Hurdle announces Black & Gold game lineups
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Spring Training workout days are dwindling down to their final few and on Sunday morning Pirates manager Clint Hurdle posted the lineups on the clubhouse board for Tuesday's Black & Gold intrasquad game at McKechnie Field.
The Major League team will move over there that day for the remainder of the spring from Pirate City, and Pittsburgh will open the Grapefruit League schedule against the Yankees at McKechnie on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. ET.
"This is just to get it started, just to get these guys on the mound," Hurdle said about the Tuesday game after the workout on Sunday. "Get some pitchers innings so we can set up the rotation and get some [hitters] some competitive at bats. Just get some reps on the field. Actually just kick off the on-field portion of Spring Training to get us in a game frame of mind."
For the Black team, here's the lineup from top to bottom:
Alen Hanson at shortstop, Gregory Polanco in center field, Chris Dickerson in left field, Matt Hague at third base, Travis Ishikawa in right field, Nevin Ashley catching, Chris McGuiness at first base, Michael Martinez at second base, Omir Santos as the DH and right-hander Stolmy Pimentel starting.
The rest of the pitching is left-hander Andy Oliver and right-handers Jay Jackson, Zach Thornton, Brandon Mann and Matt Benedict.
For the Gold:
Jose Tabata in right field, Jaff Decker in center field, Andrew Lambo at first base, Tony Sanchez catching, Josh Harrison at third base, Robert Andino at shortstop, Chase d'Arnaud at second base, Carlos Paulino at DH;, Mel Rojas Jr. in left field and left-hander Joely Rodriguez starting.
The rest of the pitching is all right-handed: Casey Sadler, Jake Brigham, Cody Eppley, Elvin Ramirez and Ryan Beckman.
Ashley, Paulino, Santos, Andino, Hague, Ishikawa, Dickerson, Martinez, Jackson, Thornton, Brigham and Eppley are all non-roster players. Rojas, Mann, Benedict, Ramirez and Beckman are being brought over from the Minor League camp to play in the game.