Paddy’s Day Slug Fest

By Rick Sassone on March 17, 2021

Ryan Boldt led the Rays onslaught today in Bradenton EDDIE MICHELS PHOTO

It was a rough St. Patrick’s Day on the hill for Pirates starter Mitch Keller. The Tampa Bay Rays jumped on Keller to start the game with the first three Rays batters reaching. Austin Meadows lead-off with a single then swiped second. A walked to Manuel Margot was followed by a double by Joey Wendle which scored Meadows. With one out Mike Brosseau lined a single to left scoring Margot. Then a sac-fly off the bat of Francisco Mejia plated the third run of the inning

Because it was spring training the Pirates starter Mitch Keller left with two out in the first inning having given up three runs then came back to start the second and only gave up one run. Keller then came out to start the third and was charged with four more according to the box score for his two plus innings of work. The photo listed with this is the first pitch Keller threw to start the second inning which was a home run pitch to the Rays Ryan Boldt. EDDIE MICHELS PHOTO

Well after the top of the first start, the flood gate was opened. This is exactly what Rays fans want to see next month from their beloved defending American League Champs. A single run in the second and another crooked number in the third, four, and another single run in the fifth the Rays pounded out 13 hits through the five innings. Three of those pounds were all the bases from Austin Meadows in the third, Miles Mastrobuoni in the third as well and Ryan Boldt did it the inning earlier. Boldt and Mastrobuoni’s were of the solo variety while Meadows’ bomb had Boldt on after an RBI double. Ryan Boldt was an offensive juggernaut for Tampa Bay going 4 for 5 with 3 RBI. Joey Wendle was 3 for 3 as the Rays clubbed 18 hits for 32 total bases.

After failing to get an out in the third, Keller’s abridged spring outing was done. Hey that’s what these practice games are for, this is something Buccos fans want to see now not next month. Keller’s line is one that he will forgot and bury in the spring of 2021. 10 hits, 8 runs all earned, 3HR’s and a 21.60 ERA.

The Pirates would get offensive themselves scoring once in the first, twice in the third, twice more in the fifth and three times in the sixth. Pirate homers from Colin Moran and Bryan Reynolds highlighted the comeback bid that would come up a bit short. Moran led the Buccos going 2-3 and 2 RBI to go along with the homer.

The Pirates cut the lead to one, 9 to 8, after their 3-run home half of the sixth. The teams trading runs and the slug fest ended with a 10-9 win for the Rays.

Tyler Glasnow scattered six hits in four innings to pick up his first win of the season. Glasnow struck-out seven. Chris Mazza picked up his first save of spring training 2021.

What better time for an uncle and a nephew to enjoy a major league spring training game that on St. Patrick’s Day with the Pirates hosting the Rays in Bradenton. Uncle Michael McAfee and his nephew Jack Hambrich both of Bradenton let it be know later that they enjoyed the game. EDDIE MICHELS PHOTO

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay 3	1	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	10	18	0
Pittsburgh1	0	2	0	2	3	0	0	1	9	17	0

Rays Hitting

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
A. MeadowsLF	4	2	2	2	0	1	.250	.348	.850
N. LukesLF	2	1	1	0	0	0	.375	.444	.500
M. MargotRF	3	1	0	0	1	2	.368	.478	.526
G. WhitleyRF	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.286	.000
J. Wendle3B	3	1	3	1	0	0	.231	.286	.308
a – E. QuirozPH-3B	1	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.154	.000
M. Brosseau1B	4	0	2	1	0	1	.300	.391	.650
b – D. KellyPH-1B	1	0	1	0	0	0	.286	.375	.714
F. MejiaC	3	0	0	1	0	0	.235	.300	.353
J. OdomC	1	0	1	1	0	0	.222	.222	.222
W. FrancoSS	5	0	1	0	0	0	.273	.273	.409
M. Mastrobuoni2B	4	2	2	1	1	2	.294	.368	.765
B. SullivanDH	5	1	1	0	0	0	.308	.474	.462
R. BoldtCF	5	2	4	3	0	1	.313	.389	.563
TEAM	42	10	18	10	3	8

a-flied out to center for Wendle in the 6thb-singled to left center for Brosseau in the 8th

BATTING
2B: Wendle (1, Keller); Boldt (1, Keller); Mastrobuoni (2, De Jong)
HR: Meadows (4, 3rd inning off Keller 1 on, 2 Out); Boldt (1, 2nd inning off Keller 0 on, 0 Out); Mastrobuoni (2, 3rd inning off Keller 0 on, 2 Out)
RBI: Wendle (1), Meadows 2 (7), Mejía (2), Odom (2), Boldt 3 (4), Brosseau (5), Mastrobuoni (3)
2Out RBI: Meadows (2), Boldt, Mastrobuoni
SF: Mejía
GIDP: Lukes; Sullivan
Team RISP: 6-11 (Wendle 1-1, Meadows 1-1, Margot 0-1, Odom 1-1, Kelly 1-1, Boldt 1-1, Sullivan 0-2, Brosseau 1-1, Mastrobuoni 0-1, Franco 0-1)
Team LOB: 9

