Yohan Ramirez’s Best Weapon Was on Full Display Against Reds (+)
Yohan Ramirez appeared in only his second game of the season after getting recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
The right-hander pitched two scoreless frames out of the bullpen in the Pirates’ 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on Saturday night.
In those two innings, Ramirez recorded four strikeouts, all of which came on swinging strikes of his sinker. In total, Ramirez generated nine strikeouts on the pitch.
Ramirez’s sinker has been his bread and butter since joining the Pirates and is a key reason for the success he has shown at times.
“There’s two things. No. 1, he spins the crap out of it. No. 2, at times, I don’t think he knows what it’s going to do. When he doesn’t know what it’s going to do, it gets really effective,” manager Derek Shelton said on the sinker.
So, is it luck when it comes to the sinker? Well, not luck, but having a pitch that even he doesn’t necessarily know where it’s going can only make a batter feel uncomfortable. Still, you need to be able to harness it.
“You have to be able to execute. And he went right after guys. I give credit. Yohan at the end of spring training was a little bit sped up. He appears to be a lot calmer, so I give credit to when we sent him down our pitching group there for how he was able to execute,” Shelton said.
Ramirez alongside Duane Underwood Jr. covered the final four innings of the game in relief of starter Rich Hill — both going two innings a piece.
The Pirates were able to hold of the Reds despite not having their usual late-inning guys in David Bednar, Colin Holderman and Robert Stephenson available.
“(It’s) a testament to everybody putting their work in, man. I’m proud of everyone in the bullpen, on this team. Humbled everyday I come into the yard just to see these guys work and see everything that they do. We’re prepared. Whenever it’s time for us to go in the game, we go in prepared, we execute, we get the job done,” Underwood said.
They certainly got the job done on Saturday.