SARASOTA, Fla. -- More than a decade ago, Derek Shelton was in the Indians dugout when then-Rays manager Joe Maddon defied convention and moved an infielder to the outfield against fly ball-launching lefty sluggers like Travis Hafner and David Ortiz.

Shelton was the Twins’ bench coach the last two years, when Minnesota utilized a four-man outfield more than any other team. And that strategy will “definitely” find its way to Pittsburgh at some point this season, Shelton said after the Pirates’ 13-0 loss to the Orioles on Thursday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium.

“The fact that we can prove where guys hit the ball, and we have information on that -- if we don’t use it in certain situations, it would probably be a detriment to us,” Shelton said.

Four-man outfield shifts have become more common in recent years as hitters continue to focus on hitting the ball in the air, not on the ground. It’s been used against hitters like Joey Gallo, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Jorge Polanco and Justin Smoak, among others.

The benefits are obvious. With an extra outfielder in play against a fly ball-hitting/strikeout-prone power bat, the Pirates could cover more ground and prevent extra-base hits. It’s especially useful with a fly ball/strikeout pitcher on the mound -- someone like, say, Chris Archer.

The Pirates also have the perfect candidate to occasionally bounce from the infield dirt to the outfield grass: second baseman Adam Frazier, who entered the Majors as a super-utility player who moved around the infield and outfield.

“We’re not going to do it just to do it. It’s not something we’re doing as a sideshow,” Shelton said. “We’re going to do it when there’s a purpose to it and we feel it’s our best matchup.”

The Pirates were known for shifting their infielders behind a ground ball pitching staff during their 2013-15 runs to the postseason, but they haven’t been as aggressive in positioning their defense in recent years. There’s been a noticeable increase in their infield shifting even during this Spring Training, however, which could be a sign of things to come.

Last season, the Pirates ranked 10th in the Majors by shifting during 30.2 percent of plate appearances; they ranked 18th (14.2 percent) in 2018, according to Statcast. The Twins, Shelton’s former employer, ranked seventh at 35.6 percent last year and third at 28.5 percent in 2018.

Game report
The Pirates gave up 13 runs on 19 hits, including four homers, against the Orioles on Thursday as their Grapefruit League record fell to 0-6-1. It wasn’t much better offensively for Pittsburgh, as the Bucs totaled only four hits -- two of them by Colin Moran -- while striking out eight times.

Closer Keone Kela gave up three runs in one inning, Geoff Hartlieb allowed five runs on four hits while recording two outs, and Chris Stratton gave up a pair of solo homers on a windy day at Ed Smith Stadium.

Seven games into the exhibition season, the Pirates have scored a total of 16 runs while posting a combined .593 OPS. Spring Training results typically don’t translate into the regular season, and most players use this time of the year to work on their game rather than chasing statistics. Count Shelton among those unconcerned by the Pirates’ slow start.

“I don’t think it’s the time to worry about it,” Shelton said. “I think we’ve had some good at-bats and people have made good plays against us. We’ve hit a couple balls. We’ve had a couple opportunities to score and haven’t. That’s going to happen. I’m not overly concerned about that.”

Veteran right-hander Hector Noesí, who’s in camp on a Minor League contract, put together the most encouraging pitching performance of the day. Noesí allowed only one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings as the Pirates’ starting pitcher. Shelton commended Noesí’s breaking-ball usage, while Noesí said he was pleased with the way he utilized his four-seam fastball up in the strike zone.

“Everybody’s pitching up, so I have to. I’m old school, so before it was everything down in the ground,” Noesí said. “Now, everybody’s pitching up, so I have to make an adjustment to keep playing baseball.

Up next
The Pirates will play the Orioles again on Friday afternoon at LECOM Park, where right-hander Trevor Williams will make his second start of the spring. Left-hander Steven Brault and right-hander Chad Kuhl, candidates to crack the Opening Day rotation, are scheduled to pitch after Williams. Also expected to take the mound are JT Brubaker, Michael Feliz, Edgar Santana and Nik Turley. Center fielder Jarrod Dyson will make his Pirates debut, and Gregory Polanco is expected to be back in right field. The telecast will air on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh and MLB.TV. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.