• The Pirates struck out for a total of 11 times during Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Cardinals. First baseman Lyle Overbay told Nate Latasch of MLB.com, I think we’re kind of doubting our game plan a little bit,. You end up taking the pitches that you should be hitting and swinging at their pitches. It’s just a matter of getting up and making sure we’re swinging at our pitches and not letting the pitcher dictate what we want to swing at.”

• The Pirates signed Left-hand pitcher Dan Meyer and right-hander Tim Wood on Tuesday according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. They both were assigned them to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin season.

Meyer was released by the Phillies on Monday. He appeared in 13 games with the Florida Marlins in 2010 where he allowed 10 runs on 15 hits with 12 walks over 9.1 innings.

Wood appeared in 26 games for the Marlins last season where he allowed 19 runs (17 earned) with 15 walks and 10 strikeouts over 27.2 innings.

• The Triple-A Indians rotation this year will be: Brian Burres, Sean Gallagher, Justin Wilson, Daniel McCutchen and Rudy Owens.
• Neil Walker has had a hot bat so far this spring. Walker has a team leading seven hits and seven RBI over four games. Manager Clint Hurdle has been impressed from what he’s seen from the second baseman.

  He told Nate Latsch of MLB.com, “He’s a ballplayer. I do hear comments from time to time that he can’t do this and he can’t do that. We live in a society that we’re so quick to try and point out how smart we are and something that somebody can’t do.”

  “You let the kid play and you watch him play. He comes to play. He comes to win. He’s going to do whatever it takes on the offensive and defensive side of the ball to win a ballgame. He’ll lay out. Does he have work to do? Can he improve? All of us can. I like the way he embraces the game and he has embraced this opportunity.”

• Evan Meek has had back-to-back shaky innings where he has allowed seven runs (four earned ) in two appearances.

  John Wehner, the Pirates color analyst, reported that Meek has also been fighting a cold. It’s still very early to be worried about two bad performances.

  Meek told Karen Price of MLB.com, “It’s a long season, and obviously I’m not pitching how I can or how I should be right now, but it’s too early to panic.”

  “This situation is just one of those things where you have to have a good outing to build off of, and you have to do the best you can not to be negative and dwell on your last outing or your last couple outings because that’s not going to be productive.”