PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - It's been a challenge for a lot of traditional fans to wrap their arms around the way the Pirates use their arms. Pulling pitchers with low pitch counts. Moving starters into long reliever or 'bulk' roles. Closers entering in the seventh inning.
What truly is the Pirates plan with their pitching staff?
Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington explained Sunday during his show on the Pirates Radio Network and 93.7 The Fan, how Saturday night was a prime example.
Starter Bryse Wilson gave up a home run to tie the game to lead off the fifth inning. The righty then got a ground out and was pulled after 77 pitches. Cherington said earlier in the inning lefty Dillon Peters had started to warm-up as they weren't waiting for trouble but predetermined when Peters would enter. This decision made before Wilson started the inning.
"There are times of the game where the information we have tells us that there is a particular matchup that might give us a little better matchup," Cherington said. "When we see that, we want to be ready to go for it and make that change. You have to put yourself in a position to take advantage of that moment. If Dillion Peters isn't ready, we are waiting a few batters more."
The veteran lefty and former starter threw two scoreless innings. He was then replaced by the righty who many would perceive as the team's closer. Instead of using David Bednar in the ninth, Cherington said it was smarter to him earlier.
It was determined the highest leverage situation on Saturday was in the seventh and it wasn't even a clean start. Bednar started warming up as the inning began and came in with a runner on and one out to relieve Peters. The righty would get out of the seventh and then do something few closers do, continue for a second inning.
Cherington said it worked on Saturday because the staff utilized the scouting reports and were proactive with decisions. He noted it won't always be this successful, but he believes it gives the Pirates the best chance to win.
Veteran pitchers grew up with baseball being played a certain way their whole lives. Now you are asking them to alter all they know. For the agents, many contracts are built on incentives-innings, wins, strikeouts—based on long-established usage of pitchers.
"I would love it if we lived in a world where when you get a win, every pitcher gets some credit for that win," Cherington said. "What you need are a roster of pitchers that are talented, who are skilled, who have the weapons to come in and get Major League hitters out and just want to do that to help the team win, period."
"It does require pitchers to be totally confident in their own ability. Totally competent to get the job done and to care a little bit less about what exactly the traditional definition of the role is, but getting outs and helping the team win."
In order to prepare the Pirates pitching staff, this new age approach to pitching is coming to the Pirates affiliate near you.
"To give pitchers the best chance to thrive in those situations we got to give them the practice, which means doing this a lot in the minor-leagues as well," Cherington said. "We will start to see using openers, using pitchers in different situations. Seeing traditional starters in 'bulk' roles like Wil Crowe. Need to give them the practice."
In his third year with the Pirates, Cherington says they are not the only team adopting this approach. We started seeing the genesis of this plan from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 when they occasionally used closers to start the game.
He said he could really care less about what the old-school roles are for a pitching staff. Cherington is trying to find any advantage for his low-salary team to win a game.
