CHICAGO — The complete game one-hitter thrown by Jameson Taillon at PNC Park Sunday was recognized as the top performance in the National League last week, as the right-handed pitcher was named one of two Players of the Week in Major League Baseball on Monday.
Taillon earned the title of National League Player of the Week, and the Angels' Shohei Ohtani was named the American League's Player of the Week. Taillon, the Pirates' 26-year-old starting pitcher, did not allow a run in the Pirates' 5-0 win against the Reds, and he struck out seven with two walks.
He threw 67 of his 110 pitches for strikes, earning the first complete game in the majors this season, and Clint Hurdle said Taillon's command of his four-seam fastball can be a blueprint for the club's other four starting pitchers.
"They all can because they all have fastballs that play," Hurdle said Monday morning at Wrigley Field. "All of them have two-seam fastballs. All of them have four-seam fastballs. All of them have secondary pitches. His curveball was exceptional as well yesterday. But the command of the fastball to both sides of the plate — I think five called third strikes — the ability to sink it down and in for quick outs, or down and away for quick outs. That’s the biggest key for me was the pitch efficiency. It showed those guys it can be done, and it was a cold day. He was really, really good."
The only hit Taillon allowed was a one-out single to Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle in the third inning, and he has only allowed five hits in his first 14 1/3 innings this season. It was Taillon's first career complete game shutout, and the first one-hitter by a Pirates pitcher since A.J. Burnett accomplished the feat against the Cubs on July 31, 2012. Taillon also drove in the first run of the game with a single to right in the second inning, scoring Jordy Mercer.
He is now 2-0 in two starts this season with a 1.26 ERA, 0.49 WHIP and 16 strikeouts to two walks. Opponents are batting .106 against him.