BASERUNNING
SB: Meadows (1, 2nd base off Keller/Stallings)

Rays Pitching

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	ERA
T. Glasnow (W, 1-0)	4.0	6	4	4	1	7	1	5.59
N. Anderson	1.0	3	1	1	0	0	1	3.00
C. Ellis	1.0	4	3	3	0	1	0	5.40
S. Allie (H, 2)	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0.00
C. Mazza (S, 1)	2.0	4	1	1	0	2	0	1.80
TEAM	9.0	17	9	9	2	10	2

PITCHING
WP: Anderson
HBP: Stokes Jr. (by Mazza); Craig (by Ellis)

Pirates Hitting

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
A. Frazier2B	3	1	2	0	0	1	.667	.684	1.000
N. GonzalesPR-2B	3	2	2	2	0	0	.222	.300	.333
K. Hayes3B	2	1	1	1	1	0	.423	.483	.769
K. Kramer3B	3	0	1	0	0	1	.100	.143	.100
B. ReynoldsLF-CF	3	1	1	2	0	1	.304	.407	.609
a – T. Stokes Jr.PH-LF	2	1	1	0	0	0	.300	.333	.650
C. Moran1B	3	1	2	2	0	0	.238	.360	.476
W. Craig1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	.250	.368	.438
G. PolancoRF	3	0	1	0	0	1	.438	.471	1.063
J. OlivaPR-LF-CF	2	0	1	2	0	1	.200	.294	.467
A. AlfordCF	3	0	1	0	0	2	.375	.444	.813
H. OwenPR-RF	2	0	0	0	0	0	.167	.286	.417
J. StallingsC	3	0	0	0	0	0	.222	.333	.444
A. SusacC	2	0	1	0	0	0	.125	.222	.125
T. SwaggertyPR	0	1	0	0	0	0	.154	.313	.231
E. GonzalezDH	3	1	2	0	0	1	.375	.400	.500
b – J. BaePH-DH	2	0	1	0	0	0	.231	.286	.231
C. TuckerSS	2	0	0	0	0	1	.143	.143	.214
L. PegueroSS	2	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.333	.000
TEAM	44	9	17	9	2	10

a-reached on infield single to third for Reynolds in the 6thb-flied out to center for González in the 7th

BATTING
2B: Polanco (2, Anderson); Oliva (1, Ellis); Gonzales (1, Ellis)
3B: A. Frazier (2, Glasnow)
HR: Moran (1, 5th inning off Anderson 1 on, 2 Out); Reynolds (2, 3rd inning off Glasnow 1 on, 1 Out)
RBI: Moran 2 (3), Hayes (5), Reynolds 2 (4), Oliva 2 (4), Gonzales 2 (2)
2Out RBI: Moran (2), Oliva (2)
Team RISP: 6-18 (Alford 1-1, Polanco 0-1, Moran 1-1, Stallings 0-1, Hayes 1-1, Owen 0-2, Reynolds 0-1, Kramer 0-2, Stokes Jr. 1-2, Craig 0-1, Oliva 1-2, Peguero 0-1, Gonzales 1-2)
Team LOB: 12

BASERUNNING
SB: Hayes (1, 2nd base off Glasnow/Mejía); Peguero (1, 2nd base off Allie/Odom)

FIELDING
DP: 2 (A. Frazier-Tucker-Moran , Kramer-Gonzales-Craig)

Pirates Pitching

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	ERA
M. Keller (L, 0-1)	2.0	10	8	8	1	3	3	21.60
C. Shreve	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	0	4.76
C. Holmes	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
C. De Jong	3.0	4	1	1	0	1	0	1.13
M. Feliz	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	3.00
R. Rodriguez	0.1	3	1	1	1	1	0	5.40
B. Ogle	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	3.00
Y. De Los Santos	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3.00
TEAM	9.0	18	10	10	3	8	3

Scoring Summary

PIT
1st	Wendle doubled to left center, Meadows scored, Margot to third.	1	0
1st	Brosseau singled to left, Margot scored, Wendle to third.	2	0
1st	Mejía hit sacrifice fly to center, Wendle scored.	3	0
1st	Hayes singled to shallow right center, A. Frazier scored.	3	1
2nd	Boldt homered to left (379 feet).	4	1
3rd	Mastrobuoni homered to center (371 feet).	5	1
3rd	Boldt doubled to deep right, Sullivan scored.	6	1
3rd	Meadows homered to right (396 feet), Boldt scored.	8	1
3rd	Reynolds homered to right (390 feet), Hayes scored.	8	3
5th	Boldt reached on infield single to second, Mastrobuoni scored.	9	3
5th	Moran homered to center (421 feet), Gonzales scored.	9	5
6th	Gonzales doubled to deep right center, González scored.	9	6
6th	Oliva hit a ground rule double to deep right, Gonzales scored and Stokes Jr. scored, Craig to third.	9	8
8th	Odom singled to shallow right, Lukes scored, Kelly to second, Quiroz to third.	10	8
9th	Gonzales singled to shallow right, Swaggerty scored, Bae to second.	10	9