Perrotto: Andrew Heaney Throws Some Wrinkles at Yankees

PITTSBURGH – Andrew Heaney didn’t get the kind of contract he hoped for in free agency.

The veteran left-hander thought he could land a two-year contract. Instead, he had to wait until after spring training began before signing a one-year, $5.25-million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Heaney has been a bargain so far. He was outstanding on Sunday as the Pirates beat the New York Yankees 5-4 in 11 innings on Sunday at PNC Park to salvage the finale of a three-game series and win for just the second time in their last eight games.

The 33-year-old allowed only one run and five hits in seven innings while striking out 10 and walking one. However, Heaney wound up with a no-decision as Ryan Borucki blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning while trying to notch the first save of his eight-year career.

The Pirates won it on Tommy Pham’s walk-off single.

Heaney deserved a better fate just as he did when he gave up only one run in five innings to the Miami Marlins in his Pirates’ debut.

“Obviously we need that right now, you know what I mean,” Pirates catcher Joey Bart. “As a team, we haven’t been doing what we’ve been capable of. When you get a guy who goes out and throws seven innings, that’s huge. I feel like our starters have done a really good job. Things are going to get moving forward. Just got to get comfortable, get set in. When you have outings like that, it really helps the club.”

Heaney’s outing on Sunday stood out because the Yankees scored an MLB-high 72 runs in their first eight games. However, New York did not manage anything against Heaney after Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s RBI double in the first inning.
Heaney had the 21st double-digit strikeout game of his 12-year career.

“It felt like his rhythm and his pace, his attack was on,” Bart said. “We were kind of reading and reacting as the game went on, just seeing what we saw. He did it. He was throwing the ball where he needed to throw the ball. He was getting chase when he needed chase. Just felt like things were flowing really, really well. He threw some wrinkles in there, and it paid off.”

Heaney’s wrinkle was a sidearm curveball. It kept the Yankees off balance throughout.

Heaney threw 21 curves among his 100 pitches, ranging from 69-81 mph. He also threw 39 four-seam fastballs, 20 changeups, 13 sliders and seven sinkers.

“Just mixing it up,” Heaney said about the key to his success. “Me and Joey had a good game plan going in. Thought we did a good job. Kind of didn’t make some good pitches early in that first. Didn’t do a good job, two two-strike hits there. And then just kind of opened up the playbook a little bit, got into a good rhythm, and just kept it going.

“Messing around with some of the sidearm stuff to the lefties, mixing the curveball in late. I think that’s things that I’d like to do more of. Sometimes it kind of comes later. It’s not as many times as I’d like to or it’s maybe not the right hitter to do it to. And I thought this was a good team and some good guys to do it too. So just wanted to do it kind of early and then really expand on it later in the game.”

Just 3-7, the Pirates haven’t had many bright spots during the young season. Heaney has been one.