BRADENTON, Fla. — Michael Feliz sat in the clubhouse at LECOM Park, legs crossed, eyes focused on the televisions hanging above, and beamed at the mention of pitching coach Ray Searage.
"I love it here," Feliz said, reflecting on his short time with the Pirates after pitching two scoreless innings in the club's 11-8 victory over the Twins on Monday. "It's a really good fit for me.'"
Feliz, an imposing 6-foot-4 relief pitcher, began describing his relationship with Searage and how the two men have collaborated this spring, specifically the trust they have in one another.
The Astros barred Feliz from using his two-seam fastball out of fear it would negatively impact his four-seamer that averages 97 mph. However, his new club, particularly Searage, has given Feliz the freedom to throw his two-seamer again, and the pitch has the electrifying right-hander looking like a late-inning option for the Pirates.
"That two-seamer is a good pitch," Francisco Cervelli told DKPittsburghSports.com. "He’s got a heavy ball. It moves late, but you can’t forget about the four-seamer. He’s got a good one. The stuff is definitely for a late-inning guy."
The pitch has become a favorite of Cervelli's. So much so that he's started calling it more often than Feliz's sweeping slider, which had been the complement to his four-seam fastball since he arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2011.
Feliz put the sinking two-seamer to use against the Twins. After allowing a leadoff single to Miguel Sano in the fifth inning, Feliz threw a three-pitch sequence of one 92-mph two-seamer sandwiched between a pair of his naturally-rising four-seam fastballs high and away to Eddie Rosario, the latter making the Twins' starting left fielder swing and miss for a three-pitch strikeout.
Now, Feliz is able to use those two fastballs to keep hitters honest with his slider and changeup. Hitters are having a difficult time distinguishing the two-seam fastball and tailing slider, particularly right-handers.
"When I don’t have that two-seam, with right-handed batters I try to throw the four-seam inside to catch the barrel," Feliz explained. "That can be tough, or I try to attack the outside of the plate, but when I go in I attack the barrel. I try to make them swing to create weak contact. If you have one weapon, they’re ready for it. It’s different for them knowing that sinking fastball is coming in on them, too."
Feliz, one of four players acquired from the Astros for Gerrit Cole in January, is in competition for a bullpen spot. Although Clint Hurdle is noncommittal when asked about his opening day roster, Feliz has emerged as one of his top relief options this spring.
Feliz has a 3.60 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and eight strikeouts to two walks in 10 innings this spring. He has thrown five consecutive scoreless innings since allowing three runs in a two-inning appearance early this month. Spring training statistics can be deceiving, but Feliz's fastball command bodes well given what occurred last season.
He recorded a 9.67 ERA with a 1.056 OPS against, 35 strikeouts and 13 walks in his final 22 1/3 innings to end the regular season while suffering from right shoulder discomfort. The injury forced him to miss the postseason. But Feliz was the Astros' best reliever for the first half of the season, recording a 2.10 ERA while allowing a .633 OPS with 35 strikeouts and only nine walks in his first 23 appearances.
His second-half struggles were also the result of not having a third pitch to rely on. Feliz's changeup wasn't nearly as effective in 2017 as it was the previous season. He threw a two-seam fastball throughout the minor leagues and intended to make it his secondary pitch at the start of 2016, but his bosses vetoed that plan.
"They got mad at me," Feliz said. "They called me one day mad at me, so I stopped throwing it. It was a little bit frustrating. I wanted to throw it, but they wouldn’t let me."
So, Feliz broached the topic during his entrance interview with the Pirates' staff at the start of spring training last month. Searage was open to the idea, asking Feliz a series of questions to find out more about the pitch. Now, the staff thinks it could give Feliz the additional pitch he needs.
"He’s got a special fastball with the four-seamer," Hurdle said. "The slider can be a weapon. It was a little inconsistent today. That’s why the two-seamer, we think, can be a nice addition for him to have. Where with the slider and two-seamer he connects the bottom of the zone and rides up top with the four-seamer."
It could also help Feliz with his role in the bullpen. Hurdle told reporters earlier this spring that George Kontos, the Pirates' setup man, will be limited to one inning. Additionally, Kevin Siegrist, a left-hander in competition for a bullpen spot, has pitched only one inning at a time in recent years.
So, the Pirates are in need of more relief pitchers who can throw multiple innings, like Feliz did against the Twins. He expressed excitement about that possibility. Feliz rose through the Astros' system as a starting pitcher and admitted he was disappointed when he was initially moved to the bullpen.
But he also was an excellent late-inning reliever for the Astros in 2016, recording a 1.18 WHIP and a 8-1 record in 65 innings. His mix of pitches, as well as being a powerful right-hander, would make him a nice complement to Rivero. Although Feliz admitted he'd enjoy the opportunity to pitch in front of the Pirates' closer, his singular focus is making the opening day roster.
"Yeah, because that guy is tough," Feliz said of Rivero. "I would like to say it would be tough for hitters, especially if I keep throwing the two-seam and four-seam. Those are tough for a right-handed batter. Let’s see what happens."