Konnor Griffin’s third hit in spring training produced the same result as his first two, with the 19-year-old phenom circling the bases.
The consensus top prospect in baseball hit a two-run homer off Kyle Leahy in the first inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised to a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.
Jared Triolo, who went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, started the game with a leadoff double and scored when Griffin sent an 0-1 sweeper 408 feet to center field at an exit velocity of 107.8 mph.
Griffin owns four of the top 10 hardest-hit balls by the Pirates this spring. He homered twice against the Boston Red Sox last week in Fort Myers, and his three home runs were tied for the Grapefruit League lead.
In his first start, Hunter Barco had three strikeouts, two walks and didn’t allow a hit in three scoreless innings as the Pirates held the Cardinals to one hit.
Triolo delivered a two-run single that scored Jhostynxon Garcia and Dominic Fletcher in the second inning for a 4-0 lead. Garcia hit a solo shot 376 feet to left field to make it 5-0, boosting his batting average to .636 (7 for 11) in five games.
The Cardinals scored against Antwone Kelly in the fifth, when Jose Fermin reached on a fielding error by third baseman Mike Jarvis, advanced on Yohel Pozo’s single to left and Nathan Church’s walk to load the bases. Fermin scored when Chase Davis grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, cutting it to 5-1.
Khristian Curtis had three strikeouts and Brandon Neeck four as the Cardinals struck out 12 times. The Pirates have now scored 61 runs in 10 games, third-most in Grapefruit League play.
Note: Mike Clevinger is expected to start against Mason Englert and the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05 p.m. Monday at LECOM Park in Bradenton. The game will be televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh.