BRADENTON, Fla. — It’s a good thing Opening Day will be Derek Shelton’s first real game as Pirates manager, as this one was kind of a dud.
The Pirates managed just four hits, struck out 11 times and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Minnesota Twins in their Grapefruit League opener on Saturday at LECOM Park.
Ke’Bryan Hayes doubled, while Mitch Keller, Clay Holmes and Blake Cederlind all shined on the mound.
Oh, and Shelton received a special visit from Twins legends Tony Oliva and Rod Carew, who made the drive from Fort Myers to see the Pirates’ new manager.
“Any time you get two guys of that stature that do that, then to be able to get a picture with those two guys and Manny [Sanguillen] and [Bill Mazeroski], that’s definitely be something that will go up on my wall at home,” Shelton said.
On the mound
It was an encouraging first start for Keller, who gave up two hits in a pair of scoreless innings. Keller threw 16 of his 28 pitches for strikes and got outs despite bouncing a couple breaking balls.
Keller said he wanted to impress Shelton and new pitching coach Oscar Marin.
“My main focus was just going out there and competing,” Keller said. “It’s the first time Oscar and Shelty have seen us throw. Just going out there and showing them what I got.”
Holmes worked the fifth and mowed through the Twins on seven pitches, six of them strikes. The big righty-hander mixed his sinker and curveball well.
Cederlind hit 99 mph while working a scoreless and should’ve enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning; a missed call with two strikes extended the inning.
They meet again
This was a matchup of good friends, Shelton and Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who brought the sign from last Sunday’s Grapefruit League Media Day — inscribed with a few hand-written jabs.
Shelton said he was prepared for a little ribbing and actually played some Phish [Baldelli’s favorite band] during batting practice as a gesture of goodwill.
“I’m a little concerned when we go to Fort Myers what he’ll actually do,” Shelton said. “I definitely wasn’t going to mess with him.”
At the plate
Hayes’ doubled off the right-field wall, an encouraging sign for a guy the Pirates want to produce more offensively. Cole Tucker had the Pirates’ first hit — a single in the fifth inning.
Phillip Evans, Socrates Brito and Will Craig all struck out twice, while Jason Delay scored the lone run when led off the seventh with a walk and scored via Hayes’ double.
Up next
Game: (SS) Pirates vs. Tigers, LECOM Park, Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Pitchers: LHP Derek Holland vs. RHP Zach Godley
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Game: (SS) at Phillies, Spectrum Field, Clearwater, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams vs. RHP Aaron Nola
Radio: 93.7 The Fan
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: February 22, 2020, 9:44 p.m.