PITTSBURGH — The Pirates want Tyler Glasnow focusing on strike one.
Glasnow, the team’s promising fifth starter, has yet to consistently deliver with results in his first full season in the majors. He had one of his best starts on Sunday, going 6.1 innings while allowing three earned runs in what became a 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The reasoning for wanting Glasnow to start off with a strike makes sense on the surface. They want him to use his two-seam fastball to induce weak contact that will help him get quicker outs and work deeper into games. It took him 101 pitches to go 6.1 Sunday and that was the longest outing he’s had this year.
He’s also had problems with his walk rate. It sits at 6.33 BB/9 after he issued two free passes Sunday and it goes without saying that strike one as opposed to ball one will result in fewer walks.
“[It’s] very important,” Glasnow said. “I think it’s something I’ve focused on. Today it wasn’t that good, but it just sets up your entire at-bat. You can throw your stuff up there. You put hitters on defense mode.”
But will pitching strike one help get batters out? It worked out that way against the Brewers. Of their 27 at-bats, Glasnow threw 12 first-pitch strikes. Nine of them turned into outs.
“That’s not coincidence,” Glasnow said. “Usually when I get ahead of guys, it turns out well.”
But it’s not a panacea for all that ails a pitcher. According to Fangraphs, MLB batters are hitting .223 on 0-1 counts compared to .258 on 1-0 counts. That’s a difference, but not that significant of one. Luckily for Glasnow, it wasn’t the only thing he had working.
He threw 15 changeups, finally using that pitch as a significant part of his arsenal at the major-league level and it played well, going for a strike over half the time and generating a 20 percent whiff rate. He also got put-aways with the curveball after getting hitters in swing mode with his fastball and change up.
“Fastball command was solid,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “His curveball play to use his changeup. He kept mixing his pitches. We had three different defensive plays that allowed more guys to touch the plate than should have based on what he did out there today. So, I’m very encouraged by his outing. It’s great that he pitched into the seventh as well.”
But Glasnow’s own self-assessment wasn’t as rosy.
“I definitely didn’t have my best stuff, but I had to go out and pitch, not try to get too much velo or anything, just locations,” he said. “It was nice. I went out there and felt like I was pitching today.”
Depending on how you want to measure it, that might have been Glasnow’s best career start and it’s certainly in the top two. For him to say he didn’t have his best stuff after striking out nearly a batter per inning should be a very encouraging sign. It’s also a bit of a peek into the mental part of the game, as well.
“I think the number one key [for Glasnow] is mental,” said catcher Chris Stewart, who caught Glasnow on Sunday. “He wants to be perfect out there and unfortunately, it’s not a perfect game. This game can humble you a little bit. It can throw some things you’re not ready for. Then there’s a lot of uncontrollables, as well.”
The uncontrollable on Sunday included an anemic offense that mustered just two runs on six hits and was unable to give Glasnow the kind of run support he’s enjoyed thus far and also a defense that committed two errors and misplayed another ball that directly contributed to two of the four runs Glasnow allowed. He never seemed to let any of those things effect his pitching.
“That’s the game,” he said. “I make mistakes. Everyone does. Errors are errors. We have a great defensive staff. I just think we have to keep going.”
OSUNA’S FIRST
Jose Osuna provided all the offense for the Pirates, hitting a two-run blast to left field for his first major-league home run.
“I hit the ball really good on that one,” Osuna said. “I was waiting for a slow pitch. [Milwaukee starter Zach Davies] was using a lot of changeable and curveballs, so I was looking for something up.”
LINDBLOM DEBUT
Josh Lindblom made his Pirates debut, and while he profiles to be a long reliever, he made just one pitch to get the final out of the ninth inning.
“I’m not even sure I have to shower after that,” he joked.
The Pirates haven’t given an update on a timeframe for Jameson Taillon’s injury, but Lindblom figures to be with Pittsburgh long enough to be missed in Indianapolis.
“About 2:45 yesterday, we were in Columbus,” Lindblom said. “[Andy] Barkett called me in. He said there was good news and bad news. The bad news was that I wasn’t going to be able to bring donuts in when were had day games in Indy. The good news was that I was going to be able to come here. I’m really, really excited.”
But his Indy teammates may be left wanting for something sweet.
“There’s a little spot called Titus Bakery right on the way to the field that I’d stop at and bring them in for the guys,” Lindblom said. “They’re devastated. They really are. I don’t think the strength staff was devastated, though.”
