Clear identity helps Fleming be successful
BRADENTON, Fla. — Chat with Josh Fleming about his former employer, the Rays, and it can certainly be insightful. Fleming enjoyed pitching in Tampa. He sees some similar traits in the Pirates and understands why the Rays have had success.
“They’re all about throwing strikes and getting ahead,” Fleming said. “They know, when you’re ahead of guys, your other stuff plays better.”
Fleming, who started and delivered three innings of one-run ball Sunday during a 8-4 victory against the Rays at LECOM Park, finds himself in an interest spot. He’s a lefty who’s versatile when it comes to starting and relief work. He’s also on a split-deal.
But thanks to the Rays, Fleming also knows his identity. That involves throwing a heavy sinker, mixing it with a changeup, sprinkling in some spin and hopefully getting a lot of ground balls.
Last season, Fleming’s ground-ball rate of 61.6% put him in the 98th percentile across MLB.
“I know who I am as a pitcher,” said Fleming, who topped out at 92.8 mph. “I know I’m not going to strike out a lot of guys, but if I can establish the inner-half with the cutter or sweeper against right-handed hitters, that’s gonna make my best pitches, the sinker and the changeup, play better. That’s what we’ve been working on.”
Sunday showed progress, as Fleming pounded sinkers 57% of the time, limiting hard contact and missing bats. While doing what he said and pitching inside to righties, Fleming finished with five whiffs and nine called strikes, throwing 32 of his 54 pitches for strikes.
We know left-handed pitchers tend to find success at PNC Park.
We also know the Pirates love their non-traditional pitching deployment, where someone could open, Fleming could be the bulk guy, and the bullpen finishes it off.
If Fleming (4.22 ERA in 10 2/ 3 spring innings) pitches the way he did Sunday against his old team, it’s easy to see him fitting into that group of 10 possible starting pitchers general manager Ben Cherington has cited since the end of last season.
“The ability to execute breaking balls behind in the count and use the changeup ... he did a nice job,” manager Derek Shelton said. “But I think what he’s done is he’s carried over what his identity is.”
On the mound
Chase Anderson actually gave up a run for the first time this spring, but he pitched better than the numbers ( 4 innings, 3 earned runs) might indicate.
For one, he only walked one and struck out six. The homer Anderson allowed to Brandon Lowe in the sixth inning was also a solo shot on a pitch so far inside that it nearly hit the Rays second baseman.
Jake Mangum singled on a well-placed Anderson changeup that went just 75.9 mph before a scoring play in the seventh occurred because a minor league substitute (Jhonson Pena) delivered a wild throw to home plate.
If the Pirates are thinking about adding Anderson to the active roster — they should be — this outing at least held serve.
At the plate
Solid work by Nick Gonzales going down to get a breaking ball low in the sixth inning, driving it 402 feet for a two-run homer and a 4-3 Pirates advantage. It’s something Gonzales said he’s been working on a lot this spring.
“To do it there, off a guy who was throwing pretty hard, to be able to adjust, it was really nice,” said Gonzales, who explained the biggest tweaks have involved his posture and his barrel staying all the way through the zone. “It’s something I’ve been working on a lot.”
It likely wasn’t enough to change minds about Gonzales beating out Jared Triolo — or anyone else at second base — but it does show what Gonzales is capable of doing when his swing is right.
Bryan Reynolds had two hits. So did Ke’Bryan Hayes, who drove in the Pirates’ second run.
With a 2-1 count in the fifth, Hayes got a fourseamer up and shot it into center field at 102.7 mph, scoring Oneil Cruz and bringing a run across with two outs. Connor Joe gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the first by lining a two-strike sinker into right, scoring Hayes.
In the field
Although the Pirates were not charged with an error, they had a couple of plays that were rather forgettable.
Ali Sanchez, who has been firmly behind Jason Delay on the catching depth chart, permitted three stolen bases and went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts
In the second inning, the Pirates botched a firstand-third situation when they over-committed to left fielder Richie Palacios — the runner at first — and never peeled off to give themselves a chance to get catcher Alex Jackson before he scored.
Up next
Martin Perez will start for the Pirates on Monday in Clearwater, Fla., against the Phillies. The veteran lefty has looked good this spring, pitching to a 1.29 ERA in two Grapefruit League starts, working a total of seven inning.
Roster moves
After Sunday’s game, the Pirates reassigned Paul Skenes, Carter Bins, Sergio Alcantara, Matt Gorski and Joe Perez to minor league camp. They also optioned Kyle Nicolas to Triple-A Indianapolis. There are 45 active players left in big league camp.