BRADENTON, Fla. -- Two third basemen. Four home runs.
And the Pirates’ starter last season at the hot corner didn’t even play Sunday in a 10-6 victory over the Marlins in an exhibition game at LECOM Park.
Jung Ho Kang hit a pair of solo home runs to stake the Pirates to a 3-1 lead. His replacement, Ke’Bryan Hayes, also went deep twice, including a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“I’ve never been part of a game when the third basemen hit four home runs before,” Clint Hurdle said. “That's a first."
Colin Moran is atop the Pirates’ depth chart at third base. Two games into spring training makes it far too early to say he is losing his grip on the starting job, though Moran is coming off a rather uninspiring rookie season.
However, Kang showed he is ready to provide competition after missing nearly two full major-league seasons because of work visa problems that stemmed from his third DUI arrest in his native South Korea.
Hayes is considered one of the top prospects in baseball and will begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis. However, on Sunday, Hayes looked like a player who could be ready for the Pirates’ opening-day lineup in 2020 – though they will almost assuredly have him begin the season in the minor leagues to delay his eligibility for free agency an extra year.
Kang hit a wind-aided home run in the second inning to open the scoring. However, there was nothing cheap about his second solo shot in the fourth as it cleared the boardwalk in left field and appeared to leave the stadium.
Despite missing the last two spring trainings, Kang says he is feeling comfortable again.
“I already know everybody in here, every staff, coach, all the players,” he said through a translator. “I was very used to it. It was comfortable, like home. It felt good playing with the Pirates again.”
Hayes lined a two-run home run off the batter’s eye in dead center-field in the sixth. His game-winning slam with two outs easily cleared the fence in left.
“It’s a good feeling to have a game like that,” Hayes said. “I’m just trying to hit the ball hard. That’s my mindset every time I step into the batter’s box.”
Pablo Reyes also had two hits, including a single in the ninth-inning rally.
• Nick Kingham made a good first impression in his bid to win the fifth starter’s job, pitching two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two.
He is competing with Steven Brault, Rookie Davis and Jordan Lyles for the one open spot in the rotation. Brault pitched two scoreless innings yesterday against the Phillies.
“I think any impression you make is going to stand on its own until your next one,” Kingham said. “Anytime you go out to the mound, you want to make a good impression. It might be the last one you get, so you always want to be good and you always want to leave a good impression in the coaches’ minds, and the decision makers’.”
Dario Agrazal pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Francisco Liriano and Doyvadas Neverauskas each worked a shutout inning. Alex McRae was tagged for four ruins in 1 2/3 innings, Nick Burdi allowed one run — a solo home run— in one inning while striking out the side, and Blake Weiman gave up the tying run in the top of the ninth but got credit for the win.
• Hurdle dropped an interesting nugget to reporters during his post-game press coverage, saying the Pirates will likely look at Francisco Cervelli at third base during exhibition play.
Cervelli has made four appearances at third base in his 11-year career and none have been starts. The last came in 2011.
• The Pirates were still buzzing Sunday about outfielder Jason Martin’s game-winning two-run home run in the ninth inning the day before. The blast went to deep center field and likely traveled between 450-475 feet.
“I got a hold of it pretty good,” Martin admitted with a smile. “I’ve hit some other long home runs but that might have been the longest. It was a good feeling, especially considering the point in the game when I hit it.”
Despite being charitably listed at 5-foot-9, Martin has hit 63 home runs in six minor-league seasons. The 23-year-old likely will begin the season at Indianapolis but could make his major-league debut at some point this season.
• The Pirates are home again Monday, facing the World Series champion Red Sox at 1:05 p.m.
Lyles is expected to start while Brandon Waddell, Elvis Escobar, Eduardo Vera and Jesus Liranzo are scheduled to pitch in relief. The Red Sox will throw left-hander Brian Johnson.