Pirates box

GAME RECAP

Pirates 6, Orioles 5

Record: Pittsburgh is 7-13-1.

Key inning: Second baseman Josh Harrison ranged to his right and completed a throw to first base on the run to cap Pittsburgh's victory with Baltimore's tying run at third base in the ninth inning in front of a sellout crowd of 8,100.

Pirates big bat: Gregory Polanco smashed a home run and a double after being limited to one extra-base hit previously.

Pirates starter watch: Jeff Locke picked up his first spring win (1-3) by allowing three earned runs and six hits, while striking out three against one walk in five innings.

Quoted: "There's still some things that we need to get fine-tuned, but if everything got fine-tuned then we'd all be perfect," Locke said.

What Gerrit Cole said: "I'm not going to walk anybody in a game like that," said Cole, who gave up three home runs in an outing on a back field at McKechnie. "I'm going to definitely challenge over the plate with a fastball. Probably looking for a little more downhill plane out of the fastballs. So it's going to be something to work on moving forward."

First pitch by: Lourde Blanc

National anthem by: Tim Dineen

Roster moves: None reported.

UP NEXT

Who: at Baltimore

Where: Sarasota

When: 1:05 p.m.

Starting pitchers: Jon Niese vs. Tyler Wilson. The left-handed Niese makes his third spring start, having allowed eight earned runs in five previous innings.

Pirates pitching lineup: Jorge Rondon and Eric O'Flaherty are scheduled to pitch after Niese.

STAR SPOTLIGHT

Andrew McCutchen

Hometown: Fort Meade

Resides: Lakeland

Drafted: First round in 2005 (11th overall by Pittsburgh)

HS/College: Fort Meade High

Position: Center field

2015 team/level: Pittsburgh, MLB-NL.

What he did Wednesday: Went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the first inning.

What he has done this spring: Now has five home runs and eight RBIs. He's hitting .350 (7-for-20) over the last seven games.

FACES OF MCKECHNIE

Jim Clark

Hometown: Marlborough, Pa.

Years at McKechnie: 12.

Stadium job: Booster club president

Most challenging part of the job: "To make sure we as an organization treat our fans with a friendly gesture coming in. Making sure they get to their seats properly. Overall be courteous to the fans."

Favorite player: "I'd have to say (Andrew) McCutchen. ... He's in the game 100 percent."

Favorite part of McKechnie: "The new remodeling. The boardwalk has made such an improvement for the fans and the people that work here."

Best baseball memory: "The thing that's impressed me the most with baseball is going back to Three Rivers up in Pittsburgh was seeing Roberto Clemente hit a triple. And see him gallop around the bases was very impressive."

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH

Mark Melancon

Position: Pitcher

Age: 30

Drafted: Ninth round in 2006 (284th overall by New York Yankees)

Resides: Spring, Texas

2015 team/level: Pittsburgh, MLB-NL

Q: You went to the southern tip of New Zealand to dive in a cage with great white sharks about four years ago. What was that experience like?

A: "It was great. It was something that was on the bucket list. ... They were bumping into the cage. The eerie thing, I guess, is that they never take their eyes off of you. So they'll circle you. No matter where they're at, they know where you're at."

Q: Even with a cage, is there still a pretty big fear factor going on swimming with great whites?

A: "I wasn't. My wife wasn't, either. But you're definitely aware of what's going on. You're not going to fall asleep in there by any means. The holes in the cage are fairly big. So with the current, I always worried of trying to brace myself and sticking my hand through a hole. Because you kind of get sloshed around, but at least I have all 10 fingers so I'm good."

Q: As a thrill seeker, you've also gone skydiving before. What was that like?

A: "It was a blast. It's cool, because after the first three seconds your stomach comes back to you. You just get to take it in and the ground looks like it's coming at you at a fast pace."

Q: Any other top thrills you've experienced?

A: "In South Africa, I did a giant swing. You literally step off. It was in a stadium. You stepped off the bridge. In the middle of the stadium is the pendulum. So you swing over the field. You step off kind of a bridge and it's a freefall and then it catches you. ... That was cool."

Q: You're also passionate about traveling. What are some of the more exotic places you've been and what do you like about traveling?

A: "Dubai's pretty cool. South Africa is pretty exotic, I guess. Taiwan, China ... I just like to see new things. Be out and about, experience new cultures."

- Jason Dill, sports reporter

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pirates box ."