Pitching staff off to good start
PITTSBURGH It all starts with the starting rotation.
And the Pirates are off to a decent start as a result.
Through the season's first seven games before Wednesday night's contest with Houston, the Pirates received six quality starts, winning four of those games. The other two were 3-1 and 2-0 losses.
"And those were real' quality starts," Pirates coach Rich Donnelly said. "We're not talking about five innings pitched, three earned runs allowed.
"These guys have pitched six, seven or eight innings, allowing one or two runs. They're giving us chances to win games and that's all you ask of a starting rotation," Donnelly added.
Through their first two starts, Paul Maholm and Zach Duke have earned run averages of 1.32 and 0.59, respectively. They've combined to post a 3-0 record.
Ross Ohlendorf worked into the seventh inning in his first start, a 3-1 loss in St. Louis. Ian Snell allowed a two-run homer in the first inning at Cincinnati, then threw five scoreless frames and struck out seven.
Through seven games, the Pirates' team ERA was 3.18, third in the National League behind San Diego and St. Louis. The Bucs were last in the league in 2008 with a 5.08 ERA and 657 walks.
Pirates pitchers are in the middle of the pack in walks allowed through the season's first week.
"It's encouraging to see," manager John Russell said. "When your starters go deep into games, they not only give you a chance to win, they keep your bullpen from building up too many innings.
"If we're going to win this year, pitching and defense will be the key."
Duke has been the most pleasant surprise of the early season. He was 5-14 with a 4.82 ERA last year and was 18-37 over the past three seasons.
"I see a sense of purpose in him now," Russell said. "He's on a mission to be a complete pitcher. How he's applying himself in between starts, his workout regimen you can just see it."
Duke attributes much of that to new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan.
"He's made no changes with me, mechanically, or with any of the pitchers, for that matter," Duke said. "His between-start stuff is all about in-game preparation. We go over the hitters and how to pitch them. It's all geared toward on-field action."
Two nonpitchers shortstop Jack Wilson and catcher Ryan Doumit have noticed a change in the pitchers' approach as well.
"From my position, I have to get a feel for what they're throwing and where the hitter might go with a pitch so I can position myself," Wilson said. "All of our pitchers seem so locked in.
"They're spotting the ball where they want to, which makes life easier for myself and the rest of the defense.
"Pitching is everything to us. It is to every team," Wilson added.
Doumit was behind the plate for each of those games.
"All of our starters are oozing with confidence," Doumit said. "That mentality falls right in line with their performances.
"Pitchers need that. You need that cocky arrogance about them. The pitching has been fantastic so far. I just hope they keep it up."
