Freeze Frame: Oviedo shows his own jam in key escape taken at PNC Park (Pirates)

Justin K. Aller / Getty

Johan Oviedo throws in the first inning Sunday at PNC Park.

It became clearer by the moment that Johan Oviedo was on his stuff in the Pirates' 1-0 win over the White Sox Sunday at PNC Park.

Although overshadowed by the fractured ankle sustained by Oneil Cruz, the Pirates' starter turned in one of his best career outings in holding the White Sox scoreless through 6 2/3 innings while allowing five hits, striking out five, and walking none on 89 pitches and 62 strikes.

"I mean the plan is like always give the team a chance to win and, thankfully, we achieved that today and we got the win," Oviedo said. "We win the series, so I feel like we as a team we really did a really good job on defense and with hitting."

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Oviedo permitted one baserunner through four innings and placed a capstone on his performance by getting out of a significant jam in the fifth which was set to swing momentum to either side: Oscar Colas dribbled a one-out single past the mound and advanced to third on Romy Gonzalez single to right-center. He worked from being down 2-0 to Seby Zavala, was worked back into a full count, and got Zavala to whiff on a slider low and on the outside corner within the strike zone for the second out. Elvis Andrus tried to get out of the way on an 0-1 fastball which got away from Oviedo, but home plate umpire Laz Diaz ruled it a swinging strike. Oviedo got Andrus to fly out to Jack Suwinski in center to end the scoring threat and escape unscathed.

"Gosh, he was outstanding," Derek Shelton said. "He was in control the whole game. That's a good lineup. That's a good team, and he executed. Big sign of growth to be able to go back out in the seventh and control himself emotionally and be able to execute pitches. What did he give up, four or five hits? He was in control the whole game and did a really, really outstanding job."

Oviedo garnered 18 swing and misses from Chicago hitters, and his two fastballs tracked at 98.5 mph were the second- and third-fastest pitches of the day. His slider topped at 91.6 mph in the at-bat against Zavala in the fifth. Per Baseball Savant, Oviedo throws his slider at an average velocity of 85.7 mph.

"I mean, like every year you’re actually -- there’s a lot of work in the offseason," Oviedo said of his work on his slider. "It’s the beginning of the year so I feel like when we’re playing and actually going out there the better the pitches will be."

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