FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As the Pirates move toward solidifying their opening day pitching staff, players like Wil Crowe are earning their consideration.
Crowe earned his first victory as a Pirate in the club’s 9-4 defeat of the Red Sox on Sunday at JetBlue Park. The right-hander gave up a run on four hits and a walk with two punchouts over 3.2 innings.
“I didn’t have the greatest fastball command, which is why I probably threw a little more offspeed to get myself back into counts,” Crowe said, explaining that he was cutting his fastball. “It was just fighting to get guys out, get strikes in there and just battling.”
The run he allowed Sunday is the first he’s surrendered in 9.2 innings this spring, which is good for a 0.93 ERA. The effort was also the first start for Crowe, who’s previously made three Grapefruit League appearances out of the bullpen.
“He’s done a nice job,” Derek Shelton said before the game. “I think it’s continuing to get more looks and continue to see more innings, so gain more information.”
Shelton added that there isn’t really an established history for the club with Crowe. Pittsburgh acquired the 26-year-old along with righty Eddy Yean in the Josh Bell trade in December.
“They traded for me for a reason. They gave up a good player, but they also think they got a good player back,” Crowe said. “And all I can do is go out there and show them that I’m a big leaguer and I can help the team win. And I’m just going to go out there every day and work my tail off and do whatever I can to help the team win. That’s all I can do.”
Crowe was the second-round pick of the Nationals in 2017. He amassed a 4.03 ERA over three minor league seasons and struggled through his first 10 Triple-A starts in 2019. He pitched at the alternate site before making his MLB debut last August but had a difficult time in the majors, registering an 11.88 ERA over 8.1 innings in three starts.
He comes from a veteran rotation that had All-Stars Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, to a much younger and less accomplished staff. Crowe was able to learn how some of the best pitchers in the game go about their business, and bring some of those lessons to a staff of neophytes.
“Those guys are some of the best pitchers and smartest pitchers out there,” he said. “You can learn by just watching them. Anything that I can bring -- if I see something that maybe they helped me with or if we’re talking about a grip or a pitch or a mindset — if anybody asks or if anybody’s brought it up, I kind of say maybe what they said.
“We’re all just a bunch of young guys learning to navigate what we do, and we can learn from one another.”
Being with a young group also has its benefits, according to Crowe. He felt he was blocked by that veteran staff and could be stuck in the minors, regardless of how well he might pitch in Class AAA. The Pirates offer an opportunity to prove himself and be rewarded.
“It’s a bunch of guys who have never seen me before, and just try to open their eyes and say, ‘Hey, I’m ready for this. I’m ready to go’ and then let them do what they want,” he said. “Once my time comes, take it and run with it.”
When the time comes for Crowe to join the big-league team, his versatility might be tested. He’s only ever made one relief appearance in the minors, but that ability to start can put him in a category with pitchers like Chase DeJong or Trevor Cahill in a swing role.
“My job is to get guys out, and however I may do that, that’s all I’m worried about,” Crowe said “Whatever they tell me to do is what I’m going to do, and as long as I go out there and get guys out, I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and that’s all I really can control.”
The University of South Carolina product smiled but wanted to stay quiet on the sore subject of Vanderbilt’s utter domination of his alma mater in this weekend’s series. But the idea of one of the Commodores' two dominating pitchers -- Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, the latter of whom threw a no-hitter against the Gamecocks as the duo combined for 30 punchouts -- might join his new club through the draft was intriguing.
“They're great pitchers. Great arms and electric stuff. So they're going to get picked high in the draft,” Crowe said. “If they come to the Pirates, welcome them with open arms. I like to learn from other people, learn from other players. What they know and I know, maybe we can bounce things off each other and learn from one another.”
MORE FROM THIS GAME
• There’s something about that leadoff spot in the Pirates’ lineup. Kevin Newman reached base three times with a pair of doubles in that spot Saturday. Then Adam Frazier matched him Sunday by also recording doubles in his first two at-bats, the latter of which plated two runs. Frazier brought another run home with a bases loaded groundout in the fourth and is batting .577 in 26 at-bats this spring.
• In addition to Frazier, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds continued their incredible pace this spring. Hayes delivered a triple and a two-run single over four at-bats to improve to .441. Reynolds belted his third Grapefruit League homer, a two-run shot in the seventh. If they’re all healthy, the top of this lineup should be fun to watch.
• The score went final at 9-4, but there was a run missing for a few innings after a Liover Peguero error in the seventh. With runners at the corners, Peguero made an errant throw on Jarren Duran’s grounder. Kevin Plawecki scored from third, but in the ensuing chaos, which saw Duran getting tagged out before Jonathan Arauz could score from first, confused the scorekeepers at jetBlue Park.
• Cole Tucker had a hit and a run scored, while Brian Goodwin scored three times. Goodwin had one hit in three at-bats. Oneil Cruz and Travis Swaggerty both stuck out in their lone appearances in the ninth inning, and Peguero bounced out in the eighth.
• Todd Frazier was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with stiffness in his lower back. Shelton said that Frazier slept on it wrong and woke up with some soreness. Will Craig went 1-for-3 with a run scored in his place. Craig also turned an excellent 3-6 double play to end the sixth inning.
• The club is still in the “assessment phase” with Steven Brault, according to Shelton. Brault was removed from Friday’s game with tightness in the lat on his left side. More updates on the injury should come within the next few days.
• Mitch Keller is set to take the mound for the second consecutive time against Baltimore on Monday at 1:05 p.m. in Bradenton. Trevor Cahill, Duane Underwood Jr. and Luis Oviedo are scheduled to appear in their first Grapefruit League games. Left-hander John Means gets the start for the Orioles.
