BRADENTON, Fla. -- Dustin Fowler stepped into the left-handed batters box at LECOM Park to open the bottom of the first, and just about everyone in the park knew how this first at-bat was going to go.
A swinging strike at a high fastball. A whiff on a curveball away. A tapper foul on another curve, followed by a finishing fastball up.
Fowler headed back to the dugout, and just like that, Jameson Taillon, the Yankee, was underway. He would go on to pitch two scoreless frames, striking out three.
The Pirates would get the win Saturday, 3-2 in seven innings, but to see Taillon in another uniform brought comments of being “strange” and “different” from the home dugout.
Well, if it’s any consolation, it was almost worse. Gerrit Cole was scheduled to make the start, followed by Taillon, but his outing was turning into a sim game because of the threat of rain. While nearby games were rained out, the Pirates and Yankees just had to sit through a one hour and 13 minute delay.
Perhaps it should have been expected that Taillon was going to be in Bradenton longer than expected Saturday, seeing how he seemed to spend as much time in Pirate City as he did at PNC Park. Sure, a lot of that came in his 10 spring trainings, but there were the six instructional camps, a full year of rehab, almost another full one and then a large chunk of 2020 as he recovered from his second Tommy John surgery.
“I didn't have to pull up my Google Maps to get here,” Taillon said.
Taillon’s tenure with the Pirates was filled with injuries and setbacks. After his second Tommy John, he threw himself into revamping his mechanics, shortening his arm path and working on his drive towards the plate. Many of the ideas, ranging from weighted ball drills to stretching exercises, came from Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin.
Taillon is still in what he calls the "information gathering" stage when it comes to using his new mechanics and pitch mix. Those ideas started in Pittsburgh, and it’s quite possible that Marin's first real success story as a major league pitching coach will never appear in a game for him.
But that effort wasn't lost on Taillon, who has had nothing but good things to say about his former club.
“Obviously in that dugout, I've got a lot of great friends,” Taillon said. “A lot of respect for the staff. They invested a lot in me over the years. They invested a lot of time and energy to see my rehab through too. It was a cool feeling for me to get to show that I'm healthy and I'm back on the field, and I hope it was a cool moment to get to watch me out there, too."
They were. There was plenty of hollering from the Pirates’ dugout for him, to the point that Taillon had to tip his cap to them.
“Happy that he’s back healthy,” Derek Shelton said. “Happy that he threw the ball and walked off the mound healthy. I think we’ve talked about numerous times caring for people and the person. I don’t feel that there’s many better people than Jamo. Happy to see him. A little bit of mixed feelings. But I’m happy for him, and I’m happy for us with how everything has turned out so far.”
When all is said and done, the Taillon trade does have the potential to be a plus for the Pirates in the long run.
Miguel Yajure is already in the starter mix for 2021, and Roansy Contreras is not far behind. Canaan Smith-Njigba appeared in Saturday’s game, grounding out in his only plate appearance, and he and infielder Maikol Escotto are young potential power hitters. Unlike the Cole trade, the Taillon one was made with more long-term upside in mind rather than getting players at the end of their development cycles.
But for his former teammates, it’s a bittersweet farewell.
“He’s probably going to text me after this, but I’m happy he’s healthy, because me and him, we’ve been through some tough injuries,” Gregory Polanco, Taillon's longtime teammate, said. “It’s good to see him healthy. I wish him the best always. He’s my brother.”
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Polanco had himself an afternoon, going 3 for 3 with all three of the Pirates' RBIs, a solo home run and a stolen base. All three hits were blistered, and for the second time this spring, Polanco took a pitch that was on the outer half of the plate and went with it.
"We’ve seen in the past him drive the ball to all fields," Shelton said. "Being aggressive ... and being on time leads to it. When the ball’s down out over the plate for a guy who’s that big, I think that’s where you’re going to see the ball hit."
It's been a good spring for Polanco so far, who has been making solid contact and is 5 for 11 with two home runs thus far. He says one of the main reasons for that is he is healthy. For the first time in years, there aren't concerns about his shoulder, his knee or any other injury. He can just be focused on baseball.
"I’m just enjoying every moment, not taking anything for granted and having fun," Polanco said. "Trying to stay healthy and do my best every time."
• Polanco also gave a strong endorsement for Oneil Cruz as an outfielder. The 6-foot-7 super prospect made his first foray into the outfield Wednesday in center, so he's in the very early stages of his development there.
But Polanco thinks he could excel.
"I don’t know if you guys have seen him throwing, but he has a cannon, and he can move," Polanco said. "Even at shortstop, he can move really well. That’s a good transition right there, center field, man. I want him in the big leagues, so wherever they want him to play to make him a big-leaguer, I’m happy for him.”
• Fowler made his spring debut, going 1 for 3 with a single that had a 106.5-mph exit velocity. He got the start as the designated hitter, but will play the outfield for the first time as a Pirate Sunday, though Shelton did not specify which position.
The 26-year-old was once a top 100 prospect, but has fallen off in recent years and was designated for assignment by the Athletics. The Pirates picked him up to give him a look in the outfield competition, and after a five day intake process where he was stuck away from the team, he's looking to rebound with his new club.
"It’s exciting to get out here, kind of get a fresh start, but it was a hectic couple of days, especially with the intake and everything, all the precautions," Fowler said. "But I’m happy to be here and hopefully, I can do the most with the opportunity I’m getting here."
• Like Cole, Mitch Keller was scratched from the start Saturday in favor of throwing a sim game. He went two innings and threw 39 pitches.
Cody Ponce got the start instead, starting with two quick ground outs before allowing a towering home run to Jay Bruce and walking a pair. He did get out of the inning, but threw more balls (14) than strikes (13), with most of his misses coming low.
Carson Fulmer struck out three over two innings, all on pitches on the edge of the strike zone to his hand side. Geoff Hartlieb and Nick Mears gave clean innings, while Braeden Ogle gave up a solo home run to Clint Frazier.
Shea Spitzbarth struck out a batter in the seventh and got his second save of the spring.
• Michael Perez is competing for the backup catcher job, and he made a good case for himself both on offense and defense Saturday, barreling up a ball for a double and throwing an absolute dime to get a would-be base stealer.
"He has really good energy behind the plate," Shelton said. "He has very good awareness of what a pitcher is trying to do. The initial opinion of him is very good."
• As Taillon left the mound in the second inning, Todd Frazier, who was on third base, walked by and gave him a quick message.
"I'll take care of your guys over here."
A nice moment between a former Pirate and a former Yankee.
• The Pirates will stay at LECOM Sunday and play host to the Orioles. First pitch is 1:05 p.m.
JT Brubaker will make his second spring start, followed by Chase De Jong, Sam Howard, Kyle Crick, Clay Holmes, David Bednar and Chasen Shreve.