PITTSBURGH — If you’re headed to the ballpark or planning on watching the Pirates’ series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, get in your seat on time. One of the most pivotal match-ups for the game and really, for a good bit of the season for Tyler Glasnow will happen right out of the gate.
Glasnow, of course, struggled with controlling the running game in his Major League appearances in 2016. In his first Major League start, he allowed one stolen base. In his second, the allowed four in three innings as the word had pretty clearly gotten out that he could be taken advantage of in the running game.
This spring, Glasnow revamped his delivery to be quicker to home plate in the hopes of having better outcomes in the running game. Monday, we’ll find out if it worked and possibly in a hurry, as Reds speedster Billy Hamilton will lead off for Cincinnati.
“If he gets on, it’ll be in play,” manger Clint Hurdle said. “We have a plan of attack. He’s not the only guy that runs, but he’s the most dynamic. That’ll all be a part of it. Tom [Prince] will help with that. Francisco [Cervelli] will help with that. We have let him know that he doesn’t have to do this all by himself.”
If Glasnow can’t find a way to control the running game better than the did in 2016, it could be a big problem for the Pirates’ pitching staff. Glasnow is the fifth starter, but he’s full of upside. If things go well for him, he could easily be a front-end of the rotation pitcher. If he has to go back to Triple-A to find a way to keep runners in place on the bases, the Pirates will have to use a less-talented player in his place. Hurdle isn’t trying to put that type of pressure on his first start, though.
“We’ve just encouraged him to be athletic out there and be aggressive,” he said. “Pound the zone to the best of his abilities. He doesn’t have to be dotting it up. Get them in swing zone and then he can do the things he’s shown that he can do: elevate, sink, spin the ball and throw a changeup. He has to get in the strike zone so they get in ready-to-hit mode.”
After Glasnow’s last start of Spring Training, Hurdle harped on his pitch efficiency as a potential roadblock going forward. Hurdle said that he doesn’t have a specific goal that he’s for as far as innings or pitches for Glasnow, but that if Glasnow wants to be a top-of-the-rotation starter, he needs to stay around 15 pitches per inning.
“I know when you get to 20, that’s enough for one inning,” Hurdle said. “That’s probably more than enough for one innings. Guys do throw more than that. Guys throw less than that. However, do the math. How many innings are you going to pitch if you pitch 20 pitches an inning? You’re probably around five. We’d like to see him get more work than that. We’d love for our pitches to work around 15 or 16 pitches per inning.”
A NIGHT OFF?
Felipe Rivero has pitched in all five games for the Pirates this season and while Hurdle didn’t rule him out of Monday’s game, it’s unlikely that he’ll go after throwing on three consecutive days. But the reason Rivero hasn’t been ruled out entirely is his continually efficient outings.
Each of his five appearances has gone one inning. He’s needed 14, 12, 15, 7 and 12 pitches to get through those outings, respectively. While pitch efficiency can be key for a starter like Glasnow to stay in the game, for a reliever like Rivero, it keeps him available to pitch the next day.
“I know I’m not going to be there every day, but if they need me, I’ll be there every day,” Rivero said.
STARTING LINEUP
Game 6: #Pirates (3-2) vs Reds (4-2)
Mercer SS
Marte CF
Cutch RF
☕ LF
Freese 3B
Cervelli CNOTES
David Freese (left collarbone) returns to the starting lineup after pinch-hitting and playing one inning at first base on Sunday. … Josh Harrison (right calf) is not in the starting lineup but is available off the bench. … Cincinnati stater Brandon Finnegan faced the Pirates twice at the end of the last season. He pitched five innings of shutout ball on Sept. 11, but the Pirates touched him for five runs in 2.1 innings on Sept. 17. … The Pirates game on Wednesday against the Reds will not be televised due to a conflict with the Pittsburgh Penguins playoff schedule.
