Jared Jones minimizes damage but Pirates bullpen blows up in loss to Twins

Jared Jones had kept the Minnesota Twins off the scoreboard for four innings, before the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled the right-hander after he allowed back-to-back singles to start the fifth.

Then the bullpen blew up.

Jack Carey surrendered four runs on five hits and one walk in a five-run fifth. David Bednar gave up five runs on three hits and two walks and lefty Joey Wentz four runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk in a nine-run sixth. Dennis Santana allowed a run in the seventh.

The Pirates avoided a shutout with a pair of home runs from Darick Hall and Matt Gorski in the top of the ninth but still suffered a 15-3 loss to the Twins in a Grapefruit League game Thursday afternoon at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla.

Jones, who has a 2.25 ERA in four starts, allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. led off the fifth with a single to center but was thrown out attempting to steal second base by catcher Henry Davis. When Luke Keaschall followed with a single, Jones was replaced by Carey after throwing 37 of his 64 pitches for strikes. Jeferson Morales doubled to drive in Keaschall, advanced to third on an error by shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa then scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.

Bednar fared no better, giving up a walk, a single, an RBI double and another walk before getting a forceout at second. After giving up a two-run double, he was replaced by Wentz. The Twins finished with 15 hits, including six doubles.

Hall hit his second homer of the spring, a two-run shot in the ninth, to cut it to 15-2. Gorski added a 450-foot blast for his fourth homer, which tied him for the second most in the Grapefruit League in home runs and RBIs (12).

Notes: Lefty Andrew Heaney is scheduled to start against Keider Montero when the Pirates host the Detroit Tigers at 6:05 p.m. Friday at LECOM Park in Bradenton. The game will be televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh. … Pirates prospects will play Philadelphia Phillies prospects in the second Spring Breakout at 1:05 p.m. Friday at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater. The game will be televised on MLB Network.