Worth noting

• Gerrit Cole's best fastball during his two-inning Grapefruit League debut Wednesday was clocked on the Pirates' bench at 91-92 mph, a few notches below his three-digit reputation. But it's early.

• Brock Holt finally made it to Pirates camp, a couple of weeks after Jason Grilli had wondered when he'd get here. The Pirates' off-the-wall reliever hadn't been aware that Holt accompanied Joel Hanrahan in the deal with Boston. Holt played and batted second for the Red Sox in their 16-6 win over the Pirates, going 2-for-4 with a walk.

Hanrahan, who had pitched on Wednesday, did not travel with the Red Sox, but he will have his reunion with some of his former Buccos buds on Friday, when a Pittsburgh split-squad buses to Fort Myers for a night return date with Boston.

• Nine of the 15 walks issued by the Pirates in the loss to Boston went to four ex-Buccos: Drew Sutton (four), David Ross and Lyle Overbay (two each) and Holt (one).

• A pair of long-shot left-handed candidates for the rotation had the roughest outings Thursday. Non-roster southpaw Jonathan Sanchez and Andrew Oliver, the one-time highly touted member of the Tigers, combined to issue seven walks and be charged with six runs in a composite two innings.

"That's why you have Spring Training," sympathetic manager Clint Hurdle said. "Some of these guys are trying to find their ways, and they found a way to not do it."