Pirates News

Maholm, Ohlendorf Answer Challenge in Opener

By Paul Ladewski

POSTED: March 3, 2010

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TAMPA, Fla. A healthy competition was expected among Pirates starting pitchers this season, but nobody expected it to begin in the first inning of the first Grapefruit League game.

In a 6-3 loss against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday afternoon, starters Paul Maholm threw 11 pitches in one scoreless inning. Ross Ohlendorf followed with 12 pitches in one scoreless inning.

Yankees non-roster outfielder Colin Curtis broke a 3-all tie with a three-run home run against reliever Virgil Vasquez in the ninth inning.

"I challenged (Ohlendorf)," Malholm said. "I told him that I had 11 pitches, and he threw 12, so I'm one up right now.

Maholm retired Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira on routine ground balls.

"My goal is to get ahead of guys, challenge them and get groundballs," said Maholm, who threw nine strikes. "There were ground balls on three hitters, so it was a good day."

Better yet, Maholm said he was healthy unlike last season. His troublesome left knee was "good to go" in his words.

"Last year is done and over with," Maholm said. "It was a way bigger issue than it should have been. I'll pitch every fifth day. There's not a lot of guys that are 100 percent for 30-something starts. That's part of (the role), and I'll do it again."

Ohlendorf spent parts of two seasons with the Yankees before he was dealt in the Xavier Nady trade.

"It made more exciting to come back here and pitch," Ohlendorf said. "It's always interesting when Alex Rodriguez is the first hitter that you face. Of course, it's his first time out, too."

Ohlendorf retired Rodriguez on a called third strike.

"I feel better because I'm more confident in my ability right now," Ohlendorf said. "I feel that I know what it takes to get guys out if I do what I did last year."

This spring Ohlendorf hoped to develop a change-up especially against left-handed batters, but he faced none in his season debut.

For the most part, the pitchers seemed to be unaffected by the mound conditions, as a pair of college games were played on the same field the previous day. A crowd of 9,278 fans watched the two teams combine for 10 hits, seven by the home team.

The Pirates scored their runs in the seventh inning, when catcher Erik Kratz delivered a two-run double and outfielder Ryan Church added an RBI groundout. Kratz had a single and solo homer in two at-bats on Tuesday afternoon.

"I have a chance to impress them," said Kratz, who was likely to return to Class AAA Indianapolis this season. "I can't say that (reserve) Jason (Jaramillo) didn't have a great year, but it doesn't take away anything that I did last year or what I have to do. If I say that I have a legitimate shot . . . It's something that I can't let get to my mind."

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