Nicasio extends shutout streak

Associated Press

FORT MYERS, Fla.

Juan Nicasio kept up his shutout streak, striking out eight in five innings as the split-squad Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Minnesota Twins 2-0 Monday.

Nicasio has not allowed a run in 15 innings over his five Grapefruit League starts this spring. He gave up five hits and walked two in this outing, with runners on base in every inning but his last.

“He had everything going today,” said bench coach Dave Jauss, acting as the manager while Clint Hurdle was with the other squad. “And it was good that he worked with more men on base today than he did five days ago, just for training purposes.”

Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson also had a strong outing, going 41/3 innings, giving up one unearned run.

A single by Nicasio helped set up a run in the third, which scored on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Eduardo Nunez.

Nicasio has struck out 24 this spring, including 18 over nine innings in his last two starts.

“Again the delivery was really good, the stuff was really good, the fastball actually was better even than in the last outing when he had all the punchouts in Baltimore,” Jauss said. “The fastball was down with really good life against their full lineup. Then you add that he was able to punch some people out with runners in scoring positon with less than two outs.”

Nicasio is competing for a spot in the Pirates’ rotation.

Braves 7, Pirates (ss) 3

BRADENTON, Fla.

Hector Olivera extended his hitting streak to seven games and drove in three runs as the Atlanta Braves roughed up opening day starter Francisco Liriano.

Liriano hit a home run, but departed after 32/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and four earned runs, with one walk and five strikeouts.

Olivera singled twice and has hit safely in 15 of his past 16 games.

Nick Swisher doubled twice and drove in two runs. The batters in the middle of the Atlanta lineup — Adonis Garcia, Swisher, Jeff Francoeur and Olivera — had two hits apiece.