Hughes keeps magic coming for Pirates
PITTSBURGH — Two years ago, relief pitcher Vin Mazzaro was able to extricate the Pirates out of one jam after another with his ability to enter a game in the middle of an inning and strand inherited runners.
It was suggested in some corners — OK, this corner — that his nickname should be “The Magnificent Mazzaro” because he was such a magician at escaping trouble.
Mazzaro is gone and in his place the last two seasons has been Jared Hughes. Just like Mazzaro, the 6-7 right-hander is the master escape artist.
Last season, Hughes allowed just seven of 37 inherited runners to score, a mere 19 percent, which was much better than the major league average of 29 percent.
In the early weeks of this season, he has entered only one game with runners on base but he pulled quite the escape act.
Perhaps he should be called “Hugh-Dini?”
Hughes came into Monday’s home opener at PNC Park against the Detroit Tigers in place of starter Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning with no outs, the bases loaded and the Pirates leading 2-0. Hughes induced Nick Castellanos to ground into a double play, allowing one run to score, then got Alex Avila to hit an inning-ending pop out with a runner on third.
Hughes left with the Pirates still in the lead, 2-1, as they went on to win 5-4.
“It was frustrating not to be able to clean my own mess up but Jared did an awesome job,” Cole said. “It’s great to have a guy like that in our bullpen who we know can bail out us when we need it.”
No one in the Pirates’ bullpen does it better than Hughes. So, it is time to start printing up “Hugh-Dini” t-shirts?
“I don’t know about that,” the amiable Hughes said with a smile earlier this week. “We probably better just stick to calling me Jared.”
Just as Hughes has learned to stick with his two-seam sinking fastball when he is in a big jam rather than trying to get cute. He threw it 86 percent of the time last season, all by eschewing his curveball and change-up, at an average speed of 93 mph.
Because the pitch combines so much velocity and sinking action, hitters have a difficult time getting under it and hitting it into the air. In fact, 65 percent of the balls put into play against Hughes last season were grounders, which was the fourth-highest rate among major league relievers, behind left-handers Zach Britton of the Baltimore Orioles and Jeremy Affeldt of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Brandon League.
“I just let it burn,” Hughes said of his sinker. “You just have to pound the zone with it, that’s the big thing. The hitters know you’re going to do it and they’re probably going to be swinging.”
The Pirates, off to a disappointing 3-6 start, return to action Friday night after being off Thursday as they host the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Left-hander Jeff Locke (1-0, 3.00) will start for the Pirates against right-hander Jimmy Nelson (1-0, 0.00).