PITTSBURGH — Pirates right-hander Johan Oviedo got knocked around in the first inning Wednesday, allowing three runs in what turned out to be a 3-2 loss to the Rangers.
“The only thing in my mind was to give my team a chance and make the right adjustments,” Oviedo said. “Thankfully, I got the chance to get going again.”
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After that rough beginning, his outing got better. Oviedo wasn’t perfect, but you could say he was immaculate.
That’s a good place to begin this “My eyes don’t believe what they just saw” edition of the Pirates Fast Five.
Another immaculate inning
Oviedo didn’t allow a hit or a run from the second through the fifth innings. In the fourth, he struck out the side on nine pitches — it’s only the fourth time a Pirates pitcher has done that since 2000.
Yet it’s the second immaculate inning (three up, three down, three strikeouts, three pitches each) by the Pirates in a span of 21 days. Colin Holderman did it against the Rays on May 4 at Tropicana Field.
“It definitely is amazing,” Oviedo said. “I’ve been close twice in my career. Thankfully, it happened today.”
Jonah Heim went down swinging at an 88 mph slider, Robbie Grossman whiffed on an 80 mph curveball, and Josh Smith took a 98 mph low-and-away fastball for a called strike three.
Oviedo and Holderman are the only pitchers to toss an immaculate inning this season.
“It’s crazy,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Until this year, I think I’d only saw two of them ever. I think it just shows the quality of the stuff our guys have.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other team to toss two immaculate innings in the same month was the Astros in June 2022 (Phil Maton and Luis Garcia, who did it in the same game … against the same three hitters).
The most low-key home run robbery ever
Adolis García led off the eighth inning Tuesday with a drive to deep left field. With his back to the 6-foot-high outfield wall and both feet on the ground, Bryan Reynolds casually raised his left arm and snagged the ball to keep it from leaving the yard.
“I didn’t realize I was that close to the wall,” Reynolds said. “I thought I had a step and it just carried. So it was kind of an accident.”
The most Bryan Reynolds home run robbery ever lol pic.twitter.com/gkAJuy5yqZ
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) May 24, 2023
As home run robberies go, this one was … well, rather ho-hum. It generated polite applause, akin to what you’d hear after a 2-foot birdie putt at a Rotary Club golf outing.
“Usually, you run back, you jump and it’s dramatic,” Reynolds said. “I just reached up and caught it over the fence. I tried holding it up so everybody would know, but apparently that wasn’t enough.”
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Reliever Duane Underwood Jr. exhaled and gave Reynolds a thumbs-up after the catch.
“When (García) hit it, I was like, ‘Popup?’ — but then it kept carrying and I was like, ‘Huh,’” Underwood said. “And then I looked at Reynolds and I was like, ‘Huh!’ All good.”
A fan sitting in the first row of the bleachers barely reacted as the ball zoomed toward her.
“Yeah, she was not prepared for that one,” Reynolds said. “It would have gotten her, but no, I robbed the homer.”
This wasn’t Reynolds’ first robbery. In August 2021, he left his feet to take a homer away from the Reds’ Tyler Naquin in center field at Great American Ball Park.
Plays of the Day – August 5th!
3. Bryan Reynolds' leaping grab in center
2. Willi Castro's great play up the middle
1. Juan Soto robs Didi Gregorius of a homer pic.twitter.com/IiZOAqZ2kD— Sequence (@SequenceJM) August 6, 2021
“That one was more dramatic … but still not too dramatic,” Reynolds said. “But, hey, it’s a defensive run saved, right?”
Coincidentally, the Pirates’ pitcher both times Reynolds took away a home run was Underwood.
“Whatever kind of reward Reynolds wants from me, he can have it,” Underwood said. “Anytime you make a play like that, you’ve got my vote.”
Now that Reynolds has crossed home run robbery — in two categories, dull and slightly less dull — off his list, what’s next?
“Maybe I’ll hit a homer,” Reynolds said, poking a little fun at himself.
Reynolds homered five times in his first seven games this season, but has gone deep just once in his past 154 at-bats.
McCutchen, Santana rev their engines
Everybody knows the Pirates like to run, but nobody predicted Carlos Santana, 37, and Andrew McCutchen, 36, would combine for 10 stolen bases by the end of May. The two graybeards are blazing a trail we haven’t seen in nearly 40 years.
