Twins beat Pirates 9-4

Although the score didn’t look great for the Pirates today, some positives were had in this game.

For starters, infielder Diego Castillo is making a strong case to not only make the big league club but perhaps start. Today, the 24-year-old blasted a pair of home runs. Let’s have a look.

Castillo is now hitting .368/.429/.842 with three home runs this spring. Two of those home runs have come against All-Star pitchers. Although spring stats mean nothing, Castillo has looked mighty impressive in his approach. Considering some of the other players on this roster, he definitely deserves a shot to prove himself up north. Outfielder Bligh Madris also homered on the day.

On the pitching side of things, Bryse Wilson started strong tossing three scoreless innings. That was a positive. In the fourth inning, though, the wheels fell off as he allowed three earned runs while only retiring one batter.

His day looked great compared to Dillon Peters though. Peters failed to complete one full inning of work. In total, he allowed six earned runs on five hits. He gave two home runs including a grand slam to Byron Buxton. Peters will more than likely make this team as a relief pitcher, but his chances to open the season as a starter may have been crushed with this outing.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Pirates continue their spring as they'll host the Baltimore Orioles. That game starts at 1:05 pm ET and will be televised on AT&T SportsNet. Let’s also not forget that Opening Day is a week from tomorrow. Pirates baseball is almost back!