Quinn Priester had another rough outing last night. In the post-game, Pirates manager Derek Shelton cited Priester’s lack of location and execution as a reason for the issues. Shelton is correct.
Priester walked three and threw two wild pitches. He gave up six runs on seven hits in five innings, with a run in every inning. Simply put, he didn’t execute and his location was an issue.
I’m not concerned by Priester. This was his sixth start, and he’s the type of person who is going to improve from his struggles. This recap by Alex Stumpf provides a great rundown of Priester’s struggles, and his comments on his struggles. Priester’s comments and character stand out in his responses.
I’m less concerned by Priester’s lack of execution and location in his sixth start, versus the offense going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Pirates offense ranks 21st in the majors, with a .248 average with runners in scoring position. Even if Priester were to execute better, it might not have helped. There are a lot of nights where it seems like a challenge to get any Pirates pitcher run support.
Essentially, on these nights, the Pirates are asking their pitchers to produce top of the rotation results to give the team a chance to win.
QUICK PIRATES RECAP
PIRATES (53-66) AT Mets
Score: Mets 7, Pirates 2
Pittsburgh Starter: Quinn Priester, RHP (9.10)
–Line: 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
Player of the Game: Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B (2-for-5, 2B, RBI)
Attendance: 23,151
Notable Performers
- Henry Davis, RF (1-for-3, BB, RBI)
- Osvaldo Bido, RHP (3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR)
One Sentence Recap: Quinn Priester allowed runs in each of the first five innings, and the Pirates stranded ten runners, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
MINOR MOVES
- The Pirates released right-handed pitchers Owen Sharts and Sergio Umana from Bradenton.
- In the last week, the Pirates have signed two minor league free agents: third baseman Joe Perez and catcher Dom Nunez. Perez is playing with Altoona, while Perez is with Indianapolis.
AROUND THE SYSTEM
I’m in Greensboro this week, getting my first look at the High-A players this season. Jack Brannigan hit six home runs last week for the Grasshoppers, and was the system’s Player of the Week.
Pirates Prospect Watch: Jack Brannigan Powers His Way to Player of the Week
INDIANAPOLIS
Luis Ortiz struggled after doing down to Indianapolis, but has turned things around in his last two starts. Each of them saw him give up one run in five innings.
ALTOONA
Matt Gorski returned to Altoona last week, after missing a few weeks on the injured list. He went 2-for-9 in three games, with a homer and two walks.
GREENSBORO
After striking out 12 batters in his last start, Po-Yu Chen takes the mound tonight in Greensboro. I’ll have live coverage from Greensboro on the site, starting tomorrow.
BRADENTON
Paul Skenes makes his debut with Bradenton tonight, after pitching a single inning in the FCL last week. I wouldn’t expect more than two innings.
ROOKIE LEVELS
Jun-Seok Shim and Carlos Jimenez pitched in yesterday’s FCL Pirates game. Check out the results in the daily Prospect Watch.
SONG OF THE DAY
I hadn’t listened to Korn in a while, prior to my drive to Greensboro yesterday. This song from the last year with Danny Brown was a standout on the drive. I threw on the Follow the Leader album after this.
