Pirates rotation an early surprise, easing concerns with 6 consecutive quality starts

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the offseason with one healthy, proven starting pitcher, All-Star Mitch Keller, so addressing the rotation was a top priority. General manager Ben Cherington’s efforts did little to inspire the fanbase.

The only additions were a pair of veteran left-handers coming off subpar seasons, as the Pirates acquired Marco Gonzales in a trade and signed Martin Perez to a one-year deal. There was risk involved with both: Gonzales missed most of last season with a nerve issue that required surgery, and Perez was bumped to the bullpen.

That the starting rotation was the greatest concern brought a defiant response from Gonzales.

“That’s a surprise to me,” said Gonzales, a 32-year-old acquired from Atlanta via Seattle in early December. “I didn’t think it was a concern at all. I look around the room and see a lot of guys who can really chuck it, so I don’t see the concern. That’s an outside opinion. That’s not ours.

“I guess we don’t really care what people think. It’s a breath of fresh air to be around a group of guys who really don’t give a (crap) what other people think. I hope we continue that energy because that’s going to get us to where we want to go.”

Armed with that attitude, the collective starting pitching — somehow — has been a catalyst for the Pirates (9-3) as they entered an off day Wednesday amid a string of six consecutive quality starts and with the best record in the National League. Pirates starters lead the majors with 68 2/3 innings pitched, rank eighth in WHIP (1.19) and tied for eighth in hits allowed (62) but don’t rank in the top 10 in any other major categories as a group.

The 33-year-old Perez, a 2022 All-Star who won the World Series with the Texas Rangers last fall, was the first Pirates starter to go six innings this season and has produced a pair of bookend quality starts.

The first came in a 7-4 win at Washington on April 4, when Perez allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. On Tuesday, he had seven strikeouts without a walk and held Detroit to one run on six hits over eight innings before closer David Bednar blew a save opportunity with a four-run ninth in the 5-3 loss.

“We all have a plan, and I think that’s all we have to do: Go out there and try to throw a quality start every time,” Perez said. “If we do that, we’re going to have a chance to win a lot of games. We want to make it to the playoffs, and that’s a way that we can make it.”

Last season is proof that it’s easier said than done. The Pirates produced 18 quality starts in winning 20 of their first 28 games. They finished with 53 quality starts, as their staff slowly fell apart. Vince Velasquez injured his right elbow and required season-ending surgery. Roansy Contreras was sent to the minors to work on his mechanics. Lefty Rich Hill was traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline in August.

That left only Keller (18 quality starts) and Johan Oviedo (14) as traditional starters. Each made 32 starts, but Oviedo was lost to Tommy John surgery in early December. That set the stage for the additions of Gonzales and Perez and a pair of surprises to round out the rotation.

Rookie right-hander Jared Jones, who was the star of spring training after flashing a triple-digit fastball and a nasty slider, earned one spot in the starting rotation. Lefty Bailey Falter, who has an elite four-seam fastball but struggled as a starter last season, beat out right-handers Luis Ortiz and Quinn Priester for the final turn.

“We are going to need all facets of our club, and the fact that our starting pitching has jumped out and done a really consistent job I think is important because there’s been times during the year where we’re going to need, maybe it’s a four-inning start or a five-inning start and our bullpen picks it up,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Really, the most important thing is the execution of the fastball. I think we’ve done a really good job.”

Pirates pitchers have relied on an effective formula: filling up the strike zone with fastballs and trusting the defense behind them. It has helped that the Pirates have a plus-19 run differential, having scored five runs or more in nine of their 12 games.

That was evident when newly acquired catcher Joey Bart kept calling for Falter to throw fastballs against Baltimore on Saturday. Falter threw four-seamers on 61 of his 78 pitches in holding the Orioles scoreless over six one-hit innings.

“We have a really good defense, and, as you can see, we have a really good offense, too,” Keller said after recording nine strikeouts in six innings in a 7-4 win over the Tigers on Monday. “So just give us a chance to win. The best chance to win is filling up the strike zone as much as possible, letting the guys work, and we all have really good stuff, so the strikeouts are going to come if we keep filling it up.”

The Pirates have fed off Jones in that respect, as the 22-year-old had 10 strikeouts in a dazzling major league debut on March 30 at Miami and seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings against the Nationals last Friday.

But they’ve also won by limiting walks. Falter had only one strikeout against Baltimore on Saturday but gave up one walk. Gonzales didn’t allow a walk while striking out four in six innings against the Orioles on Sunday. Perez had seven strikeouts without a walk against the Tigers.

Having a deep bullpen that delivered in the opening week helped build confidence among the starters, Gonzales said, as the rotation benefited from short outings in the first week.

“Guys have stepped up. I think that’s a tribute to the way we’ve been able to set the tone as starters, too, expanding the zone, pitching to the inner half, pitching to contact,” Gonzales said. “There’s subtle things that we’ve done that people probably don’t notice that have made us better as a group, and vice versa. We pitch with more confidence when we know we’ve got a rock-solid bullpen.”

Now, the greatest concern for the Pirates is sustainability. They know that top pitching prospect Paul Skenes will arrive sometime soon, likely taking one of the spots in the starting rotation. The Pirates learned last year how injuries and ineffectiveness can devastate a starting rotation, so there has been a focus on health for the sake of durability and longevity. But the starters believe a built-in support system has been beneficial.

“I think we’re getting better around each other,” Gonzales said. “We have a really good competitive energy. We compete against each other but in a healthy way. We’re trying to make each other better, too, watching each other’s bullpens, supporting each other however we can. I think we have a good dynamic with that.

“You look around the room, and we have a lot of guys who’ve played this game a long time. Divisions aren’t won in the first month. There’s a lot of work to do. We have a good feel of guys being like, ‘Good. We’ve had a good start. That doesn’t mean much unless you carry it on through the rest of the months.’

“You put your head down and go to work. Don’t listen to what people say. It’s pretty simple. The job’s not finished.”