Pirates take on Orioles chasing early-season sweep

Close games have become a regular occurrence for the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the season.

As long as they win their fair share, they will not mind at all. After a pair of one-run victories, the Pirates go for a sweep of their home-opening three-game series when they face the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.

"These guys have bought into the team aspect," Pirates manager Don Kelly said. "These guys are ready on the bench. Just the way they're buying into the team concept and finding a way to win."

Three of Pittsburgh's five wins so far have been by one-run margins.

The Pirates 3-2 victory Saturday came after they scored the tying run in the eighth inning and getting the winning run on Nick Yorke's game-ending double in the ninth.

"He hasn't been consistent (at the plate)," Kelly said. "For him to be able to do that, it was an awesome at-bat."

Highly-regarded Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin is 1-for-6 with an RBI and a walk over his first two games.

The Orioles take solace in the fact that they have been on the cusp of winning several times when things ultimately turned.

"I think we're competing really well," Baltimore reliever Ryan Helsley said. "Sometimes baseball doesn't go your way. Both sides are trying to win. I thought we played a good game (Saturday), just obviously didn't work out in our way. We got another chance (Sunday), and we got a lot of baseball left and we just have to go get 'em and turn the page.

"It's obviously frustrating not winning games, and to lose a game like that when you lead the whole way just adds to it. Hopefully we can learn from it and move on."

The Orioles have lost four of their last five games.

"I think we have a lot of really good players in here and they're just trying to put it all together and hopefully (Sunday) everything aligns," Baltimore outfielder Dylan Beavers said.

Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (0-1, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for Pittsburgh in the series finale. He worked six innings in his first outing of the season Monday at Cincinnati, but there was no offensive support in the 2-0 loss as he allowed both runs on four hits and four walks.

Ashcraft is in his second big-league season. Last September, he gave up one run in three innings of middle relief in a no-decision at Baltimore.

The Orioles will send right-hander Chris Bassitt (0-1, 8.31 ERA) to the mound. He didn't complete the fifth inning in last Monday's start vs. the Texas Rangers.

Bassitt is 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA in six career starts vs. the Pirates. Those outings included 46 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings.

It's possible that Baltimore left-hander Cade Povich could be available for mound duty after he arrived at the ballpark Saturday as part of the taxi squad.

The Orioles have faced only right-handed starters, so that has meant plenty of opportunities for lefty-hitting Samuel Basallo. But his options are not limited.

"We feel comfortable with Basallo handling left-handed pitching, especially him being 21, and his ceiling that he could be," Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said.

--Field Level Media