#Pirates Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Santana each have 5 steals
Other teams, multiple 36+ year olds 5+ SB before June, Live Ball Era:
1984 Athletics – Davey Lopes, Joe Morgan
1927 Athletics – Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins
1924 White Sox – Eddie Collins, Harry Hooper(via @OptaSTATS)
— Joe Block (@joe_block) May 23, 2023
Hmm … if Santana and McCutchen would race a 100-yard dash, who’d win?
“Come on. Obviously, me,” McCutchen said with a grin. “How many times have teams (made a pickoff throw) with Carlos before he’s stolen the base?”
So you’re saying teams are sleeping on Santana?
“Exactly,” McCutchen said. “They’re like, ‘He ain’t going.’ At least with me, they’ll pick over some of the time, then I’ll go get my bag. I’ve got to work a little harder.”
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Santana has stolen 53 bases over his 14-year career. He swiped five bags in 2016 and 2017, but collected a total of six steals from 2019 through 2022.
“This is my first time running (so much) in a while,” Santana said. “I’ve prepared my body for the opportunity, so I’m trying to play hard.”
McCutchen reached double-digit steals nine times over his first 10 seasons. He stole six in 2021 and eight last year.
What if McCutchen and Santana are tied going into the final game of the season? “Oh, I’m winning. No doubt,” McCutchen said. Stay tuned.
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Kudos (and cash) for Keller
Right-hander Mitch Keller has put himself in the mix for the National League Cy Young Award. There’s still a lot of season ahead, but Shelton doesn’t think it’s too soon for Keller to take a bow.
“This is the same guy who, two years ago, people wanted to know why he was in the rotation and what we were doing,” Shelton said. “It’s the prototypical story of a prospect who comes to the big leagues and the big leagues is hard. You have to adjust. You have to get better.”
After offering Keller only a one-year deal last winter, management recently made overtures about a multiyear contract. That cost certainly has shot up over the past two months. Does general manager Ben Cherington wish he’d gone there sooner?
“When we come to the ballpark every day, we’re not thinking about contracts first and foremost,” Cherington said. “We’re thinking about how we can get better. That’s going to continue to be the way it goes. Whenever it makes sense to talk about a contract with anybody, then, great, we’ll do that. But they’re sort of two different things.”
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Injury updates
• Right-hander Vince Velasquez (elbow inflammation) threw a bullpen at PNC Park on Tuesday after making a rehab outing with Triple-A Indianapolis. He is with the team on its road trip to Seattle and San Francisco. “I think all signs point to being activated for his next outing,” Cherington said, without specifying when that might occur. Shelton said it’s likely to happen this weekend against the Mariners, which seems to indicate Velasquez will start Saturday’s game.
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• Reliever Wil Crowe (shoulder) began a plyo program and is expected to begin a formal throwing program next week.
• Reliever Jarlín García (biceps nerve damage) remains in a holding pattern. “He’s making slow, incremental progress, but not enough progress to begin a formal throwing program,” sports medicine director Todd Tomczyk said.
• Righty Max Kranick (Tommy John surgery) is expected to throw live batting practice in late June.
• Designated hitter Ji Man Choi (Achilles strain) is fielding groundballs hit directly to him, playing catch and taking batting practice. He’s expected to begin a running program next week.
• Shortstop Oneil Cruz (broken ankle) will transition out of his walking boot over the next seven to 10 days. “He’s in a good spot,” Tomczyk said. “The wound’s healing (well), the post-op follow-up, X-rays — everything is lining up.” Cruz was in the clubhouse Tuesday and Wednesday, but the Pirates did not make him available for interviews.
• Outfielder Travis Swaggerty (virus) began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Low-A Bradenton. He’s been out of action with Triple-A Indianapolis since mid-April. “I would envision probably a week of rehab games before he gets fully activated,” Tomczyk said. Swaggerty was terrific at the plate during spring training, then hit .231/.310/.442 with one home run with Indy before going on the injured list.
• Reliever Colin Selby has been shut down for a week as he recovers from a low-grade rotator cuff strain. In 14 outings with Indy, he has a 4.11 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
(Photo of Johan Oviedo: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)