Andrew Heaney Hits Major Milestone, Keeps Things Rolling for Pirates’ Rotation

PITTSBURGH — Andrew Heaney’s masterpiece in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon capped off quite a series for the starting rotation.

On Monday, reigning Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes was charged with one earned run and led the Pirates to a much-needed win after the team was swept over the weekend in Cincinnati.

Despite a loss the following night, Mitch Keller made it back-to-back quality starts by allowing three runs in 6.0 innings.

On Wednesday night, Bailey Falter had perhaps his best start as a big-leaguer. The left-hander faced the minimum in 7.0-shutout innings by using a pair of double plays and a caught stealing to erase a pair of hits and one walk.

Then it was another southpaw’s turn to continue the momentum.

Heaney blanked the Nationals across 7.1 innings, the most he’s thrown in an outing since pitching 7.2 innings while with the Angels during the 2020 season. He scattered five hits, walked a pair and struck out four.

“We definitely have to give it to Heaney about his outstanding outing out there,” Oneil Cruz, who provided the offense on a leadoff homerun, said through coach/interpreter Stephen Morales. “I would like for him to throw nine (innings), but hey, he did a really good job. I’m really happy for him with the way it turned out.”

Heaney and Falter became the the first pair of Pirates left-handed starters to throw 7.0-plus scoreless innings in consecutive team games since John Candelaria and Larry McWilliams did so from July 25-27, 1982.

Heaney relied on Falter’s assistance to help him, and even try to one-up him as any competitive athlete would.

“I think that’s what good rotations do. I think you see the guy, Bailey went seven perfect-ish innings, faced the minimum. Then so you want to go out there, not in a bad way, you want to go out there and try to do better,” said Heaney. “You want to try to build off that. He gave you a blueprint on how to face those guys. I want to take that and use it.”

Though Falter and Heaney shined the brightest in the four-game series against the Nationals, it was a strong performance all around.

The four starters in the series combined for a 1.37 ERA (4er/26.1ip). And hey, a little friendly competition is never a bad thing.

“I think you feed off each other,” manager Derek Shelton explained. “You have inner competition with each other which is really healthy and really good. So, to see this group settle in, I like that. Because they’ve pitched well over the last week.”

Though the Pirates’ offense showed life at times during the week, given the overall struggles, the importance of strong pitching cannot be emphasized enough.

The bullpen has provided quality work for much of the young season. After their series against the Nationals, the Pirates’ rotation now owns a more-respectable 4.19 ERA through 20 games.

For Heaney, his performance in Thursday’s game was especially fitting.

The 33-year-old accomplished the impressive feat of reaching 10 years of service time in the big leagues, a bar not many reach.

Heaney made his debut with the Marlins in 2014. He spent seven years with the Angels and made stops with the Yankees, Dodgers, Rangers — with whom he won the 2023 World Series — before signing with the Pirates this offseason.

Getting his first Pirates’ win in the team’s first shutout of the season was the cherry on top.

“You start a big league career and you don’t ever know how, where, when it’s going to end,” he said. “Obviously, 10 years now is just something I honestly didn’t really ever seek out to do. I just wanted to go pitch and whatever happens, happens. To get here and be in this situation with this group, just happy to be here.

“You just never know where the game is going to take you, and you know that time goes on. You know the game doesn’t wait for anybody. To be able to do what I’ve done so far, I’m just proud of myself and just happy to get to do this.”