CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Nick Kingham had nothing but good things to say about Bryce Harper a day after the outfielder agreed to a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, against whom Kingham made his second Grapefruit League start Friday.
“I loved it [for him], more power to him,” Kingham said. “If you can demand that much, then you should ask for that much. I’m all for it. I’m excited to see what he’s going to add to their team.”
Kingham said he and Harper played together on the summer travel baseball circuit while they both lived in Las Vegas for a year or two before they became teenagers.
Kingham went to Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, and Harper went to Las Vegas High School.
“I’ve known him for a little while,” Kingham said. “We were in different divisions in high school, so we never really played against each other.”
The Pirates and Phillies will meet two more times this spring -- on March 14 and March 23 at LECOM PARK -- but Kingham isn’t sure if he’ll have a chance to face his old friend. If he does, he’ll hope to put up better results than he did in a 7-3 loss Friday.
Kingham gave up five runs on six hits in three innings. Most of the damage came in the second, when Kingham gave up back-to-back home runs to left fielder Adam Haseley and catcher J.T. Realmuto.
“I felt good, the ball was coming out good, I had a good feel for all my pitches,” Kingham said. “Early in the count, I kind of fell behind and was forced to throw fastballs and maybe [didn't locate] a few, and they did what they are supposed to do with them.”
Kingham, who is competing with a handful of players for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, had Realmuto on a 1-2 count but tried to come inside with a fastball that caught too much of the plate. He did come out for a third inning and retired all three batters in order.
“The plan was to get through three innings,” Kingham said. “So to get through the three I was scheduled to go through was the highlight of my day.”
Speaking my language
Third baseman Jung Ho Kang went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Friday, but he was able to catch up with a couple of his countrymen.
Two members of the Phillies' grounds crew are from South Korea, and Kang said he spoke with them for a few minutes before the game.
“The Phillies' grounds crew got to me early last trip and begged me to bring Jung Ho to Clearwater and not Dunedin [where another Pirates split-squad tied the Blue Jays, 1-1],” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s here ... for them.”
Kang, who has three homers, also played in his first back-to-back games at third base this spring and said he felt good overall.
“The main [goal] is playing well in games,” Kang said through his interpreter. “That’s the focus right now. I felt fine.”
RHP Barrett claimed off waivers
The Pirates claimed right-hander Jake Barrett off waivers from the San Francisco Giants on Friday. Barrett, 27, has a career record of 2-4 and four saves with a 4.05 ERA in 103 appearances with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2016-18.
Barrett was a third-round pick by the D-backs in the 2012 Draft.
To make room for Barrett on the 40-man roster, right-hander Chad Kuhl has been placed on the 60-day injured list.
Game notes
• Catcher Jacob Stallings got his first hit of the spring, a two-run homer off Phillies left-hander James Pazos in the fifth inning. Stallings, 29, is out of Minor League options and is getting extended work for the first weeks of spring while Francisco Cervelli is easing into his workload.
• Right hander JT Brubaker, the 2018 Pirates Minor League Pitcher of the Year, struck out three in two innings against the Phillies but gave up his first run of the spring.
Up next
Right-hander Jordan Lyles will make his second Grapefruit League start when the Pirates play the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Luis Cessa will be on the mound for the Yankees.
Felipe Vazquez, Keone Kela, Francisco Liriano, Kyle Crick, Richard Rodriguez and Dario Agrazal are also expected to pitch for the Pirates.