Alvarez moves up in lineup

Pedro Alvarez was promoted to the cleanup spot on Saturday night’s game against the Marlins.

Alvarez started the season with the Pirates batting sixth but spent the most time in the fifth spot behind Garrett Jones.

“Ultimately, the lineup is the manager’s decision,” general manager Neal Huntington said, when asked of that possibility. “But as we look ahead to the lineup composition, we’ve got some interesting pieces that you could mix and match.

“Pedro is probably the consummate four-hole hitter, with the raw power that can change the game with one swing of the bat. But we still want to continue to develop him as a hitter. In a perfect world, he’s good enough to hit No. 3 for us. That means he’s hitting and hitting with power. That’s ultimately where we need him to be.”