Hurdle expects velocity to return soon

PHOENIX — Closer Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth inning Friday, inducing three weak ground balls for his fourth save of the season and second in as many days. His cutter velocity sat in the high 80s (mph), where it has remained in each of his nine appearances this season.

Manager Clint Hurdle said earlier last week he expects Melancon’s velocity to spike at some point and return to the lower 90s, giving his off-speed stuff a little more life, but Hurdle isn’t about to replace his closer over a couple bumpy outings. “I do believe every player has a bank account here,” Hurdle said Saturday. “They invest by what they do, and they put things in the bank and those things draw interest. There come times when you take money out.”

Melancon allowed nine hits and six runs in 8⅓ innings before Saturday. All six runs came in separate three-run innings, the latest of which resulted in a blown save Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

If there’s turbulence again, Hurdle said, he’ll hear another uproar.

“Because the closer cannot blow a save,” he added, tongue in cheek. “It's against the law. It’s the grossest infraction in all of baseball.”

Hurdle said he can’t be the first to react, lest he overreact.

“You've got to give those men some rope,” he said, rapping a knuckle on the table with each word. “You've got to give them some rope based on what you ask them to do every night. When you ask them to have a short memory, you’ve got to give them the opportunity to have a short memory, and not just once.”

Hurdle compared Melancon’s situation to that of then-Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street early in 2009. Street’s fastball was 4 or 5 mph low, and he was getting concerned. Within 10 days or two weeks, Hurdle said, Street’s regular velocity came back.

Hurdle noted, too, Melancon’s offseason was “completely different” from what he had had before. Melancon began working out less than a week after the 2014 season ended, and he pitched in an All-Star series in Japan in November. Melancon called it “more of a vacation,” but Hurdle said the trip could be part of the equation here.

“Now you’re seeing a guy have to [pitch] when probably his sword is not as sharp,” Hurdle said. “But he’s still got a sword, and it will still cut.”

Do the Pirates believe that sword will be sharp again?

“We do,” Hurdle said. “I absolutely do.”

But, say Melancon’s velocity doesn’t return. Can a closer be effective throwing 88 mph?

“If you want to go back and watch video tape of Doug Jones pitching back in the day,” Hurdle said, “not only could they do it with that, they could do it with an 81 mph fastball and a 70 mph changeup.”

Clutch at-bats

The Pirates used four twoout RBIs to defeat the Diamondbacks, 4-1, Friday night. Hurdle said the clutch hits are a sign of a team starting to find its groove offensively.

“Those are body punches to the opposing team,” he said. “We’ve been on the receiving end of those, too.”

Fines in works

Starting next week, players will start accruing fines, not only warnings, for committing play-of-play infractions. Hurdle said Pirates players have received “a couple” warnings this season. The warnings are sent to the coaches, who then meet with the players to discuss a solution.