Yankees-Pirates, top of fifth

Monday could be a downer for several of the 37 Pirates remaining in major-league camp. Manager John Russell and his staff face some difficult choices paring the roster down to the required 25 by the March 31 opener in Atlanta.
The Pirates need to win each of their seven remaining spring-training games to finish at .500 (15-15). They haven't had a winning spring record since 2003, when they were 16-14.
Although everyone says spring-training results don't matter, it's worth noting the Pirates were a combined 40-29 in exhibition games from 1990-92, when they won three consecutive National League East Division titles.
They were 13-11 under Chuck Tanner in 1979, the year of their last World Series triumph, and a strong 18-7 under Danny Murtaugh in 1971, the year they beat the Orioles behind Steve Blass and Roberto Clemente.
Maybe we've been underestimating the importance of spring training all these years. Maholm just got a ground-ball double play to end a Yankees' threat.