The Pittsburgh Pirates earned a 5-2 victory over the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Saturday in spring training action. Oneil Cruz paced the offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Braxton Ashcraft turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of scoreless ball with two strikeouts. The Pirates finished with 6 hits on the day while holding the Astros to 4. 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
Oneil Cruz was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Pirates confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Billy Cook also contributed, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, Alika Williams chipped in, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Marcell Ozuna added to the attack, going 2-for-3. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Isaac Paredes led the Astros offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI day. Brice Matthews also contributed, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Cam Smith added a 1-for-3 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Pirates pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Braxton Ashcraft got the start, putting together a workmanlike effort, working 3.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit with two strikeouts. He threw 38 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Pirates evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 1.3 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs 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. Derek Diamond recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Bubba Chandler stood out with 1.1 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
Astros got on the board first with a run in the fourth inning. The Pirates struck back with three runs in the fifth. Astros answered with a run in the fifth. The Pirates responded with two runs in the sixth. The Pirates out-hit Astros 6-4 on the day, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs.
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.
