Game Thread: Red Sox at Pirates, 3/27/21

Boston Red Sox (13-10 preseason) vs Pittsburgh Pirates (12-12 preseason) - Saturday, March 27 @ 1:05 p.m.

Stadium: LECOM Park, Bradenton, Florida

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

Radio: 93.7 The Fan/Pirates Radio Network

SB Nation Red Sox site: Over the Monster

Starting Pitchers

Pirates: Chad Kuhl - RHP - (2-1) - 3.00 ERA - 9 total Ks

Red Sox: Andrew Politi - RHP - (0-0) - 0.00 ERA - 3 total Ks

Probable Starting Lineups (subject to last-minute changes)

Pirates

1. Kevin Newman – SS

2. Ke’Bryan Hayes – 2B

3. Bryan Reynolds – LF

4. Gregory Polanco – RF

5. Phillip Evans – 1B

6. Erik Gonzalez – 2B

7. Michael Perez – C

8. Anthony Alford - CF

9. Chad Kuhl - SP (hey, that’s what the Pirates posted on Twitter)

Red Sox

1. Enrique Hernandez – LF

2. Alex Verdugo – CF

3. J.D. Martinez – DH

4. Rafael Devers – 3B

5. Hunter Renfroe – RF

6. Marwin Gonzalez – SS

7. Bobby Dalbec – 1B

8. Christian Arroyo – 2B

9. Kevin Plawecki – C

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Joey Cora’s little brother is coming to Bradenton today, and he’s bringing the Dead Red Sox with him.

I’m sorry, a lifetime of Red Sox hatred dies hard.

The Bucs and Sox will meet for the second and last time this spring training at LECOM Park, bookending a week that saw the Bucs beat the Sox (YAY!) 9-4. New dad Chad Kuhl will get the start for the Bucs, which is why he hasn’t pitched since the sixteenth. In a late switch, Andrew Politi takes the hill for the Sox; it had been Matt Andriese, but Andriese was scratched earlier today due to COVID contact tracing. Kuhl Whip’s looked fairly good so far this ST, which of course means Pirates fans are naming him as trade bait.

Also, let’s have a moment of silence for the departure of Todd Frazier. I was looking forward to the Toddfather being on the Bucs, but alas, it was not to be. Good luck to him, he was fun while he was here.

Let’s hang out and have some fun in the comments, and, as always, LET’S GO BUCS!