Pirates rally to get win
BRADENTON, Fla. – Catcher Jacob Stallings hit a tying home run in the bottom of the eighth and Gift Ngoepe hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth as the Pirates defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-4 Tuesday.
John Jaso, playing third base, hit a two-run home run for the Pirates in the first inning.
Jaso, a former catcher signed by the Pirates (16-7) last year to play first base, has been working at both third base and in the outfield this spring.
Jaso did not have a ball hit his way at third in his first live game at the position.
“Easiest position on the field,” Jason said.
Jaso took on learning some new positions this spring to give manager Clint Hurdle extra options off the bench in the regular season.
“I can’t remember the last game a third baseman had no plays in nine innings other than probably a game I played,” Hurdle said. “Everybody wanted me to have no plays, and everybody was happy at the end of the day, including me. … He could have had 12 plays and he had none, so what are you going to do?”
Chad Kuhl, who is pencilled in as the Pirates’ No. 4 starter, allowed three runs, all earned in five innings. He struck out four.
“Pitches were working. They had life, but just struggled early on getting it down,” Kuhl said. “Battled through, and (the fourth and fifth innings) were a lot better.”
Stallings, the son of Pitt basketball coach Kevin Stallings, hit his second homer of the spring and raised his batting average to .350. Ngoepe, a 27-year-old native of South Africa who played in Class AAA Indianapolis last season, is now batting .405 in 37 at bats. He is a middle infielder.