Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Wednesday that pitcher Gerrit Cole "did fine" in his spring debut, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
"He probably threw more pitches than he wanted to in the first inning," Hurdle said. "But he didn't back off and kept the damage to a minimum. He had some good angle to his breaking balls and used his two-seamer well. A good step forward."
Cole, who surrendered one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out three in two innings Wednesday, said he wasn't worried about the outcome but wanted to get on the same page with new catcher Francisco Cervelli.
"I told (Cervelli) I wasn't going to shake him off," Cole said. "I was just going to see how he wanted to do my stuff so he could get a feel for how he wants to call the game. I think it'll be that way for probably awhile. He'll get some information. I'll get some information, and then we'll probably sit down (to talk)."