The Pittsburgh Pirates earned a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves at LECOM Park on Thursday in spring training action. Alika Williams paced the offense, going 2-for-2 with two RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Bubba Chandler turned in a solid outing, working 5.0 innings of 1-run ball with eight strikeouts. The Pirates finished with 5 hits on the day while holding the Braves to 2. The victory gives the Pirates positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Alika Williams was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBI. His steady bat was exactly what the lineup needed. Performances like this give the Pirates confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Javier Rivas also contributed, going 1-for-1 with an RBI, Endy Rodríguez chipped in, going 1-for-1, and Yordany De Los Santos added to the attack, going 1-for-1. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Jair Camargo led the Braves offense with a 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI day. Kyle Farmer also contributed, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Despite those contributions, the Pirates pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Bubba Chandler got the start, delivering a strong performance, working 5.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit with eight strikeouts. He threw 66 pitches in the outing. It was exactly the kind of outing the Pirates need from their pitching staff heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.0 innings of work, allowing 1 earned run while striking out three. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions. Noah Murdock recorded the save to close out the game.
How It Happened
Braves got on the board first with a run in the third inning. Braves plated a run in the sixth. The Pirates answered with five runs in the eighth. The Pirates made their one big inning count, doing all of their damage in a single frame. The Pirates out-hit Braves 5-2 on the day, with 4 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 5,427 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Pirates can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.
