Jared Jones wasn't happy following his last start on June 27, but bounced back in a big way Thursday afternoon here at Citizens Bank Park in the Pirates' 6-1 win over the Phillies.
As temperatures sat in the triple digits, Jones threw four innings of two-hit ball, striking out six, walking two, and allowing one earned run. He attacked hitters with his fastball and slider, but also utilized his curveball and changeup to keep hitters off balance.
"I felt pretty good," Jones said. "I had most of my pitches working for me throughout a portion of the start. Some came, some went. The changeup got me out of a lot of innings, curveball for a first-pitch strike was pretty good, and then my fastball and slider have kinda been my bread-and-butter for my career. So, having those two worked pretty good."
Jones stepped onto the mound in the first inning and struck out Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper in order. He threw 18 pitches with just five fastballs. He worked to a 3-2 count on both Turner and Schwarber before getting a punchout, but also burned a 100 mph fastball past Harper at the top of the zone to set the tone.
"I just had to feel it out," Jones said about leaning on his breaking pitches in the first inning. "I've given up a lot of homers in the first inning, especially, just trying to throw fastballs by people. So, I was just trying to mix it up a little bit."
The only time Jones ran into trouble came in the third inning. Jones walked Rafael Marchán, a .113 hitter, on four straight pitches and then gave up another walk to Schwarber to put runners on first and second. He allowed his only run when he grooved a changeup to Harper, who hit it down the left-field line for an RBI double, scoring Marchán.
Jones set down the last four hitters he faced and struck out the final two. He threw 73 pitches, and Don Kelly said Jones had an 80-pitch limit. So, he would've faced maybe one batter in the fifth inning.
"The last one sucked a lot," Jones said. "So coming in here and giving four innings of one-run baseball feels pretty good."
Since returning from an elbow injury that sidelined him all of last year, Jones has produced a 5.28 ERA over seven starts and 29 innings. He's had outings where he's scattered four hits and covered five shutout innings, and he's had nights where he's given up eight hits and five earned runs.
But on a day in which the Pirates needed a win and a solid outing from their starter, he delivered.
THE ASYLUM
Jones dips deeper into arsenal, dazzles Phillies
Jared Jones wasn't happy following his last start on June 27, but bounced back in a big way Thursday afternoon here at Citizens Bank Park in the Pirates' 6-1 win over the Phillies.
As temperatures sat in the triple digits, Jones threw four innings of two-hit ball, striking out six, walking two, and allowing one earned run. He attacked hitters with his fastball and slider, but also utilized his curveball and changeup to keep hitters off balance.
"I felt pretty good," Jones said. "I had most of my pitches working for me throughout a portion of the start. Some came, some went. The changeup got me out of a lot of innings, curveball for a first-pitch strike was pretty good, and then my fastball and slider have kinda been my bread-and-butter for my career. So, having those two worked pretty good."
Jones stepped onto the mound in the first inning and struck out Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper in order. He threw 18 pitches with just five fastballs. He worked to a 3-2 count on both Turner and Schwarber before getting a punchout, but also burned a 100 mph fastball past Harper at the top of the zone to set the tone.
"I just had to feel it out," Jones said about leaning on his breaking pitches in the first inning. "I've given up a lot of homers in the first inning, especially, just trying to throw fastballs by people. So, I was just trying to mix it up a little bit."
The only time Jones ran into trouble came in the third inning. Jones walked Rafael Marchán, a .113 hitter, on four straight pitches and then gave up another walk to Schwarber to put runners on first and second. He allowed his only run when he grooved a changeup to Harper, who hit it down the left-field line for an RBI double, scoring Marchán.
Jones set down the last four hitters he faced and struck out the final two. He threw 73 pitches, and Don Kelly said Jones had an 80-pitch limit. So, he would've faced maybe one batter in the fifth inning.
"The last one sucked a lot," Jones said. "So coming in here and giving four innings of one-run baseball feels pretty good."
Since returning from an elbow injury that sidelined him all of last year, Jones has produced a 5.28 ERA over seven starts and 29 innings. He's had outings where he's scattered four hits and covered five shutout innings, and he's had nights where he's given up eight hits and five earned runs.
But on a day in which the Pirates needed a win and a solid outing from their starter, he delivered.
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