Indians complete 3-game sweep of Pirates in 5-3 victory
The game was an exhibition, a mere warm-up for what really matters.
In that light, Derek Holland wasn’t concerned he allowed three runs in three innings in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-3 loss Wednesday night to the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park.
The Pirates, who were 3-15 in spring training 1.0 in Bradenton, Fla., lost three games in the past five days to the Indians.
“I know the one thing that’s going to come up is people are going to talk about the runs that were scored,” Holland said. “I’m not worried about that.
“This whole last (outing) was to make sure everything is working really good.”
He said he liked the “good action” from his pitches, and the fact Indians hitters managed only “weak contact” in some at-bats.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton hasn’t named a starter for the home opener Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers, but Holland is next in line after the three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals that starts Friday. Shelton said Holland will pitch one of the first two games in the series against the Brewers.
Shelton has designated Joe Musgrove, Trevor Williams and Mitch Keller to pitch in St. Louis.
“Overall, I think everything is right where it needs to be heading into (the start of the season),” Holland said. “The thing that stands out to me is the contact, using the away side. That’s what people are always talking about, ‘I get beat away.’ (Wednesday), I felt we did a great job of fixing away.”
Shelton said he likes the veteran experience Holland, 33, brings to the team as an 11-year veteran.
“He doesn’t take himself too seriously, which I think is a very good thing with a young club and young pitchers,” he said. “He’s going to be a guy that they can lean on and have conversations with.”
With the help of an error by second baseman Adam Frazier, the Indians scored two runs — one earned — on three hits in the first inning. Carlos Santana homered in the third.
Relief pitcher Kyle Crick gave up a home run to Jose Ramirez in the fifth. It was Crick’s second outing of the Indians series. He gave up four runs on two hits and two walks in 1⁄3 of an inning Saturday night.
Josh Bell belted a two-run homer in the first inning, and Jarrod Dyson added an RBI double in the seventh.
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Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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