Melancon’s slump won’t cost him job

Despite saying that Mark Melancon is “a couple weeks behind,” manager Clint Hurdle said Melancon will get the opportunity to close today’s game if the Pirates have a lead late.

Melancon allowed three runs in the ninth inning Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs and blew a save.

He also hasn’t thrown the ball as hard as in the past couple of seasons. Hurdle said he did not want to temporarily move Melancon to a lower-leverage role in the bullpen because he wants Melancon’s mindset to stay on executing pitches.

“For me it’d be an absolute overreaction, one blown save, to make a switch now,” Hurdle said.

Though Melancon did not blow a save, he allowed three runs and four hits, including a home run, April 13 against the Detroit Tigers. Melancon has allowed six runs and nine hits in 6⅓ innings this season.

“Obviously [it’s] the two three-run innings that gets your attention because he had none [last season],” Hurdle said. “For us it’s pitch execution as much as it is anything. I still believe that the velocity will get back to where we’ve seen it.”

Melancon said he wasn’t worried about his velocity.

According to data from the PITCHf/x systems installed in each ballpark, Melancon averaged 92.8 mph with his cutter in 2014, his go-to pitch. This year it is 89.6 mph. Hurdle said the Pirates noticed that Tony Watson and Jared Hughes threw softer, as well, in spring training.

“Watson has spiked back up. Hughes has spiked back up,” Hurdle said. “From my experience, I’m thinking [Melancon is] a couple weeks behind, for whatever reason. I don't have an answer for why on that, nor does he.”

Well-placed ground balls Tuesday night undid Melancon, though he allowed a hard-hit double to Jorge Soler and walked Kris Bryant.

Morton gets closer

Charlie Morton is scheduled to pitch four or five innings in extended spring training today, Hurdle said, and try to reach the 70-pitch mark.

Morton is on the 15-day disabled list as he tries to recover his form and shorten his arm action in the wake of September surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip.

Mercer sits again

Jordy Mercer was out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game after taking a pitch off his left rib cage, but Hurdle said Mercer tokk batting practice Wednesday and could be available to start today. Jung Ho Kang, who hit a bases-clearing double Tuesday, started at shortstop.