Pirates @ Phillies exhibition game one: 3/29

The Pirates face the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen Bank Park tonight at 7:05 pm for first of two exhibition games. You can listen to the game on the Pirates radio network 104.7.

The Bucs will send right-hander Ross Ohlendorf to the mound to face Roy Oswalt.

• Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette is reporting that Right-hander Mike Crotta will make the 25-man roster. The Pirates have not officially announced the news (read more here).
• With just a few days until opening day, Manager Clint Hurdle is ready to win. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com asked Hurdle what he learned about the team through spring training that he didn’t already know, he said,

“These guys are ready to win. They’re ready to win.”

“You break things down on paper — we don’t have the names that other teams have. We don’t have the pedigrees, the back of the bubblegum cards that other teams have. But I have learned through playing the game, coaching the game and managing the game that the beauty of it is that the game is not played on paper. All we’ve got to be is better than the team that night we’re playing them. That’s one message we’re revisiting just about daily this spring.”

• Charlie Morton will face Cole Hamels tomorrow against the Phillies in the final exhibition game. Opening Day will kick off on April 1^st in Chicago against the Cubs. I’ll be making the trip so if you’ll be there feel free to say hello.　
• The Pirates sent a dozen minor league players to Philly for the exhibition series. This gives Hurdle ample players to use for backups. Most of the regular players will not play on Wednesday (or very limited) in order to be rested up for opening day on Friday.

Those players who traveled North with the ball club are: infielders Brian Friday, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Benji Gonzalez; outfielders Brad Chalk and Starling Marte; catchers Eric Fryer and Kris Watts; and pitchers Anthony Claggett, Mike Colla, Michael Dubee and Jared Hughes.

• Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association adapted new protocols regarding concussions. There will be a seven-day disabled list for concussions that goes into effect on opening day (read more here).

Pirates

Lineup: Tabata LF, Walker 2B, McCutchen CF, Overbay 1B, Alvarez 3B, Jones RF, Doumit C, Cedeno SS, Ohlendorf RHP

Pitchers: Ohlendorf, Veras, Meek

Phillies

Lineup: Victorino CF, Castillo 2B, Rollins SS, Howard 1B, Ibanez LF, Francisco RF, Orr 3B, Ruiz C, Oswalt RHP

Pitchers: Oswalt, TBA

(Jose Tabata, Ronny Cedeno) Bundle up guys, the temperature tonight in Philly is supposed to be 33 degrees.

*Photo credit: @BucsInsider