Nobody's perfect: Pirates' Johnston finally allows a run

Nobody's perfect: Pirates' Johnston finally allows a run
EDs: With BC-BBN--Pirates-Beimel and BC-BBO--Red Sox-Pirates
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By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- So much for Pirates rookie left-hander Mike Johnston's plan to not give up a run all season.
Johnston, unexpectedly still in the running for a bullpen job with just three days left in spring training, was scored upon for the first time during Wednesday's 8-8 tie with Boston.
Johnston, trying to make the jump from Double-A to the big leagues, had pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings until giving up two runs in the eighth inning. What he doesn't know is if the performance will affect his chances of making the club.
"I'd like to have one more outing down here to make up for this," Johnston said. "Now we'll see what the decisions are."
Johnston was pitching for the second day in a row, something he did only once at Double-A Altoona last season.
"There's always a little fatigue when you pitch the second day," he said. "In the minors, the rule is if you pitch one inning one day, you get one day off."
The Pirates effectively have five pitchers competing for three spots: right-hander Jason Boyd and Rick Reed and left-handers Johnston, Sean Burnett and John Grabow.
If Burnett (1-0, 1.04 ERA) doesn't make the rotation, he is expected to go to Triple-A Nashville as a starter. The Pirates don't want their top left-handed starting prospect's progress to possibly be delayed by pitching irregularly in the majors as a reliever.
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DECISION TIME: Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon and general manager Lloyd McClendon expect to meet before Thursday's exhibition game in Bradenton, Fla., against the Reds to possibly finalize some decisions.
They must round out a bullpen that already includes right-handers Brian Meadows, Salomon Torres and Brian Boehringer; choose the fifth starter and their starting second baseman, either Jose Castillo or Bobby Hill.
Kip Wells, Kris Benson, Josh Fogg and left-hander Oliver Perez seem set for the rotation, though there remains a chance -- especially now that left-hander Joe Beimel has been released -- Perez could go to the bullpen. Reed and Ryan Vogelsong have been competing most of the spring for one of the starter's jobs.
Reed is now scheduled to start Friday against the Twins in Fort Myers, rather than Josh Fogg -- an indication that decision may go down to the last game of the spring. Vogelsong is to pitch Saturday against the Twins in the Pirates' final game in Florida before they head home for Monday's opener against the Phillies.
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BEIMEL'S GONE: General manager Dave Littlefield said one reason Beimel was released was he offered little indication he could pitch effectively this season.
"There wasn't a lot we were seeing ... (to make you think) he would pitch successfully in the major leagues this year," Littlefield said.
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NOT SPRINGING TO THE FRONT: Kip Wells won't win the Pirates' Mr. March award.
The Pirates' opening day starter had a mostly ineffective spring, as evidenced by his 9.00 ERA. He allowed five earned runs in five innings Wednesday, though that number was inflated when shortstop Abraham Nunez misplayed a pop fly that fell for a two-run single, leading to a four-run Red Sox fifth.
"There's always stuff you can improve on ... but I feel good about where I'm at," Wells said.
Wells likes that he added a fourth pitch, a changeup, this spring. What he doesn't like is not dominating the way the No. 1 starter does for the top teams.
"At times I continue to fight myself and the opposing hitters," he said. "There are some innings I need to throw fewer pitches."
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NOTES: The Pirates should easily surpass their spring training attendance record of 68,390 for 14 dates in 1994. They must draw a combined 3,423 Thursday against the Reds and Saturday against the Twins to break the record; both games are expected to draw crowds larger than that. ... Kris Benson makes his final spring start Thursday. Josh Fogg had been scheduled to pitch Friday, but now is expected to pitch in a minor league game, as he did Sunday. ... SS Jack Wilson, who didn't play Wednesday, has only one RBI in 43 at-bats. ... 3B Chris Stynes, stuck on one RBI most of the spring, now has three. ... C Humberto Cota went 3-for-4 with a homer Wednesday, raising his average from .148 to .226. ... 1B Randall Simon forgot his jersey top and wore No. 96, the same number Jack Wilson wore earlier this spring when he forgot his jersey. Wilson had two hits while wearing 96; Simon had one.