Newman's new stance sparking hot spring

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Kevin Newman’s three hit game and three scoreless innings from Chad Kuhl propelled the Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Twins Tuesday at Hammond Stadium.

It was Newman’s second game back after being sidelined with left hamstring tightness on March 7. The Pirates wanted to be cautious with the injury and rested him for a week.

Despite the pause in play, Newman has picked up right where he left off at the plate, and is now 9-for-14 with four walks this spring. 

“Anytime you can get some knocks to start the spring off, it’s kind of a good feeling to build some confidence as you’re getting ready to go into the season,” Newman said.

To be fair, his hits Tuesday weren’t exactly roped. All three were on the ground, and had exit velocities ranging from 61.1 mph to 75.7 mph. Seeing eye singles count too.

“I’m sure later in the season I’ll line out five times in a row and not see a base hit,” Newman said after a chuckle. “That’s just kind of how it is. It evens out, hopefully. You take ‘em when you can get ‘em.”

Those bloops and bleeders Tuesday aren’t an accurate indicator for how Newman had been hitting the ball this spring. He’s been driving the ball to all fields, looking more like the 2019 version of himself, where he batted .308 with an .800 OPS.

Coming into spring training, Newman said all he could do was “just flush” that 2020 season where he saw his numbers dip to a .224/.281/.276 slash line. It was such a poor year that the Pirates publicly proclaimed that there would be a shortstop competition for the upcoming season, and while Newman was a candidate, there would be no front runner between him, Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker.

Newman could have pouted about the team’s apparent lack of faith in him after a 44-game sample size, but has taken the competition in stride.

“As everybody knows, we’re a tight-knit group,” Newman said. “Cole and Gonzo and myself, we’re all friends. We’re all rooting for each other. We’re all on the same team. At the end of the day, we’re going out there competing and we’ll see what happens.”

Derek Shelton has not offered much insight on who he is leaning towards for his opening day shortstop, but it would be hard to make a case against Newman with how he has performed this spring. 

That turnaround is partially due to new mechanics. For the first time in years, he lowered his hands.

The change started at the beginning of the offseason. Newman had previously had his hands set low while in the minors, but gradually raised them as he approached the majors. This winter, he lowered them and moved them closer back to his body, which, with a more straightened stance, created a new swing path to the ball.

Here he is in 2020:

And here he is roping a double on March 7:

"It just wasn’t the year I wanted to have. I wanted to make a change," Newman said, explaining his thinking. "I’d had some familiarity so I figured I’d go back to it. Just messed around with it. It’s definitely felt comfortable so far.”

If Newman is able to regain his rookie season form, it would significantly help the Pirates in their rebuild for the future. It would also surely give him a starting job again.

He’s not too worried about the latter point.

“I just try to control what I can control,” Newman said. “Take my at bats, take my ground balls, work to get better every single day and ultimately that’s a decision the Pirates are going to have to make… I’m just trying to get better and better and be the best player I can.”

MORE FROM THE GAME

• Chad Kuhl made his first game appearance since March 5, going three shutout frames with two hits and two walks allowed. He struck out four.

Kuhl threw a three inning sim game on March 10 between game appearances.

He primarily stuck with the sinker and slider, getting four whiffs and four called strikes with the breaking pitch. Both looked like his regular season pitches, in terms of velocity and spin..

“There was times where I felt like I was a little out of sync and my fastball command wasn’t great," Kuhl said. "But there were times when it was really good. So, just in the flow of it, I threw some really good breaking balls, some good changeups, threw out of the stretch pretty well. Lot of good things today.”

• Kuhl’s outing looked like it could potentially end in the first, though. Nelson Cruz hit a pop up, and Colin Moran, who was tracking the fly ball, collided into Kuhl without slowing down.

Kuhl was slow to get up, but continued his outing.

“I just happened to be in his way. It’s just one of those freak plays that happened,” Kuhl said, not seeming to hold an ill will to his first baseman.

• Moran had the Pirates' only extra-base hit, a first inning double that scored Newman.

Newman and Tucker each picked up an RBI on a ground ball single in the second and fourth innings, sandwiched between a Brian Goodwin sacrifice fly in the third. 

Sean Poppen went two scoreless innings against his former club.

Geoff Hartlieb worked himself into trouble in the sixth, putting runners on second and third with nobody out, but wiggled off the hook without allowing a run. The highlight of that Houdini act was a 97 mph sinker that he got Miguel Sano to chase low for strike three.

He returned for the seventh, but just for one batter, presumably so he could get a second up as he stretches out for the season. He was relieved by David Bednar, who did the same thing.

The Pirates' only two runs against came when right fielder Cal Mitchell failed to catch the final out in the ninth.

• Mitchell is one of 15 players the Pirates reassigned from major league camp Tuesday as the first wave of their spring training cuts. More on that here. 

• Shelton wasn't able to see it because he was traveling to the game, but the plan was for Anthony Alford to have a full workout Tuesday. He is day-to-day with aright wrist contusion.

Despite Alford's torrid spring, Shelton said the center field job is still up for grabs between him, Goodwin and Dustin Fowler.

"We still have 14, 15 days to go," he said. "Still right in the middle of it."

Fowler went 2-for-4 Tuesday. Goodwin was hitless in his four plate appearances, but did pick up a sacrifice fly.

• Right-hander Tyler Bashlor has been dealing with back stiffness, which has delayed him this spring. Shelton said he was expected to throw a bullpen either Tuesday or Wednesday. 

• The Pirates are delaying the sale of individual game tickets after the state lifted more restrictions on mass gatherings Monday.

Here is the press release:

• The Pirates are returning to LECOM Wednesday to take on the Rays. Mitch Keller will take on Tyler Glasnow, with first pitch coming at 1:05 p.m.

Chase De Jong, Richard Rodriguez, Michael Feliz, Kyle Crick and Clay Holmes will also pitch for the Pirates.