Hudson making ‘magical’ turnaround
On the top shelf in righthander Daniel Hudson’s locker sits Jobu, the voodoo doll worshiped by slugger’s Pedro Cerrano in the movie “Major League.” Hudson’s wife, Sara, sent the doll to PNC Park earlier this month. She hoped it would at least bring a smile to her husband’s face, and perhaps help him out of a funk on the pitcher’s mound in his first season in Pittsburgh.
Maybe Jobu had the magic touch.
After an April in which Hudson, the Pirates’ top external acquisition this winter, emerged with a 9.90 ERA, he dropped into lowerleverage situations this month, conceding his eighth-inning role at times for opportunities to pitch more often, and has posted a 1.74 ERA in May.
“Sometimes when you’re not getting results there, you try to do too much and things get out of whack,” Hudson said over the weekend. “We sat down and decided to get me more game reps in not-sohigh-leverage spots. Knock on wood. Everything has gonewell so far.”
The conversation came the day after Hudson struck out three New York Mets hitters over two perfect innings. He spent just 19 pitches to get six outs. In five appearances since walking three of five batters May 14 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team for whom Hudson played from 2011-16, he has struck out seven in 5⅓ innings, with three hits and one walk.
His fastball has found the strike zone more often, and his slider arrived, too.
“I was joking with somebody [that] it took six weeks for it to show up,” Hudson said.
The difference lately has been drastic.
In his first 18 appearances — from the season opener to the meltdown in Arizona — Hudson surrendered 13 earned runs on 22 hits and 8 walks in 15 innings — a full 2.00 WHIP.
Even his good days in the first month of the season were frustrating, since he seemed to run up his pitch count to where his availability was in question for the next game. In April, Hudson averaged 20.9 pitches per inning. In May, it dropped to 15.19. In his past five games … 12.19.
After Hudson threw a pick-off try away May 1, leading to his first loss this season, he tweeted, “Can’t even throw the [bleeping] thing to 1st. Teammates deserve better. Coaches deserve better. Fans deserve better. I’ll be better.” Manager Clint Hurdle said he was “not ready to pull the plug” on Hudson as a late-inning reliever, but they decided to search for other opportunities.
Hudson, who signed with the Pirates on a two-year, $11 million free-agent deal this offseason, felt his pitches were crisp in April, and hitters weren’t making hard contact. He simply needed more outings. This month, Hudson has entered in the fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th innings. Positive results followed. Hurdle is prepared to plug Hudson back into his set-up spot.
“We sold him on the eighth-inning opportunity [when we] talked to him over the winter,” Hurdle said. “A guy with that kind of stuff potentially could close games for you as well. It’s another power arm in the bullpen with a swing-and-miss pitch that can provide a different look.
“He’s getting to a better place each and every time he touches the ball.”
‘All good’
Right-hander Jameson Taillon reported being a little sore Monday, a day after throwing three scoreless innings his first rehabilitation start for Class AA Altoona, but was otherwise “all good.” He said he will throw a bullpen session Tuesday at PNC Park and then be sent out for another start.
In Erie Sunday, Taillon acknowledged some people might be “creeped out” he returned to the mound less than three weeks after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. Every step has been cleared by doctors, he said. He’s building endurance in hopes of pitching in the majors soon.
Hurdle has preached patience and caution, saying there’s still no timetable for Taillon’s return.
“I really love the fact that he doesn’t care what other people think, about getting creeped out,” Hurdle said of Taillon. “Too many times in our lives we let external noise play a part in our decision-making process. What do they know? What experiences do they have? Maybe some do, maybe some don’t. At the end of the day, it’s about him taking ownership of it.”