Like most pitchers have this season, Houston's Framber Valdez silenced the Pirates' offense tonight and handed them an 8-2 loss at PNC Park, in part thanks to his trademark curveball.
Valdez's most-used pitch on this night produced a 69% whiff rate to strike out a season-high 11 as the Pirates struck out a season-high 16 times for the second time since a 1-0 loss to the Rangers in Arlington, Texas on Aug. 21.
The 31-year-old left-hander threw his curveball 45 times, drawing 26 swings and 18 misses. He struck out the first four hitters he faced -- Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales -- all via the curveball. McCutchen struck out all four times up, Reynolds and Gonzales three times each.
"It's been one of the best in the league, ever since I was in Texas," said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who went 1 for 4 and didn't strikeout. "I always told myself not to chase it and I always chased it. It's one of those pitches where out of the hand it looks like it's at your head sometimes and then it's on the plate."
Henry Davis struck out twice, while Tommy Pham and pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz added one apiece. Kiner-Falefa, Ke'Bryan Hayes (1 for 4) and Jared Triolo (2 for 2) were the only Pirates that didn't strike out.
Valdez's curveball, which he throws at a 31.4% rate, was fouled off six times and put in play twice as he used it around the zone and in different counts to keep the Pirates off balance. It has the 18th-highest whiff rate (43.4%) in Major League Baseball, a put-away percentage of 30.7% (30th) and strikeout percentage of 41.8% (31st).
It's been Valdez's best put-away pitch throughout his career, but it played especially well off his sinker and changeup tonight. He normally throws his sinker around 94 mph but it was touching nearly 98 mph.
He changed speeds as his changeup dropped into the upper 80s and his curveball hovered in the low 80s. That type of velocity change makes it difficult on hitters to keep pace against a pitcher who is 11th in Major League Baseball with 84 strikeouts.
"You're not really used to him throwing 96, 97, I think he was mad about the rain delay," Kiner-Falefa said. "We got the best version of Framber today and it makes it a lot harder when he's throwing 97."
The Pirates also have one of the highest strikeout rates this season and are currently sixth in Major League Baseball with 556. They've recorded 25 games with double-digit strikeouts and set their previous season-high with 15 on April 1 when Tampa Bay's Shane Baz struck out a career high 10 over six innings.
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
9:07 am - 06.06.2025NORTH SHOREGoing Deep: Valdez's curveball does damage
Like most pitchers have this season, Houston's Framber Valdez silenced the Pirates' offense tonight and handed them an 8-2 loss at PNC Park, in part thanks to his trademark curveball.
Valdez's most-used pitch on this night produced a 69% whiff rate to strike out a season-high 11 as the Pirates struck out a season-high 16 times for the second time since a 1-0 loss to the Rangers in Arlington, Texas on Aug. 21.
The 31-year-old left-hander threw his curveball 45 times, drawing 26 swings and 18 misses. He struck out the first four hitters he faced -- Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales -- all via the curveball. McCutchen struck out all four times up, Reynolds and Gonzales three times each.
Here's just one example:
"It's been one of the best in the league, ever since I was in Texas," said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who went 1 for 4 and didn't strikeout. "I always told myself not to chase it and I always chased it. It's one of those pitches where out of the hand it looks like it's at your head sometimes and then it's on the plate."
Henry Davis struck out twice, while Tommy Pham and pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz added one apiece. Kiner-Falefa, Ke'Bryan Hayes (1 for 4) and Jared Triolo (2 for 2) were the only Pirates that didn't strike out.
Valdez's curveball, which he throws at a 31.4% rate, was fouled off six times and put in play twice as he used it around the zone and in different counts to keep the Pirates off balance. It has the 18th-highest whiff rate (43.4%) in Major League Baseball, a put-away percentage of 30.7% (30th) and strikeout percentage of 41.8% (31st).
It's been Valdez's best put-away pitch throughout his career, but it played especially well off his sinker and changeup tonight. He normally throws his sinker around 94 mph but it was touching nearly 98 mph.
He changed speeds as his changeup dropped into the upper 80s and his curveball hovered in the low 80s. That type of velocity change makes it difficult on hitters to keep pace against a pitcher who is 11th in Major League Baseball with 84 strikeouts.
"You're not really used to him throwing 96, 97, I think he was mad about the rain delay," Kiner-Falefa said. "We got the best version of Framber today and it makes it a lot harder when he's throwing 97."
The Pirates also have one of the highest strikeout rates this season and are currently sixth in Major League Baseball with 556. They've recorded 25 games with double-digit strikeouts and set their previous season-high with 15 on April 1 when Tampa Bay's Shane Baz struck out a career high 10 over six innings.
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