BRADENTON, Fla. – Steven Brault was struggling in the first inning when Ray Searage made a mound visit.
The conversation between the Pirates veteran pitching coach, Brault and Francisco Cervelli was light. However, Searage also made his point to the left-hander before returning to the dugout.
“Ray said, 'It just looks like you have a stick up your (rear end),’” Brault said. “So, basically the idea was you’ve got to relax, man. He said just start singing a song.”
After that, the pitcher who was a music major in college settled down.
Brault pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in what appears to be a longshot bid to be the fifth starter in helping the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the Tigers in an exhibition game Tuesday at LECOM Park.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but Brault escaped thanks to the rare 9-2-6-2-5 double play. He wound up allowing two hits while striking out four and walking three.
Brault has pitched five times in Grapefruit League play – three starts and two relief appearances – giving up seven runs in 13 2/3 innings.
In Bradenton, Pirates pitcher Steven Brault discusses his performance today against the Tigers and how he sees his future with the team. #Pirates #dkps pic.twitter.com/stLngnCBve
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) March 19, 2019
He is one of three pitchers still in the running for the No. 5 spot in the rotation with Jordan Lyles and Nick Kingham. Signed to a one-year, $2.05-million contract in the offseason, Lyles is considered the favorite for the job.
“I like the effort everyone has made,” Clint Hurdle said of the competition.
Meanwhile, Brault and Kingham have shared a condo in Bradenton this spring.
“You try to not to stress about it, but you do to a certain extent because it really is a stressful time,” Brault said. “All you can do is put forth the work and they’ll make the decision. It’s not an easy situation but guys on the team are so nice, so cool, such genuinely good guys that it’s not an issue in the clubhouse.”
Felipe Vazquez relieved Brault in the fourth inning with a runner on second and got a ground out. The closer then struck out the side in the fifth.
"He was filthy,” Hurdle said.
Hurdle had planned to use Vazquez in multiple innings at least once this spring to prepare him for potential four-out saves in the regular season. Vazquez has pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings in major-league exhibitions, allowing only one hit and no walks with nine strikeouts.
Keone Kela and Francisco Liriano followed with one scoreless inning each. Rookie Davis pitched the final two innings, allowing a run in the ninth, as he is now officially out of the running for the fifth starter’s job.
Liriano has an opt-out clause in his contract that goes into effect tomorrow that allows him to become a free agent if he's not placed on the major-league roster.
• Adam Frazier, Corey Dickerson and Josh Bell each had two hits while Melky Cabrera hit an RBI single. The Pirates, though, struck out 14 times.
Dickerson, who doubled, is 12-for-25 (.480) this spring. Frazier is 9-for-25 (.360) and Cabrera has gone 13-for-40 (.325).
• Jung Ho Kang is understandably excited about being named the starting third baseman.
He missed the 2017 season and was limited to three games with the Pirates last season because of legal problems pertaining a DUI arrest in his native South Korea and wrist surgery.
“I can’t wait to start,” Kang said Tuesday through translator Jeffrey Kim. “In my dream, I thought I would get this opportunity.”
• Ten pitchers were released from minor-league camp: left-handers Randy Jimenez and Mason Ward and right-handers Wilmer Contreras, Sergio Cubilete, Bret Helton, Yeudry Manzanillo, Even Piechota, Will Reed, Logan Sendelbach and Brian Sousa.
Sendelbach was the Pirates’ 10th-round draft pick in 2014. Helton was selected in the ninth round in 2015. Sousa ($160,000) and Manzanillo ($150,000) received sizeable bonuses as amateurs from the Dominican Republic.
• The Pirates play the Twins at 1:05 p.m. tomorrow in Fort Myers, Fla. Joe Musgrove will start against Michael Pineda.
Also scheduled to pitch for the Pirates are Nick Burdi, Michael Feliz, Clay Holmes and Brandon Maurer.
Vazquez and Kela will pitch one inning each in a minor-league game at Pirate City.
PERROTTO’S VIEWS
Brault has alternated good and bad outings this spring but he is clearly standing at No. 3 in the fifth starter competition behind Lyles and Kingham. Brault hasn’t helped his cause with eight walks in 13 2/3 innings.
Theoretically, Brault could start the season in the Pirates’ bullpen but that is doubtful because of his control issues. He is also behind Liriano and Tyler Lyons in that pecking order.
With a minor-league option remaining, it seems almost certain Brault will be in Triple-A Indianapolis’ rotation to begin the year.
Hurdle stopped short of saying Liriano will be on the team. However, the manager clearly likes the lefty and it seems certain the Pirates will keep him.
I try to not get too excited about spring training performance, but Vazquez has looked better than ever after being selected to the All-Star Game last season. His fastball has been clocked as high as 101 mph and hitters can’t touch his changeup.
A two-hit day by Bell was encouraging. The switch-hitting first baseman is just 8-for-41 (.195) in exhibition play, a disappointing showing after spending most of the offseason working with hitting guru Jim DeMarco in Southern California.