Archer rediscovers ‘old’ pitch
MILWAUKEE — Can you teach an old dog old tricks?
Right-hander Chris Archer might resent that phrasing, since he’s just 29, but after 181 starts and 1,081⅓ innings in the majors Archer is dusting off parts of his pitching arsenal he hasn’t used in years. Since joining the Pirates at the trade deadline, Archer has unearthed a two-seamer and a curveball to expand his pitch mix to five. In his eyes, diversifying is an important step forward.
“I know most 29-year-olds don’t have untapped potential. But I do,” Archer said Friday at Miller Park, where he’ll start Sunday in a series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. “I’ve done some great things, but I want to be even more consistent. With the things I’m implementing now, the results aren’t necessarily there immediately, but the process is so good, man.”
Archer, owner of a 3.71 career ERA, has allowed 12 runs, 10 earned, in 18⅓ innings with the Pirates. The early results have not deterred him — nor did the left leg discomfort which forced him from his start Monday — because he has seen himself take small strides already. The way he has pitched these past three starts, he said, he has “actually been pitching.”
Prior to that, Archer explained, he lacked strategy. “It was like, ‘Here it is. Hit it,’” he said. With the Tampa Bay Rays, Archer threw fastballs and sliders to right-handed hitters, and fastballs, sliders and changeups to lefthanders. He hadn’t used the twoseamer for the past four years. Now, Archer said, he’s able to locate multiple pitches in all quadrants of the strike zone.
“It sounds like a project,” he said, “but it’s not.”
Pitchers typically use the offseason to add and subtract pitches. For Archer, the next six weeks represent a head start. He has no doubt it’s worth trying.
“It’s just a matter of trusting it,” Archer said. “I’ve already seen positive results. I’ve thrown more two-seamers in the time I’ve been here than I have in the last three or four years. I’ve gotten more outs inside than I have in the past couple years, too. It’s not necessarily an experiment, but the more production I get the more I believe, and it starts to snowball.”
Rodriguez returns
Utility infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez (left abdomen strain) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list Friday, filling a roster spot left open when reliever Michael Feliz was optioned. Manager Clint Hurdle said there was little discussion about sending Rodriguez on a rehabilitation assignment. “We’ve passed on it a few times lately,” he said. “He’s not the first exception.”
Since a red-hot, 6-for-12 series in Cincinnati directly after the AllStar break, Rodriguez went 1 for 18 with two walks and 10 strikeouts prior to landing on the disabled list.
Injury report
Second baseman Josh Harrison (left hamstring discomfort) is expected to return to the starting lineup Saturday, Hurdle said.
Shortstop Jordy Mercer (left calf strain), eligible to return from the 10-day disabled list Saturday, will increase his physical activity in this series, Hurdle said, and will be reassessed in St. Louis following an off day Monday.
In the minors
Class AA Altoona infielders Will Craig and Ke’Bryan Hayes were selected as Eastern League end-of-season All-Stars. Hayes, rated by Baseball America as the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect, faded in the second half, batting .293 with an .814 OPS before the All-Star break and .252 with a .767 OPS since. Craig has hit .248 with 20 home runs, 97 RBIs and a .776 OPS this season.