Starling Marte homered off Cliff Lee as the Pirates defeated the Phillies this afternoon, 3-2. Marte now has three home runs and, with a 2-for-4 performance today, a .500 batting average this spring.
This was a lot shorter than most Spring Training games the Pirates have played so far this year, probably in part because the Phillies only used two pitchers, Lee and Kyle Kendrick. Kendrick mowed the Bucs down, but the Bucs did pretty well against Lee, as Marte and Jake Fox homered, and Pedro Alvarez actually drew a walk against one of baseball's best lefties.
The Pirates used six -- Kevin Correia started and pitched four scoreless innings, followed by Evan Meek, Justin Wilson, Kyle McPherson (who pitched just an inning, and appears to be on his way back from the "dead arm" that kept him out for the past week or so), Danny Moskos, and Bryan Morris. (Of the "Altoona Four," Wilson and Morris, who will likely be relievers for the foreseeable future, are still with the big leaguers, while Jeff Locke and Rudy Owens, who are still unambiguously starters, are in minor-league camp so they can get stretched out.)
The Bucs host the Rays tomorrow.