A.J. Burnett held the Reds to two runs over seven innings Thursday night at PNC Park. — GETTY
BY JOSH YOHE
Sights, sounds and the scene at PNC Park …
• The seven runs were nice.
Before the Pirates’ bats finally exploded, however, old reliable came through again.
A.J. Burnett, whose stuff remains good but no longer overpowering, produced another impressive performance in the Pirates’ 7-2 win tonight against the Reds. He allowed two runs in seven innings, and his 1.66 ERA is currently good for second among National League starters, trailing only the 1.56 of the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke.
“Men can be prepared for their future through their past if they’ve paid attention,” Clint Hurdle said. “I think he’s paid attention. He’s an honest self-evaluator. He’s well aware that he isn’t the guy he was 10 years ago, five years ago, maybe even three years ago.”
But he is the guy who has permitted two or fewer runs in each of his six starts.
“He can pitch,” Hurdle said.
The most impressive display from Burnett came in the seventh inning. With the Pirates clinging to a 3-2 lead, two singles gave the Reds runners at the corners with one out. Hurdle, knowing Burnett had been efficient — he needed only 34 pitches through three innings and finished with 85 — left the starter in even though the Reds sent two left-handed batters at him.
In the evening’s most important showdown, Burnett used two curveballs in a row to record the strikeout of pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker.
Chris Stewart’s view of that from behind the plate:
“He was outstanding,” Jared Hughes said. “He was fun to watch. Just sitting in the bullpen, we have a great view of the movement of his pitches. His breaking ball was breaking so late and so sharp. It was nasty tonight.”
Burnett forced Billy Hamilton into a force out to end the threat.
He recorded only four strikeouts, but one was the 2,400th of his career, earlier in the contest.
“It meant a lot more that it came in a Pirates victory,” he said.
Burnett received his first win of the season after having been the victim of run support at a 1.4 average this season. Instead of complaining about it afterward — he was as intense as ever in the hours leading up to first pitch — he explained that the offense will come around and that the defensive effort behind him was ideal.
Burnett, in fact, almost helped his cause offensively when his deep fly to left was caught on the warning track.
“Maybe 10 years ago,” he said with a grin.
So, perhaps Burnett isn’t the same pitcher or hitter that he was a decade ago.
This version appears just fine.
• It was merely one night, but Andrew McCutchen showed signs of breaking out of his funk. He hit two singles and pulled a double to left — two of the balls were hit crisply — drew a walk and, bad knee and all, stole a base.
With no outs in the second, the Reds’ Brandon Phillips launched a fly ball to relatively deep center. McCutchen camped under it and, as Todd Frazier broke from first to second, fired a one-hop strike to complete the double play.
“Write what you saw,” Hurdle told reporters. “He swung the bat well tonight.”
Burnett said McCutchen and the Pirates will be just fine.
“You’ve got some pros going through some stuff,” Burnett said. “They aren’t fazed by that.”
• Starling Marte continues to mature. He drove in two more runs against the Reds in what has been an impressive stretch following a forgettable opening week.
One at-bat stood out, even if the box score won’t acknowledge it as anything other than an out. In the first inning, with runners at first and second and nobody out, Marte had the count at 1-1. Earlier in his career — and earlier in this season, for that matter — he might have fallen behind. Instead, he watched a 95-mph fastball for ball one, fouled off the next, then got his pitch and lofted it to right, allowing Neil Walker to advance to third with one out. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was a productive out.
If Marte becomes a better situational player, his talent will take care of the rest.
• Hughes had a scare in the eighth when former teammate Marlon Byrd belted a line drive off the pitcher’s glove hand. Byrd reached on an infield single. Hughes remained in the game and struck out Joey Votto in the next at-bat.
Here’s what Hughes had to say about the scare:
• Some other quick tidbits: Josh Harrison didn’t get a hit, but he drove a couple of balls hard to the opposite field. Both went foul. This is a good sign for Harrison, who recorded so many big hits last season going to right. As it is, his hitless streak reached 17 at-bats. … Nice night for Stewart. He had two hits, broke the game open with a two-run single in the eighth and is now hitting .286. … Frazier has 10 home runs this season. Four have come against the Pirates. He went deep on Burnett’s only big mistake, a fastball on the inside half, while Stewart was set up outside.
Josh Yohe is the staff reporter for DKonPittsburghSports.com.
Good stuff, Josh. My only point of disagreement would be that I didn't see much of a "good sign" from Josh Harrision - yes, he fouled off a couple balls to the right field bleachers (one almost made the chalk line), but he's rolling his hands over half the pitches and he's late on everything else. Right now, mechanically, he just doesn't seem to have it. Cutch will come out of his slump, Mercer will come out of his slump...but I don't know about JHay. He doesn't look right mechanically. I see no reason why he shouldn't be sitting more, and/or batting in the 8 hole when he plays. Still rooting for him, of course. He was a great force behind the team last year.
And even worse, he's not performed nearly as well in the field this season. Should've been charged with another error on that throw down to second last night.
Guy simply isn't bringing anything to the team right now.
jeffrey
5-8-2015, 12:18 am
A nice night all around. Too early to declare a breakthrough but definitely a nice night. Thanks for the insights, Josh!
Until he goes 3 for 4. Probably not going to hit .315 again, but he does not stink.
