Why Wednesday’s Start for Pirates’ Martín Pérez Was So Important

PITTSBURGH — Martín Pérez’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t have started out much better, but the veteran left-hander has fallen on hard times for most of the season.

In six starts through the end of April, Pérez was sitting comfortably with a 1-1 record and a 2.45 ERA across 34.2 innings pitched. It wasn’t simply good luck for Pérez, either, as a healthy 3.25 FIP shows he was pitching effectively.

Over his next nine starts, however, Pérez went 0-4 with a 7.87 ERA. Included in that stretch was a one month stint on the 15-day injured list due to a groin strain.

In the Pirates’ 5-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on Wednesday afternoon, Pérez delivered one of his better outings of the season. The 33-year-old held St. Louis scoreless across six innings pitched despite walking five batters. He allowed four hits, struck out a pair and induced nine ground ball outs.

“I think as a pitcher you have to have consistency every time because you’re facing big league hitters and they know what’s coming,” Pérez said of his outing. “That’s the game as a pitcher, trying to move the ball and control home plate and you’re going to get a good result.”

Pérez’s start on Wednesday was particularly encouraging considering he was knocked around his last time out.

When facing the Phillies in the first game of the homestand on Friday night, Pérez allowed five runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings pitched.

“Nice bounce back.” said manager Derek Shelton. “I thought the execution of his pitches were better. I thought the mix of his pitches were better. I thought the last start he didn’t mix and match as well as he should have. He looked like he was right around the zone. I know he had five walks, but it looked like he was right around the edges, and he’s got to pitch to the edges.”

Pérez’s most recent start comes at a time where the Pirates will have to make a decision on what to do with the starting rotation.

The Pirates currently have Pérez, Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Marco Gonzales and Luis Ortiz filling as their five starters. Left-hander Bailey Falter, who is on the injured list, made a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday. Rookie Jared Jones will be back at some point too.

Shelton and his staff have a few different ways they can go. The Pirates could opt for a six-man rotation once Falter returns, which seems like it will be in relatively short-order. If they stick with a traditional five-man, someone will have to be moved out of the rotation.

It could be Pérez, who hasn’t been performing as well as the others. But with his most recent start and the fact that Ortiz has spent most of the season in the bullpen, maybe he will be shifted back to a relief role, at least for the time being.

Despite his struggles, Pérez has remained upbeat and confident. Maybe the results he got on Wednesday will add even more to that.

“I’ve got confidence. It doesn’t matter. I’m always going to trust my stuff,” he said. “I was able to compete with a lot of pitches in the strike zone, moved the ball. It was a great game. I was in the corners, trying to maintain so they didn’t feel too comfortable at home plate.”

In addition to fighting to keep his rotation spot, Pérez was a key factor in why the Pirates earned a series victory against the division-rival Cardinals. After the win, the Pirates trail the Cardinals by one game for second place in the National League Central and are right on their heels in the wild card race.

The Pirates’ win on Wednesday capped off a potentially monumental homestand in which they took two out of three games from both the MLB-best Phillies and Cardinals.

Now, the Pirates head for a six-game road trip feeling good.

“Very important,” Shelton said on the results over the last six games. “We get the best team in baseball then we get the team that’s in front of us in the division, so to go 4-2 on a homestand is off to a good start. We got a tough road trip coming up.”

The Pirates have an off day on Thursday before a weekend series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, another team in the wild card race. They then head to Houston for a three-game set with the surging Astros.