BRADENTON, Fla. – An umpire issuing a warning to a pitcher over a hit by pitch in spring training is about as rare as a Pirates’ World Series appearance.
However, home plate umpire Bill Welke felt it necessary to warn Clay Holmes in the fourth inning Sunday when the rookie right-hander hit Rays shortstop Willy Adames. That came after two Pirates had already been hit by Tampa Bay pitchers.
It turned out to be much ado about nothing as there were no further incidents in the Pirates’ 10-4 loss in an exhibition game at LECOM Park. The Pirates fell to 4-5 in the Grapefruit League.
Yet there were a few tense moments after Adames was hit as Rays manager Kevin Cash yelled at Clint Hurdle from the opposing dugout. Hurdle was surprised by Cash’s reaction, initially believing a fan was hollering at catcher Jacob Stallings.
“The game of baseball is so interesting in that two people can watch the same game and see completely different things,” Hurdle said. “Clay was having control issues to the arm side the inning before then and he nicked a guy with a pitch. Cash is yelling at me and I didn’t even realize it. Nobody has any time for that in spring training.”
Holmes didn’t know he was warned until I asked him about it in the clubhouse after the game. Charlie Reliford, one of the Major League Baseball’s umpire supervisors, confirmed the warning.
Holmes seemed quite surprised.
“There were two outs, the ball slipped out of my hand and got in on him,” he said. “That’s really all that happened.”
Cash kept his comments brief when asked about the incident.
“Look, didn’t like that,” he said. “Willy got thrown up and in. I’m glad nobody got hurt. That’s it.”
It was a rough day for the Pirates’ pitching staff as top prospect Mitch Keller started and gave up four runs in one inning. He was supposed to work two innings but was lifted after throwing 29 pitches.
Joey Wendle homered on Keller’s second pitch. Avisail Garcia hit an RBI single before Mike Zunino capped the scoring with a two-run double.
Keller also gave up two runs in one inning to the Twins on Tuesday at Fort Myers, Fla., in his other spring start.
“He’s getting some good experience,” Hurdle said. “He wasn’t able to locate his pitches with the consistency he has in the past. It’s early. It’s all part of the learning opportunity. I believe in the long run it will sharpen him in a lot of different ways.”
Garcia hit a three-run home run off rookie left-hander Brandon Waddell in the fourth to make it 7-0 and the Rays extended their lead to 10-2 with a three-run eighth against right-hander Aaron Slegers.
Holmes was charged with two runs in 1 2/3 innings, Waddell with one run in 1/3 of an inning and Slegers with three runs in two innings. Luis Escobar, Kyle Crick, Nick Burdi and Geoff Hartlieb pitched one scoreless inning apiece.
• Pablo Reyes hit a solo home run in the fourth inning as the rookie utility man continues to get a long look in Grapefruit League play. The homer came two innings after he was hit in the left triceps by a pitch from “opener” Ryne Stanek.
“It hurts a lot but I’m glad it didn’t hit me on the bone,” said Reyes, who was struck on the meaty part of the arm.
Reyes already has appeared in seven of the Pirates’ first nine games and has 16 plate appearances.
Kevin Newman had two hits as he tries to impress in the competition with Erik Gonzalez for the starting shortstop job. The rookie was 1-for-10 coming into the game.
Third base prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes was 1-for-2 with a double and is hitting .385 (5-for-13) with two doubles and three homers.
Colin Moran went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a sacrifice fly.
• For what it’s worth, Keone Kela has told certain members of the media that he will not be granting interviews this season. I haven’t tried to talk to him all spring as he has come across as unapproachable.
Kela’s tenure with the Pirates has been odd since being acquired from the Rangers in a trade last July. He took the full 72 hours allowed to report after the deal and he was shut down for the season Sept. 3 despite pitching just 52 innings in 54 games.
• In a nice gesture by Hurdle, Chris Archer took the lineup card out to the umpires before the start of the game.
Archer spent the first seven seasons of his major-league career with the Rays before being traded to the Pirates last July. He was also selected to two All-Star Games while pitching for Tampa Bay.
• The Pirates, who have a day off Monday, will start using the four pitchers who are guaranteed spots in the rotation in major-league exhibition games when Archer starts Tuesday afternoon against the Orioles in Sarasota.
Archer has been pitching in simulated games along with Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove. On Sunday, Musgrove pitched two innings at Pirate City.
Also scheduled to pitch Tuesday are Steven Brault, Michael Feliz, Tyler Lyons and Kela. Though he will be used in relief in his third appearance of the spring, Brault is still in consideration for the fifth starter’s spot along with Rookie Davis, Nick Kingham and Jordan Lyles.
Alex Cobb will start for the Orioles.
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