BRADENTON, Fla. -- Nick Kingham, a 26-year-old right-handed starting pitcher, allowed three runs, one earned, with two walks and two strikeouts in three innings of the Pirates' 8-4 victory over the Tigers Thursday at LECOM Park.
He was the victim of poor defense, but he was able to work his way out of a few jams, stranding five runners on base, including two in scoring position in the third with back-to-back strikeouts.
"I thought, 'Here it is; I'm sick of trying to nitpick and maybe finagle around the strike zone a little bit,'" Kingham said. "Here it is, hit it, just put it in play and get themselves out. It kind of just worked for me, so I stuck to it. I mixed the ball well, at least I threw some fastballs early in the count and got some called strikes, swings and misses, so I just rolled with that."
• David Freese and Starling Marte both homered in the first inning, with Freese's two-run shot giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead. However, they made two poor defensive plays that led to runs. Marte watched a fly ball sail over his head in the third inning for an Edwin Espinal double.
One batter later, Freese committed a pair of errors — misplaying a grounder and forcing an errant throw to Kingham at first — to allow Espinal to score. Espinal, a first baseman who spent six years in the Pirates' system, drove in two runs in the third on a single to center.
Francisco Cervelli and Sean Rodriguez were also charged with errors. Rodriguez hit Espinal in the back with a throw from right field in the third inning.
"I can't believe that hit him," Rodriguez fumed afterward. "I mean, you have to go inside there, but it was just a bit inside. I can't allow that to happen."
• Cervelli went 2 for 3 with two doubles — his first hits of the spring — but he was thrown out trying to advance to third when a pitch went into the dirt in the fourth inning. Bryce Brentz hit his first home run of the spring, a solo shot in the eighth.
• Hurdle's lineup card for the win:
1. Josh Harrison, 2B
2. Corey Dickerson, LF
3. Starling Marte, CF
4. Colin Moran, 3B
5. David Freese, 1B
6. Sean Rodriguez, RF
7. Francisco Cervelli, C
8. Jordy Mercer, SS
9. Bryce Brentz, DH
• The Pirates will play the Phillies in Clearwater on Friday at 1:05 p.m. Steven Brault is expected to start with Dovydas Neverauskas, Richard Rodriguez, Casey Sadler and Tyler Jones in relief. Also, Jameson Taillon will pitch a four-inning intra-squad game at Pirate City.