1:05 EST
Pirates Lineup: Pedro Ciriaco (CF), Josh Rodriguez (SS), John Bowker (LF), Ryan Doumit (C), Steven Pearce (3B), Andy Marte (1B), Corey Wimberly (2B), Charlie Morton (SP)
Interesting defensive alignment today for the bucs. Ciriaco in center field is probably the most interesting. The Pirates have been impressed with his spring training and there is no doubt that they are considering taking him to Pittsburgh. They believe that he is athletic enough to play some outfield in addition to the stellar defense he brings in the middle infield, and it would helpful for the Pirates to have that speed and versatility available for outfield innings. Rodriguez is batting right behind Ciriaco and playing shortstop. Only one of those two guys are going to make it to the majors, and these last few games might be the deciding factor. Pearce is getting another chance to play third base today to try and show the Pirates that he is good enough there to be a solid backup to Pedro Alvarez. Marte gets the call at first base, he could definitely see some games there this season if he makes the team like I expect him to. Wimberly is getting another start, even though he is basically out of the running for a big league job.
Pirates Pitchers:Charlie Morton, Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras
Morton has been the most exciting Pirates pitcher to watch this spring and I'm excited to see him get another go at it. I'm guessing he'll stay in the game as long as he can before hit pitch count gets too high. He should have 1 more spring start after this one, but it's safe to say that he has already locked up a spot in the rotation.