Big Daddy
5-8-2015, 10:40 am
You got the wrong player - Pedro Alvarez stinks - Josh Harrison will come around and hit the way he can.
PlazMan
5-8-2015, 5:20 am
The subscription was already worth the price of admission, but bringing Josh on board makes it an even better deal. Welcome Josh and good luck!
Loved the A.J. signing in the offseason...almost makes you wonder what would have been had he stayed last year and not been hurt. Alas, it is what it is, but so far, so very good.
I was very open about how worried I was that Harrison could be a one year wonder or, at the very least, come up well short of his career year last season. I hope I'm wrong and I hope Josh is right when he says, "This is a good sign for Harrison ", but I'll believe it only when I see it. He has looked lost out there for quite some time.
I enjoyed this piece so much. I like the columns with overarching themes as much as anybody. But good reporting with a little flavor mixed in is just as fun. Great job!
May 8, 2015
Coverage: A.J. pushes in the chips
by Josh Yohe • Coverage • Pirates
A.J. Burnett held the Reds to two runs over seven innings Thursday night at PNC Park. — GETTY
BY JOSH YOHE
Sights, sounds and the scene at PNC Park …
• The seven runs were nice.
Before the Pirates’ bats finally exploded, however, old reliable came through again.
A.J. Burnett, whose stuff remains good but no longer overpowering, produced another impressive performance in the Pirates’ 7-2 win tonight against the Reds. He allowed two runs in seven innings, and his 1.66 ERA is currently good for second among National League starters, trailing only the 1.56 of the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke.
“Men can be prepared for their future through their past if they’ve paid attention,” Clint Hurdle said. “I think he’s paid attention. He’s an honest self-evaluator. He’s well aware that he isn’t the guy he was 10 years ago, five years ago, maybe even three years ago.”
But he is the guy who has permitted two or fewer runs in each of his six starts.
“He can pitch,” Hurdle said.
The most impressive display from Burnett came in the seventh inning. With the Pirates clinging to a 3-2 lead, two singles gave the Reds runners at the corners with one out. Hurdle, knowing Burnett had been efficient — he needed only 34 pitches through three innings and finished with 85 — left the starter in even though the Reds sent two left-handed batters at him.
In the evening’s most important showdown, Burnett used two curveballs in a row to record the strikeout of pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker.
Chris Stewart’s view of that from behind the plate:
“He was outstanding,” Jared Hughes said. “He was fun to watch. Just sitting in the bullpen, we have a great view of the movement of his pitches. His breaking ball was breaking so late and so sharp. It was nasty tonight.”
Burnett forced Billy Hamilton into a force out to end the threat.
He recorded only four strikeouts, but one was the 2,400th of his career, earlier in the contest.
“It meant a lot more that it came in a Pirates victory,” he said.
Burnett received his first win of the season after having been the victim of run support at a 1.4 average this season. Instead of complaining about it afterward — he was as intense as ever in the hours leading up to first pitch — he explained that the offense will come around and that the defensive effort behind him was ideal.
Burnett, in fact, almost helped his cause offensively when his deep fly to left was caught on the warning track.
“Maybe 10 years ago,” he said with a grin.
So, perhaps Burnett isn’t the same pitcher or hitter that he was a decade ago.
This version appears just fine.
• It was merely one night, but Andrew McCutchen showed signs of breaking out of his funk. He hit two singles and pulled a double to left — two of the balls were hit crisply — drew a walk and, bad knee and all, stole a base.
He also produced a defensive gem.
With no outs in the second, the Reds’ Brandon Phillips launched a fly ball to relatively deep center. McCutchen camped under it and, as Todd Frazier broke from first to second, fired a one-hop strike to complete the double play.
“Write what you saw,” Hurdle told reporters. “He swung the bat well tonight.”
Burnett said McCutchen and the Pirates will be just fine.
“You’ve got some pros going through some stuff,” Burnett said. “They aren’t fazed by that.”
• Starling Marte continues to mature. He drove in two more runs against the Reds in what has been an impressive stretch following a forgettable opening week.
One at-bat stood out, even if the box score won’t acknowledge it as anything other than an out. In the first inning, with runners at first and second and nobody out, Marte had the count at 1-1. Earlier in his career — and earlier in this season, for that matter — he might have fallen behind. Instead, he watched a 95-mph fastball for ball one, fouled off the next, then got his pitch and lofted it to right, allowing Neil Walker to advance to third with one out. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was a productive out.
If Marte becomes a better situational player, his talent will take care of the rest.
• Hughes had a scare in the eighth when former teammate Marlon Byrd belted a line drive off the pitcher’s glove hand. Byrd reached on an infield single. Hughes remained in the game and struck out Joey Votto in the next at-bat.
Here’s what Hughes had to say about the scare:
• Some other quick tidbits: Josh Harrison didn’t get a hit, but he drove a couple of balls hard to the opposite field. Both went foul. This is a good sign for Harrison, who recorded so many big hits last season going to right. As it is, his hitless streak reached 17 at-bats. … Nice night for Stewart. He had two hits, broke the game open with a two-run single in the eighth and is now hitting .286. … Frazier has 10 home runs this season. Four have come against the Pirates. He went deep on Burnett’s only big mistake, a fastball on the inside half, while Stewart was set up outside.
Josh Yohe is the staff reporter for DKonPittsburghSports.com.