'Compete every single pitch:' Oviedo spins new approach, new pace taken at PNC Park (Pirates)

JUSTIN BERL / GETTY

Johan Oviedo delivers a pitch against the Cubs.

After his previous start on Sept. 18, Johan Oviedo said he was able to bounce back from some troubles out of the gate by slowing down his tempo and focusing on executing pitches.

It's a luxury the Pirates' right-hander is not going to have for much longer. The pitch clock is on its way in 2023, and while Oviedo's pace should be fine for the new rule next season, he has been prone to some longer at-bats and innings, both in terms of pitch count and the time between pitches.

On Saturday, he showed he can work effectively and quickly, getting into a groove early against the Cubs at PNC Park and rolling to seven shutout innings, closing his night by retiring the final 16 batters he faced, setting the Pirates up for a 6-0 win to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Not that he was thinking about his pace while on the mound Saturday. Actually, he wasn't thinking about much of anything, he would admit.

“That was one of the biggest things today -- I was not thinking about anything,” Oviedo said. “I was just trying to compete every single pitch. I was not looking for strikeouts or the pitch count or anything. I was just trying to have fun every single pitch that I throw and forget about results, even if it was a good or bad or whatever happened.”

Oviedo allowed just three base runners on the night, all via singles in the first two innings. He struck out seven, didn't walk a batter and pounded the strike zone, throwing 58 strikes on 82 pitches.

"I think it’s a good teaching moment for him to know that when you work at that pace, you have the ability to go out and command the ball," Derek Shelton said.

The only time he had to pitch through traffic was the first after allowing a pair of singles. In his last start against the Mets, they took advantage of early mistakes. This time, he made sure not to give Yan Gomes much, pounding the bottom part of the strike zone before getting him to chase a slider that was tailing away.

"He stayed right within his delivery," Shelton said. "Those are the times before we’ve seen him overthrow. He didn’t. He executed."

Knowing that Oviedo's pitch limit was 90 since he hasn't spent the full year as a starter, Shelton sent him back out in the seventh inning at 77 pitches. Expecting that he may have to pull him mid-inning, Oviedo instead needed just five pitches to go the extra frame, pumping a 98 mph fastball for his final pitch of the night.

Oviedo didn't know what his pitch count was when he was told his night was done. He thought he could go more.

“Something that I learned from Waino [Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright] is that you always have to think about throwing nine innings,” Oviedo said. “I’m very thankful to share time with him while I was there, and that was something that I took with me: if you want to win, you have to go seven. You have to go eight. You have to go nine. I’m not the guy that will think, ‘I have to throw six today.’ I will always think about throwing nine. My mind is going to be nine, but I just try to have fun, pitch by pitch, every time that I can do that.”

Oviedo had shown glimpses of his potential in his first handful of starts with the Pirates, but Saturday was quite possibly the best outing the 24-year-old right-hander has had in the majors. The Pirates acquired him from the Cardinals in the José Quintana deadline deal with the belief he could be a starter. Saturday was a compelling case that he could make the leap as a starter, and he's thankful for the opportunity to prove he can do it.

“Everything that I learned last year, I was hoping that I can have another chance so I can do all the things I learned from last year and the things I’m learning right now," Oviedo said. "Some people, sometimes it takes a little bit more than some others. I’ve been a guy who’s always trying to improve and always try to learn. I’m never going to give up.”

MORE FROM THE GAME

• One of these days there will be some sort of explanation for Jack Suwinski's season.

It's not uncommon for a rookie to hit better at home than on the road, but Suwinski's splits are truly outrageous. In 175 plate appearances at home, he's slashing .282/.360/.615 with 15 home runs. In 159 trips to the plate on the road, he's slashing .098/.189/.175 with three home runs.

Well, the good news for him is he was at PNC Park Saturday, and he delivered what would end up being the deciding shot, a pinch-hit three run homer into the "R" shrubbery in center field.

Hey, a homer is a homer. It's just difficult to try to make sense of how Suwinski has the second-best home OPS in the National League (min. 150 PAs, going by figures entering Saturday) behind only Paul Goldschmidt (1.099), but also the lowest for any NL hitter on the road.

"If we figure out the home-road thing, we'll be dealing," Shelton said.

 Ji Hwan Bae was moved up to the leadoff spot to face the left-hander Wade Miley and went 1-for-4 on the day with a two-run double. The swing itself was hardly the prettiest, but even when he fell off balance, he was able to keep the barrel through the zone and drop a soft liner inside the chalk.

• A big start from Oviedo? Bae and Suwinski with some big hits? A win with four rookies in the lineup? That's one way to snap a losing streak.

"I think it keeps giving us glimpses of what we're doing in player development is right,” Shelton said. “The guys we're acquiring, like an Oviedo, are the right decisions. It makes you smile when you have a bunch of young kids and you see the energy they play with. It's not like we've played poorly over the last few games. We lacked the big hit. But to see the intensity and the energy they're playing with, it's a really good sign."

Ke'Bryan Hayes is dealing with some low back discomfort again, the same injury that put him on the 10-day injured list last month. He's been out of the starting lineup the last three days, but has appeared as a pinch-hitter during that stretch.

• With the win, the Pirates snap an eight-game losing streak and improve to 56-96 on the season. They need to go at least 7-3 down the stretch in order to avoid a second consecutive 100-loss season.

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

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THE INJURIES

 7-day concussion injured list: C Tyler Heineman

• 15-day injured list: RHP JT Brubaker (right arm inflammation), LHP Eric Stout (low back discomfort)

60-day injured list: Yerry De Los Santos (lat), OF Canaan Smith-Njigba (wrist), RHP Colin Holderman (right shoulder), RHP Blake Cederlind (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Ji Hwan Bae, 2B
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Rodolfo Castro, 3B
4. Diego Castillo, RF
5. Kevin Newman, SS
6. Michael Chavis, 1B
7. Ben Gamel, DH
8. Greg Allen, LF
9. Jason Delay, C

And for David Ross' Cubs:

1. Zack, McKinstry, SS
2. Esteban Quiroz, 2B
3. Patrick Wisdom, RF
4. Ian Happ, LF
5. Yan Gomez, C
6. Franmil Reyes, DH
7. David Bote, 3B
8. Jared Young, 1B
9. Christopher Morel, CF

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates will try to secure a series split Sunday. Luis Ortiz (0-0, 0.84) will try to make it three strong starts to start his major-league career, facing off against former Pirate farmhand Adrian Sampson (2-5, 3.35). First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. DK will have you covered.

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