BRADENTON, Fla. - Manager Lloyd McClendon made a surprise adjustment Friday with the Pittsburgh Pirates' opener just three days away: Tike Redman will start the season as the No. 3 hitter.

Jason Bay was expected to bat third after hitting .282 with 26 homers and 82 RBIs last season as the NL rookie of the year. But when Bay missed most of the exhibition schedule with a bruised wrist bone, McClendon liked how Redman adjusted to the third spot.

Redman, the Pirates' center fielder most of the last two seasons, didn't hit third in any of the 134 games he started last season. The lefthanded-hitting Redman led off 39 times, hit second once, sixth 52 times, seventh 29 times and eighth 13 times.

"Tike can hit," McClendon said Friday. "If we can get the guys with the highest batting averages and on-base percentages closer to the top of the order, the better chance we have of getting something going. We've got to score more runs."

The Pirates were 11th in batting and 13th in runs scored in the NL while going 72-89 last season, their club-record 12th consecutive losing season.

Redman is a .286 hitter in 257 career games and is hitting above .300 this spring, but was forced to compete with Rob Mackowiak to keep his starting job - mostly because the Pirates wanted to see him upgrade his defense.

For now, right fielder Matt Lawton will lead off, with shortstop Jack Wilson second, Redman third, left fielder Bay fourth and first baseman Craig Wilson fifth, followed by third baseman Ty Wigginton, second baseman Jose Castillo and catcher Benito Santiago.

That could be the Pirates' opening day lineup Monday, though Craig Wilson may not start because he is 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts against Brewers starter Ben Sheets.

On the days the left handed-hitting Mackowiak plays, he is expected to bat fifth with Craig Wilson or first baseman Daryle Ward hitting sixth.

When Bay was out for the lineup for three weeks, McClendon tried both Lawton and Redman at No. 3. But Redman's on-base percentage was only .250 as a leadoff hitter last season, so McClendon prefers that Lawton lead off. Redman batted third Friday for the fourth consecutive day.

Redman doesn't have much power, with eight homers in 546 at-bats last season and 12 homers and 75 RBIs in 919 career at-bats. But, unlike most of those clustered in the middle of Pittsburgh's lineup, he doesn't strike out much; he had 52 strikeouts last season, compared to Lawton's 84 with Cleveland, Mackowiak's 114, Bay's 129 and Craig Wilson's club-record 169.

"If Tike can handle that slot, it should make us a lot better," McClendon said. "It should give Bay and Craig Wilson more opportunities for fastballs if Tike gets on base and, hopefully, we'll score more runs. We'll see how it plays out. It's all about players performing."

McClendon is hoping Redman starts off fast, gives the offense a lift and, perhaps, the kind of early season momentum the Pirates haven't sustained for years.

"Talking about legitimate No. 3 hitters, he's the best option we have right now," McClendon said. "If you're talking about championship-type clubs - Barry Bonds-type hitters or Albert Pujols-type hitters - Jason Bay is the ideal No. 5 hitter, for the matter even No. 2. We're not there yet, so we'll do the best we can.

"We're getting better, we're taking steps in the right direction, but we're not there yet," he said.

Meanwhile, the Pirates must decide by Saturday whether Humberto Cota (strained left oblique) or the newly acquired David Ross will start the season as their backup catcher.

Cota was out two months last season with a similar injury, so it seems likely he will go on the 15-day disabled list and Ross will be added to the 25-man roster. Ross, acquired Wednesday from the Dodgers for cash, started Friday's exhibition game against the Twins.