LF Starling Marte (Justin K. Aller/Getty)
Game: Phillies (22-40) at Pirates (33-27)
Time: 4:05 p.m.
Site: PNC Park
TV, radio: ROOT Sports, KDKA-FM 93.7
Weather: 84 and cloudy
Phillies
1. Ben Revere RF
2. Odubel Herrera CF
3. Chase Utley 2B
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Maikel Franco 3B
6. Cody Asche LF
7. Freddy Galvis SS
8. Carlos Ruiz C
9. Sean O’Sullivan RHP
Pirates
1. Gregory Polanco RF
2. Starling Marte LF
3. Andrew McCutchen CF
4. Neil Walker 2B
5. Josh Harrison 3B
6. Pedro Alvarez 1B
7. Jung Ho Kang SS
8. Chris Stewart C
9. Gerrit Cole RHP
Rob Scahill is the only reliever unavailable today. He threw two scoreless innings last night.
The Pirates didn’t have to report to the clubhouse until 2:30 p.m. this afternoon. That made everyone pretty happy, even manager Clint Hurdle.
"I got to go to hip-hop dance today and tennis lessons,” Hurdle said. “Normally I would've had to pass on both of those. Basically, I might have just done it for myself.”
Hip-hop dance?
“I watched,“ he clarified. ”It's going to be quite the production, a big-time production."
Antonio Bastardo picked up his first win as a Pirate last night.
"He's getting closer and closer,” Hurdle said. “His last two outings in Atlanta were as good as we've seen all year. ... It's been one pitch or one batter that's gotten in the way and has kept him from really pushing through and getting on a role. The arm speed is there. The fastball velocity, the movement, the swing-and-miss is all playing out. He actually threw a couple really nice sliders last night to go with it. I do believe he's definitely trending upward. I've always wanted to use that term. I hear it all the time."
Francisco Cervelli caught all 13 innings last night and gets the day off today. Hurdle looked back on his catcher’s progress since joining the squad this spring.
"I do think there came a point in time in spring training when he was really trying to force some things. I think his mother gave him the best advice: Slow down. Who better than from mom? My mom to this day tells me to give it everything I've got. I hear it everytime she says it. ...
“He was in a hurry. It was an opportunity to play every day. This could be the perfect storm for him, career-wise, and as soon as that bell rang in spring training he's ready to go, times 10. As soon as he slowed down ... he's performed at a high level.”
“The guy we had last year was great. Let's not undersell Russell Martin. He was great. ... But these guys have come in, and you haven't seen the bar drop, really. It's a different kind of offensive catcher, but Russell Martin wasn't that offensive catcher the year before. These guys have done everything we've asked them to do."
Sent Hurdle down a rabbit hole by asking who would’ve been his backup catcher if the game had gone longer than 13 innings last night. Chris Stewart pinch-hit in the 13th, the last bat off the bench.
"It's [Sean] Rodriguez,” Hurdle said, “but don't tell him."
Hurdle said he’s ”probably” discussed the emergency-catcher situation with Rodriguez, but “it’s kind of hush-hush,” he joked. Well, if Rodriguez moved to catcher, who would’ve taken his spot at first base?
"After that it probably would have been [Charlie] Morton or A.J. [Burnett],” Hurdle said. ”[Gerrit] Cole was home. [Jeff] Locke was out of the game. [Vance] Worley was going to be on the mound. I would've had two choices."
Yeah, why not Burnett, the 38-year-old right-hander on his farewell tour?
"If you're going to go out, take some things down with you," Hurdle said with a smile.
First Published: March 24, 2016, 5:02 p.m.
