Konnor Griffin Drops in Pirates Batting Order vs. Padres
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin heads into his second series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and to a different spot in the lineup than before.
Griffin will hit eighth in the series opener vs. the San Diego Padres at PNC Park, moving down two spots from his past two games, where he hit sixth. It is also the lowest he's hit so far, as he hit seventh in his MLB debut in the home opener vs. the Baltimore Orioles on April 3.
The 19-year old only had one hit in nine at-bats for a .111 batting average, as he hasn't gotten going just yet in the major leagues, but also has two walks and got hit by a pitch, giving him a .333 on-base percentage.
Griffin did have an impressive hit, which came in his first at-bat, an RBI-double that got the Pirates rally started in the bottom of the second inning, scoring four runs in their 5-4 victory. He would also score on the next at-bat, with Jared Triolo singling and Griffin running 29.4 feet per second, getting in just ahead of the throw.
He also makes this four starts at shortstop, where he's shown he's comfortable at the position and has made solid plays with his glove and arm, giving the Priates a consistent defensive presence in their infield.
The Pirates will want to see Griffin hit a bit better before he moves back in the lineup, but the young star should eventually show off his great contact and power that he did in the minor leagues.
Overview of the Pirates Lineup vs. the Padres
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Oneil Cruz | Center Field | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Ryan O'Hearn | Right Field | Left |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Konnor Griffin | Shortstop | Right |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
Marcell Ozuna returns at designated hitter for the Pirates and will hit fifth, after not featuring in the series finale vs. the Orioles on April 5.
Ozuna has struggled massively this season, with just two hits in 27 at-bats for a .074 batting average, after signing a one-year, $12 million deal with the Pirates as a free agent. He has also received boos from the home fans at PNC Park, but has embraced them too and is working to find his form again.
Bryan Reynolds moves back to left field, after serving as designated hitter in the last game, taking over from Jake Mangum. He remains at third in the lineup.
The Pirates outfield will include Oneil Cruz at center field and at leadoff and Ryan O'Hearn in right field and fourth in the batting order. Both players hit home runs, contributing six of the eight runs in the 8-2 win over the Orioles last time out.
Nick Gonzales takes over from Nick Yorke at third base and the two players will compete for time at the position, with Jared Triolo on the 10-day injured list with a patellar tendon. Gonzales also hits sixth in the lineup.
The rest of the Pirates' infield includes second baseman Brandon Lowe hitting second and first baseman Spencer Horwitz hitting seventh.
Henry Davis remains at catcher and hits ninth, where he'll work with right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler, who makes his PNC Park debut for the Pirates.
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.