Official Game Thread - 2/26 - Pirates @ Blue Jays

[3pirates3]

Pirates

Nick Gonzales (R) 3B
Jared Triolo (R) 2B
Henry Davis (R) DH
Edward Olivares (R) LF
Canaan Smith-Njigba (L) RF
Jason Delay (R) C
Alika Williams (R) SS
Jake Lamb (L) 1B
Ji Hwan Bae (L) CF

Roansy Contreras (RHP)

Blue Jays

Bo Bichette (R) SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
Justin Turner (R) DH
Danny Jansen (R) C
Daulton Varsho (L) LF
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) 3B
Santiago Espinal (R) 2B
Nathan Lukes (L) CF
Cam Eden (R) RF

Yusei Kikuchi (LHP)

[Surgnbuck]

Bae is doing his best to play himself off the team. Misplays an easy fly ball taking a bad route. Not making contact at the plate. Him and Alika Williams are taking up space that someone else should be occupying.

Delay is the catcher today for the start of the game, and he's looked pretty bad back there.

Pirates pitching so far has looked pretty good, Contreras couldn't find the strike zone though, gave up a couple runs, but a lot of weak contact.

Once again, no offense. Triolo has two knocks and that's it.

[3pirates3]

Serven with a three-run HR to make it 6-0 Toronto.

Johnson HR's to make it 6-2. - https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/ ... 2647597323

Serven doubles two more in - 8-3.

Johnson with another HR - 8-4. - https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/ ... 5814927688

[mouse]

Well, they aren't starting us off with any false hopes.

[Doc]

Impressive home runs by Johnson today, one of them coming off a lefty.

[fjk090852-7]

Impressive home runs by Johnson today, one of them coming off a lefty.

Both homers were struck late in the game, so they weren’t off ace pitchers, but his swing is very impressive, and as you said one was off a lefty. He sure appears to be the second baseman of the future. He is sure an untouchable in my book!

[Doc]

Impressive home runs by Johnson today, one of them coming off a lefty.

Both homers were struck late in the game, so they weren’t off ace pitchers, but his swing is very impressive, and as you said one was off a lefty. He sure appears to be the second baseman of the future. He is sure an untouchable in my book!

Right now, the Pirates have five middle infielders (Cruz, Gonzales, Puegero, Johnson, and Triolo). If all of them pan out, one or two of them will be dealt away. Which ones? In this kind of situation, I always think back to when the Cubs had two youngsters, Mark Grace and Raphael Palmiero, playing first base. They chose to keep Grace, who had a terrific career. Palmiero, though, ended up in a very exclusive club: players who hit 500 HRs and had 3,000 hits. I hope the Pirates have that kind situation, too.

[fjk090852-7]

Impressive home runs by Johnson today, one of them coming off a lefty.

Both homers were struck late in the game, so they weren’t off ace pitchers, but his swing is very impressive, and as you said one was off a lefty. He sure appears to be the second baseman of the future. He is sure an untouchable in my book!

Right now, the Pirates have five middle infielders (Cruz, Gonzales, Puegero, Johnson, and Triolo). If all of them pan out, one or two of them will be dealt away. Which ones? In this kind of situation, I always think back to when the Cubs had two youngsters, Mark Grace and Raphael Palmiero, playing first base. They chose to keep Grace, who had a terrific career. Palmiero, though, ended up in a very exclusive club: players who hit 500 HRs and had 3,000 hits. I hope the Pirates have that kind situation, too.

Probably by late 2025, or 2026 for sure Johnson and Cruz will be the double play combination. I like Triolo, but I see him as a super utility player. He will play all 4 infield positions for the Pirates. I hate to say it, but I think Gonzales may be another #1 Draft pick bust.

[Surgnbuck]

Both homers were struck late in the game, so they weren’t off ace pitchers, but his swing is very impressive, and as you said one was off a lefty. He sure appears to be the second baseman of the future. He is sure an untouchable in my book!

Right now, the Pirates have five middle infielders (Cruz, Gonzales, Puegero, Johnson, and Triolo). If all of them pan out, one or two of them will be dealt away. Which ones? In this kind of situation, I always think back to when the Cubs had two youngsters, Mark Grace and Raphael Palmiero, playing first base. They chose to keep Grace, who had a terrific career. Palmiero, though, ended up in a very exclusive club: players who hit 500 HRs and had 3,000 hits. I hope the Pirates have that kind situation, too.

Probably by late 2025, or 2026 for sure Johnson and Cruz will be the double play combination. I like Triolo, but I see him as a super utility player. He will play all 4 infield positions for the Pirates. I hate to say it, but I think Gonzales may be another #1 Draft pick bust.

I would give anyone from that draft a pass, TBH. That was a pure crap shoot IMHO, you basically were drafting guys from a previous year's performance, no way to guage any improvement, peaking, exposing weaknesses etc.

[Doc]

Both homers were struck late in the game, so they weren’t off ace pitchers, but his swing is very impressive, and as you said one was off a lefty. He sure appears to be the second baseman of the future. He is sure an untouchable in my book!

Right now, the Pirates have five middle infielders (Cruz, Gonzales, Puegero, Johnson, and Triolo). If all of them pan out, one or two of them will be dealt away. Which ones? In this kind of situation, I always think back to when the Cubs had two youngsters, Mark Grace and Raphael Palmiero, playing first base. They chose to keep Grace, who had a terrific career. Palmiero, though, ended up in a very exclusive club: players who hit 500 HRs and had 3,000 hits. I hope the Pirates have that kind situation, too.

Probably by late 2025, or 2026 for sure Johnson and Cruz will be the double play combination. I like Triolo, but I see him as a super utility player. He will play all 4 infield positions for the Pirates. I hate to say it, but I think Gonzales may be another #1 Draft pick bust.

I'm not near ready to give up on Gonzales yet. The guy can hit. Injuries were a problem for him a couple of years ago. I'd like to see how he can do playing everyday for a couple of months.