Bubba Chandler Dominates in Pirates Win Over Braves
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PITTSBURGH — Bubba Chandler had been aiming for a dominant start in Spring Training and he got that in this recent outing vs. the Atlanta Braves.
Chandler threw five innings, giving up one run and a walk, while positng eight strikeouts over 66 pitches, as the Pirates would eventually comeback and get the 5-2 win over the Braves at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.
He relied almost exclusively with his fastball, throwing it almost 75% of the time and getting five of his strikeouts on it
Bubba Chandler Pitch Breakdown
Pitch | Total (66 Pitches) | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 49 (74%) | 98.2 |
Changeup | 8 (12%) | 92.1 |
Slider | 6 (9%) | 89.0 |
Curveball | 3 (5%) | 85.2 |
The only real blemish on a sensational start for Chandler was him leaving a slider up to long for Braves designated hitter Jair Camargo to hit a solo home run off of him in the top of the third inning,
Chandler generated 15 swing and misses in his outing and reached as high as 100.0 mph on his four-seam fastball.
It was his best start of Spring Training but it's been a solid past two outings for Chandler, who only gave up one run over three innings against the Toronto Blue Jays back on March 6, for two earned runs over his past eight innings of work and 13 total strikeouts.
Chandler will need to keep those performances going, with just two weeks until Opening Day against the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26.
How the Pirates Got the Win
While Chandler had a great outing, Braves right-handed starting pitcher Grant Holmes threw five innings of no-hit baseball, allowing just one walk and posted nine strikeouts.
The Pirates actually fell behind 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning, as left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk gave up an RBI-single.
Pittsburgh made their comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning, as they loaded the bases with Endy Rodríguez and Yordanny De Los Santos hitting back-to-back singles and Callan Moss reaching on an infield error.
Shalin Polanco walked to make it a 2-1 game, but then Dominic Fletcher struckout for the second out of the inning.
Alika Williams took advantage of the situation, hitting a bases-clearing double and making it to third base on an error, giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead.
Javier Rivas added onto the lead with a single of his own, scoring Williams to put the Pirates up 5-2 in the win.
Other Notes in the Pirates Win Over the Braves
- The Pirates got a solid showing overall from their pitching staff, allowing just two hits all game. Right-handed relief pitchers in Cam Sanders, Michael Darrell-Hicks and Noah Murdock finished the last three innings off for the Pirates.
- Spencer Horwitz returned from the World Baseball Classic, where he played for Team Israel, and started at first base for the Pirates. He had no hits and a strikeout in three at-bats.
- The Pirates keep up their strong play in the Grapefruit League, improving to 13-6, tied for the most wins along with the New York Yankees.
- This marked the first night game for the Pirates at LECOM Park and their second so far in Spring Training, winning 5-3 against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. on March 9
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.