Tabata has 3 hits in Pirates loss to Twins

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates left fielder Jose Tabata is taking a liking to the leadoff spot.

The Pirates lost today, 4-2, to the Minnesota Twins in Grapefruit League play at McKechnie Field, but it was a day in which Tabata stayed hot as manager Clint Hurdle continues to bat him at the top of the order.

Tabata, went 3 for 3 with an RBI and now has hits in his last four at-bats in spring training. Last season, Tabata hit some in the leadoff spot, but it was a place in the order more reserved for center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who Hurdle has shifted to the No. 3 spot in the early portion of these spring training games.

Pirates starting pitcher Ross Ohlendorf struck out four batters and gave up two hits and an unearned run in his 1 2/3 innings to start the game. Ohlendorf was replaced before getting out of the second, as he reached his pitch limit prior to retiring six batters.

Ohlendorf not making it through the outing shouldn't be seen as too much of a negative, though, as that isn't the truest measure of such spring appearances.

He did, however, have solid command of his breaking pitch, which he said is a hybrid between a slider and curveball.

"I felt really good with how I was throwing," Ohlendorf said. "My arm feels really good. Right now to me, that is the most important thing. There are other things that are important, too. But I was really happy with today."

Third baseman Pedro Alvarez had a double for the Pirates.

Minnesota scored to make it 1-0 in the first, when Danny Valencia doubled to left to score Ben Revere. Another Valencia double in the third, scoring Trevor Plouffe this time, put the Twins ahead, 2-0.

The Pirates sliced the disadvantage in half, 2-1, in the bottom of the fifth on a Tabata RBI single.

But closer Joel Hanrahan wasn't at his sharpest as he worked the top of the sixth, giving up three hits, one of those a Luke Hughes solo home run to start the inning and make it 3-1. Minnesota scored another in the eighth to push it to 4-1 on a single by Rene Tosoni off of Pirates reliever Justin Thomas, who is fighting for a spot in the bullpen.

Dusty Brown, who is in a clash with Jason Jaramillo for a reserve catching role, had an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth bringing in Steve Pearce to cut the Pirates' deficit to 4-2.

The Pirates travel to Dunedin, Fla. at 1:05 tomorrow to face the Toronto Blue Jays.





First published on March 2, 2011 at 3:53 pm