Marco Gonzales Delivers Best Spring Start but Pirates Fall 5-2 to Orioles

Marco Gonzales had his best start of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Baltimore Orioles came out on top 5-2 at LECOM Park on Thursday.

Connor Joe led off the bottom of the first with a double. After he moved up 90 feet, Ke’Bryan Hayes drove him in on a groundout to first base.

The Orioles answered in the top of the second inning off of Gonzales on a Jorge Mateo run-scoring single. It was the only run Baltimore managed off of Gonzales.

Pittsburgh quickly regained the lead in the home-half of the inning when Billy McKinney recorded an RBI-single of his own. McKinney has reached base in all 13 games he’s played this spring.

The Pirates maintained a 2-1 advantage until the seventh inning when Baltimore struck four times (three earned) off of Ryan Borucki. Tyler Nevin delivered an RBI-single and Kyle Stowers immediately followed with a three-run shot over the right-field fence.

Prior to the start of the game, Andrew McCutchen was scratched from the lineup due to an illness.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

• Marco Gonzales went five innings and allowed just the one run on one hit. He walked a pair and struck out four.
• Aroldis Chapman, Brent Honeywell Jr and prospect Justin Meis all threw scoreless innings of relief.
• Connor Joe went 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Alika Williams went 1 for 2 with a double.
• Henry Davis drew a pair of walks and scored a run.

UP NEXT

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles will meet again later on Thursday in different fashion. Prospects from each organization will battle in the first-ever Spring Breakout game.

For the Pirates, prized pitching prospect Paul Skenes will be on the mound. He will be opposite lefty Cade Povich. First pitch: 7:05 ET

Here is how the Pirates will line up for the contest:

1. Tsung-Che Cheng SS
2. Termarr Johnson 2B
3. Lonnie White Jr. RF
4. Jack Brannigan 3B
5. Tres Gonzalez LF
6. Jase Bowen RF
7. Garret Forrester 1B
8. Mitch Jebb DH
9. Abrahan Gutierrez C