The Pittsburgh Pirates got a dose of good news and bad news Sunday afternoon.
The good news: JT Brubaker struck out four while allowing one hit in three scoreless innings, and the Pirates got two-run hits from a pair of players trying to make the Opening Day roster in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins in a Grapefruit League game at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.
The bad: Andrew McCutchen left the game with left hand discomfort and was being evaluated and treated by the team’s medical staff after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. The 36-year-old McCutchen signed a one-year, $5 million contract to return to the Pirates after a five-year hiatus and is expected to start in right field and as designated hitter.
Rodolfo Castro went 2 for 3, driving in Carlos Santana with a single up the middle for a 1-0 lead in the second inning and scoring on Chris Owings’ two-run, opposite-field home run off Aaron Sanchez for a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Owings, a middle infielder, is a non-roster invitee to spring training.
After giving up a leadoff single to Edouard Julien, Brubaker retired the next nine batters. He has nine strikeouts in five innings over his first two starts this spring.
The Twins got a pair of solo homers from Jose Miranda, who hit a 406-foot shot to left-center off Angel Perdomo in the fourth and a 401-footer off Jose Hernandez in the top of the sixth.
McCutchen was hit on the back of his left hand by Jeff Hoffman in the bottom of the sixth — the pitch was ruled a foul ball — and was replaced by Henry Davis, who drew a walk. Jack Suwinski doubled off the right-center wall to put runners on second and third for Cal Mitchell, whose two-run single gave the Pirates a 5-2 lead.
The Twins had a chance to tie it with runners on first and third in the ninth against Dauri Moreta, who struck out Seth Gray to end the game.
Luis Ortiz is expected to start for the Pirates against Domingo Germain when the Pirates play the New York Yankees at 6:35 p.m. Monday at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
