Clint Barmes .222/.222/.444
Russell Martin .000/.143/.000
Jose Tabata .000/.000/.000
Travis Snider .000/.000/.000
SANCHEZ NOT PERFECT BUT HAS ENCOURAGING START
A bright spot for the Pirates was the start of Jonathan Sanchez who gave up six hits and three runs in 5.0 innings pitched. Sanchez struck out four and walked one. He threw 54 strikes on 88 pitches.
Sanchez gave up a solo home run to Andre Ethier in the 2nd leaving a 2-2 fastball high in the zone. In the sixth inning, Sanchez ran into some trouble walking Mark Ellis who led off the inning and Matt Kemp hit an RBI double off Sanchez scoring Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez doubled to right scoring Kemp as the Dodgers jumped on Sanchez with two runs in the sixth, while facing just three hitters in the inning.
Jeanmar Gomez relieved Sanchez in the sixth with no outs and went on to pitch three scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and no walks.
It was far from a perfect outing for Sanchez but he was throwing some good “stuff” on his pitches that resembled the pitcher he was in 2010 to some extent. Sanchez who walked 7.4 batters per nine innings last season, did not walk his first batter until the sixth inning.
Sanchez has made some promising strides in the past couple weeks as expectations are low for him.
“Jonathan has made as good of strides as anybody we’ve had in camp throughout the spring with the command and the four pitch mix,” manager Clint Hurdle told reporters before the game.
