Pirates Notebook: Not so grand with thefts
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Nine games, one steal.
On two attempts.
Those are the Pirates' totals to date, and they are surprising mostly because speedy leadoff man Chris Duffy -- the owner of that solitary steal -- has reached base safely 14 times this season, including several occasions where that extra base might have made a difference. To boot, he is coming off a season in which he succeeded in 26 of 27 tries, the best rate in Major League Baseball.
His explanation: Opposing pitchers are aware of him.
"They're so quick to the plate with every pitch, it seems," Duffy said. "I'm not getting any chances to run."
Well, except the one, of course. That came against Cincinnati right-hander Aaron Harang Saturday.
"And nothing else."
There certainly were no chances yesterday, even though Duffy reached base four times. But not by choice. Once, he tripled. The other three times, there was a runner one base ahead of him.
Duffy estimated that he has committed to run eight times this season, but the pitcher either went too quickly through his motion or did a slide-step that deterred him. That was the case in the 12th inning Tuesday, he said, when he led off with a walk with the Pirates needing a run to tie.
"I wanted to run on Jason Isringhausen on every pitch, but he hurried through every one," Duffy said. "If I go, I'm just going to run into an out."
At some point, though, Duffy surely will need to adjust. He is the Pirates' only legitimate stolen-base threat and, potentially, a formidable one.
"Yeah. It's frustrating right now. Sometimes, I just want to say heck with it and go. But that would be stupid. There will be chances."
The Pirates' other attempt came yesterday when Xavier Nady was nailed in the fifth inning.
LaRoche benched by back
First baseman Adam LaRoche was benched for the first time, but not because of his .097 average. Rather, he had lower back stiffness that began Tuesday night and flared yesterday morning upon arrival at the ballpark.
"I had every intention of having him out there with some of the good at-bats he's taken lately," manager Jim Tracy said.
LaRoche said after the game he felt "100 percent better" than in the morning, and it is expected he will play tomorrow.
Catcher Ronny Paulino was held out, too, but that was because he caught all 12 innings Tuesday.
Hard to forget
Tracy showed up with a smile in the morning, despite the 3-2 loss the previous night that so many found agonizing.
His stance: "Put it behind you. Get over it. Learn from it, but get over it."
To that end, he mostly passed on any leftover discussion about the game. But he did make clear his stance on Jason Bay's throw to the incorrect base that led to St. Louis' tying run in the ninth.
David Eckstein was at second, Chris Duncan at first when Albert Pujols flied out to the left-field corner. Bay caught it and threw to shortstop Jack Wilson, positioned behind third base as the cutoff man, rather than to second base. Had Bay done the latter, the tying run might have stayed at first.
"The runner at first is the one you need to be worried about," Tracy said.
Had Duncan broken immediately off the bag, Bay would have had no play, Tracy acknowledged. But, because Duncan hesitated -- "He's creeping. He's walking," Tracy said -- he likely would have stayed put.
Scott Spiezio's ensuing single scored each runner and brought a 2-2 tie.
Bay offered no excuse for his lapse yesterday.
"All I did was look up and see the cutoff man and throw it there," he said. "That one hurt. The whole game hurt."
That included, he added, having the winning run score on a sacrifice fly hit to him in shallow left.
"I knew they were going to run. I know I don't have the best arm in the league."
Buried treasure
Reliever John Grabow pitched two innings in an extended spring training game in Bradenton, Fla., and said, "Everything went well." He probably will pitch another game there.
The Pirates will wear their new alternate red jerseys tomorrow for the first time.
INDIANAPOLIS (4-2) beat Toledo, 7-3. LHP Sean Burnett (2-0, 2.38) allowed three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one. RHP Josh Sharpless (0.00) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. SS Brian Bixler (.476) went 4 for 4 with a triple, three RBIs and a steal. DH Ryan Doumit (.364) went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.
ALTOONA (1-2) won at Akron, 4-3, in 10 innings. RHP Yoslan Herrera (0-0, 1.80), making his Class AA debut, allowed one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one. 3B Neil Walker (.231) led off the ninth with a single and scored on a home run by DH Randy Ruiz (.250) to break a 1-1 tie. After Akron tied, Walker doubled in the 10th and scored on a Ruiz double. Walker went 2 for 5. CF Andrew McCutchen (.000) went 0 for 5 and is hitless in his first 11 at-bats.
LYNCHBURG (3-2) and Frederick were rained out.
HICKORY (5-2) beat Delmarva, 11-2. RHP Brad Clapp (2-0, 4.50) allowed two runs in five innings. SS Angel Gonzalez (.367) went 2 for 4 with a double and his seventh RBI.
First Published April 11, 2007 11:51 pm
