With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Pirates clinging to a one-run lead while trying to snap a four-game losing streak, Derek Shelton called for Ryan Borucki out of the bullpen.
The left-hander delivered in a tough spot.
Colin Holderman had taken over for Paul Skenes at the beginning of the inning and allowed the Rays to push a run across when Jonny DeLuca singled in Taylor Walls. But, with a runner on second and Brandon Lowe, a left-handed hitter, in the on-deck circle, Shelton elected to go with a lefty of his own.
After playing for the Blue Jays for five years at the beginning of his career, Borucki had faced Lowe multiple times while playing in the American League East and they had squared off in high-leverage situations before. So, he knew what he was getting into. Lowe is also a career .223 hitter against left handers.
Kevin Cash then threw a wrinkle into the equation and pinch-hit for Lowe with Curtis Mead.
"I gotta tell you, Kevin shocked me a little bit there," Shelton said. "I did not see him hitting for Lowe, and Borucki came in and did a really good job. He was able to execute pitches, throw the breaking ball, he's been sharp in the early going of the season."
It took Borucki just five pitches to catch Mead looking at a sweeper at the very bottom of the zone.
I asked Borucki about that pitch specifically after the Pirates left George M. Steinbrenner Field with a 4-2 victory tonight because it was a big one. After the way the Pirates' first six games have gone, Borucki stepped into a big spot and succeeded.
He had already thrown it three times earlier in the at-bat, missing with it early and then locating it for a strike on the outside edge. He came back with one at the bottom of the zone that Mead didn't bite on, but he knew he could come back to it.
"It was one of those things where I was trusting Endy (Rodriguez) to make the right calls and he was trusting my sweeper," Borucki said. "I missed 0-0 and then I got back to 1-1 and he (Mead) was just never biting on it. So, I was like ‘Alright, it’s feeling good.’ I threw a cutter to him and he ambushed it and hooked it down the line. So, I was like, ‘Alright, let’s see if he can do it.’ I was feeling good with it so you just kinda have to ride with the pitch that you’re feeling good with.”
Yeah, I'd say he had a lot of confidence in it.
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
11:46 pm - 04.02.2025TAMPA, FLA.Mound visit: Borucki's shutdown sweeper
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Pirates clinging to a one-run lead while trying to snap a four-game losing streak, Derek Shelton called for Ryan Borucki out of the bullpen.
The left-hander delivered in a tough spot.
Colin Holderman had taken over for Paul Skenes at the beginning of the inning and allowed the Rays to push a run across when Jonny DeLuca singled in Taylor Walls. But, with a runner on second and Brandon Lowe, a left-handed hitter, in the on-deck circle, Shelton elected to go with a lefty of his own.
After playing for the Blue Jays for five years at the beginning of his career, Borucki had faced Lowe multiple times while playing in the American League East and they had squared off in high-leverage situations before. So, he knew what he was getting into. Lowe is also a career .223 hitter against left handers.
Kevin Cash then threw a wrinkle into the equation and pinch-hit for Lowe with Curtis Mead.
"I gotta tell you, Kevin shocked me a little bit there," Shelton said. "I did not see him hitting for Lowe, and Borucki came in and did a really good job. He was able to execute pitches, throw the breaking ball, he's been sharp in the early going of the season."
It took Borucki just five pitches to catch Mead looking at a sweeper at the very bottom of the zone.
I asked Borucki about that pitch specifically after the Pirates left George M. Steinbrenner Field with a 4-2 victory tonight because it was a big one. After the way the Pirates' first six games have gone, Borucki stepped into a big spot and succeeded.
He had already thrown it three times earlier in the at-bat, missing with it early and then locating it for a strike on the outside edge. He came back with one at the bottom of the zone that Mead didn't bite on, but he knew he could come back to it.
"It was one of those things where I was trusting Endy (Rodriguez) to make the right calls and he was trusting my sweeper," Borucki said. "I missed 0-0 and then I got back to 1-1 and he (Mead) was just never biting on it. So, I was like ‘Alright, it’s feeling good.’ I threw a cutter to him and he ambushed it and hooked it down the line. So, I was like, ‘Alright, let’s see if he can do it.’ I was feeling good with it so you just kinda have to ride with the pitch that you’re feeling good with.”
Yeah, I'd say he had a lot of confidence in it.
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