Pirates pitchers proving they can go deep into games with 7 consecutive quality starts

Rich Hill had thrown 94 pitches through five innings and had a double-digit lead when Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton sent the 43-year-old left-hander out to pitch the sixth inning Monday at Colorado.

Hill responded with an 11-pitch inning, striking out C.J. Cron on a 70-mph curveball, getting Elias Diaz to ground out to shortstop and Ryan McMahon to go down swinging at a 68-mph sweeper.

That sealed another quality start for Hill, marking the seventh consecutive by a Pirates pitcher. By definition, a quality start requires at least six innings and three earned runs or fewer, so it’s been an impressive stretch of consistency and effectiveness from the starting rotation.

Since Mitch Keller allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in a 7-4 win over the Houston Astros on April 11, Pirates starting pitchers have followed one quality start with another.

“It’s a definite advantage,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on the AT&T SportsNet pregame show. “It’s one of those things where, when you get good starts, when you get lengthy starts, it gives you an opportunity (to win). Unfortunately, we’ve been in extra-inning games, so our bullpen has gotten a little bit taxed because of that. We just have to adapt and adjust, but our starting pitching has been really good.”

Dick Mountain, Nice 69mph Curveball. ????⛰️????♋️ pic.twitter.com/63oYZSDou1

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 18, 2023

The Pirates are 4-3 in the seven-game stretch that saw Pirates starters Keller and Hill (twice each) and Vince Velasquez, Johan Oviedo and Roansy Contreras (once each) allow a combined 11 earned runs while recording as many strikeouts (39) as hits and only 14 walks.

Hill followed Keller’s quality start by giving up two runs on five hits in six innings in a 7-0 loss to the Astros. Velasquez had six strikeouts in six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Cardinals, and Oviedo recorded a career-best 10 strikeouts while allowing one run in seven innings in a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals. Contreras struck out six in a 6-3 win in 10 innings Saturday, and Keller gave up seven hits, including a game-tying two-run homer, in six innings in the 5-4 loss in 10 innings Sunday.

Last 7 games: Pirates starters 2.30 ERA combined, 6+ innings in each

— Joe Block (@joe_block) April 18, 2023

That the starting rotation posted at least six innings in every start over the span of one week took pressure off the bullpen, even though the extra-inning games proved to be taxing on the relievers.

“It’s huge,” Keller said. “That’s our job, to go as deep as we can. It’s really cool to see we’re finally putting it together here, all of us. It comes down to really good game plans. Everyone has found a good routine, just sticking with our plan and getting good work in.

“It’s the same exact way as saying hitting is contagious. Day in and day out, starting pitchers, we notice when other starters are going deep. You’ve got to follow that and keep it going. Everyone wants to follow what the other one did. I think having that mentality is really good for our staff.”

Shelton’s confidence in the staff showed when he allowed Hill to eclipse the 100-pitch total for the first time in earning his first win with the Pirates. Hill gave up one run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven in the 14-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, throwing 67 of his 105 pitches for strikes without touching 90 mph on any of them.

Hill mixed his curveball, four-seam fastball, sweeper and cutter effectively, pitching with the same intensity throughout. And it helped that he got terrific plays from his defense, including two inning-ending double plays.

“When you put that onus on the hitter, it makes it hard,” Hill said. “That’s something that we’ve been doing from spring training, and it’s carried over into the season. Now we’re obviously seeing the results. That’s something that is the constant.

“That intensity and effort continued to build over the six innings. There’s definitely takeaways from this game to bring to the next game, from the first pitch and understanding why I’ve been able to play for as long as I have.”