The Pittsburgh Pirates secured a 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at LECOM Park on Saturday in spring training action. Marcell Ozuna paced the offense, going 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Carmen Mlodzinski turned in a solid outing, working 5.0 innings of 2-run ball with five strikeouts. The Orioles out-hit the Pirates 13-12 on the day. 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
Marcell Ozuna was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-4 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.
Henry Davis also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, Billy Cook chipped in, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, and Jared Triolo added to the attack, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Adley Rutschman led the Orioles offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI day. Dylan Beavers also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Colton Cowser added a 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Pirates pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Carmen Mlodzinski got the start, delivering a strong performance, working 5.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 64 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 3.3 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out seven. 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. Mason Montgomery recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Cam Sanders stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Pirates struck first, pushing across a run in the first inning. The Pirates plated a run in the second. Orioles answered with two runs in the third. Orioles tacked on two runs in the sixth. The Pirates countered with a run in the sixth. Orioles struck back with a run in the seventh. The Pirates answered with three runs in the seventh. The Pirates tacked on two runs in the eighth. Orioles countered with a run in the ninth. The Pirates spread their scoring across five different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. Orioles out-hit the Pirates 13-12, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,595 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.
