Contenders remain in pack

Dave Williams, Ryan Vogelsong and Todd Ritchie are vying to be fifth starter.
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) -- Among the three top candidates for the fifth starter spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation, none has distinguished himself through the first week of spring training games.
Left-hander Dave Williams didn't make it past two innings in his start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong went three innings in that game, but allowed two runs. It was non-roster right-hander Todd Ritchie's turn Monday, and he gave up three runs -- one earned -- in two innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
Manager Lloyd McClendon isn't concerned that nobody has emerged from the pack.
"At the end of spring training, guys either eliminate themselves or step up and win the job. It's not going to happen in the first or second outing or the third," McClendon said.
Schedule
Williams makes his next appearance today, Vogelsong pitches Friday and Ritchie returns to the mound Saturday.
Vogelsong, 27, went 6-13 with a 6.71 ERA in 26 starts last season, giving him the distinction of having the highest ERA in Pirates history among pitchers with at least 20 starts.
Vogelsong is experimenting with a split-finger fastball that he is using in place of his changeup, but he's had mixed results.
"It has gotten me into a little trouble," Vogelsong said. "I need to work on it, so I'm going to keep throwing it."
Vogelsong is out of minor-league options, so the Pirates may decide to keep him in the bullpen if he doesn't win a starting job. Another team likely would take a chance on Vogelsong if the Pirates decided to place him on waivers.
Williams, 26, was 3-7 with a 3.71 ERA as a rookie in 2001, but injured his shoulder the next season and spent the next two years rebounding from arthroscopic surgery. Williams rejoined the Pirates late last season and went 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA in six starts.
"All that stuff I went through the past few years is over," Williams said. "I feel great."
Slow starts
Vogelsong and Williams opened camp by pitching two scoreless innings apiece last week against Manatee Community College. But neither pitcher was pleased with his performance against the Devil Rays. Williams didn't return for a third inning after a 27-pitch second inning.
Ritchie, who opened the spring with two innings of scoreless relief against the New York Yankees, was handed the ball Monday. He gave up two unearned runs in the first inning and an earned one in the second. He did not return for a third inning.
"He had better stuff the first time," McClendon said. "He got into too many fastball counts and elevated the ball."
Ritchie won 15 games for the Pirates in 1999 and was their opening day starter in 2001. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox after that season and is back with the Pirates after missing most of two seasons because of rotator cuff surgery. Ritchie has struggled to regain the life on his fastball, which registered 95 mph when he first pitched for the Pirates.
"I'm not too greedy," Ritchie said. "I just want some of it back. I hope it will all turn around, and I'll put up better numbers."
Notes
McClendon said left fielder Jason Bay, who bruised a bone in his left wrist diving for a fly ball Tuesday, could be out three to 10 days depending on how the wrist responds to treatment. Preliminary indications were that Bay would miss at least a week. ... Shortstop Jack Wilson, who has not played this spring while recovering from an appendectomy, could make his spring debut Saturday when the Pirates play two split-squad games against the Cincinnati Reds. ... Craig Wilson bought a birthday cake for catcher Benito Santiago, who turned 40 on Wednesday. The cake, though, wished Santiago a happy 140th birthday. "I'm the new millennium man," Santiago said.
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