Brault Dazzles in Terrific Night Against Cardinals
Over his last three starts with the Pirates, Steven Brault had hit a rough patch. Over his previous four outings, he was 0-3 with a 6.72 ERA and just wasn't being as effective as he once was. He started the season not allowing an earned run in his first four appearances as a starter, and he was looking to recapture some of that magic at season's end. He did just that with the best performance of his career last night, throwing a complete-game two-hitter in the Pirates 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Not only was it a big win for the Pirates, but a big win for Brault personally as he set a career-high with eight strikeouts while finishing out the masterpiece.
He didn't do it with overpowering stuff, but by controlling his pitches and being able to stay around the zone all night long. Brault said after the game that he talked to Stallings and they agreed that he wouldn't shake off all night long. That way, Brault could just go out and pitch rather than thinking about what pitch to throw where. He would rely on working with Stallings and hope that he could execute his pitches. He did just that and the Pirates benefitted with a big win. It was also a blow to the Cardinals as they fall a half-game behind the Reds in the National League Central standings, giving their playoff chances a blow. Today, we breakdown Brault's start and see what worked and what didn't.
Efficiency is Key
One of the big problems that have plagued Steven Brault this season, and hurt his longevity, is his efficiency. In his last start on September 11th against the Kansas City Royals, Brault needed 97 pitches to get him through four innings, and he gave up four earned runs. Fast forward to last night, and Brault needed just 110 pitches to get him through his complete game, an average of just over 12 pitches per inning. For a guy like Brault who doesn't have overpowering stuff, it is important to not only be able to locate your pitches but locate them all around the zone. Brault did just that last night facing 30 batters and only going to seven three-ball counts throughout the night.
He was able to mix in all four of his pitches effectively, but his two best pitches seemed to be his four-seam fastball and his change-up. The fastball was the pitch he went to, to start the at-bats especially early in the game. He picked up three of his eight strikeouts on the pitch and was able to locate it everywhere in the zone. The fastball was Brault's bread and butter pitch during his string of success in 2019, and he showed even more zip on it than usual on this night. He was hitting in the low 90s throughout the night, with his fastest pitch being 93.6 in the first inning. This added zip gave some speed separation between his fastball and off-speed stuff and made them that much more effective.
His most effective of the off-speed pitches, at least last night, was his change-up. It was the pitch he used to end the game, generating all three of his ninth-inning outs including two of his eight strikeouts. There was a nice change of speeds between the two pitches with the change-up hitting anywhere between 83 and 86 miles per hour. His final pitch of the game was his fastest change-up of the game at 86.5 miles per hour as he struck out Paul Goldschmidt. It was no easy feat for Brault to complete his first-ever complete game as he had to face Goldschmidt, Paul DeJong, and Tommy Edmonds in the ninth, but his efficiency left him in a good position and his change-up and fastball sealed the deal.
One More Outing to Build On
With only 11 games left in the 2020 MLB season, Brault can be expected to get one more start before the season comes to an end. For the left-hander, that outing could go a long way in determining whether or not he makes the starting rotation in 2020. Looking at the current roster, the only Pirates pitcher who looks even remotely close to locking up a spot in the rotation is Jameson Taillon. Chris Archer and Joe Musgrove are likely candidates if they return to the Pirates, leading to a possibility of four open spots for a number of pitchers to battle for in Spring Training 2021. Another good start to add to his resume could propel Brault to the front of the pack right from the start of next Spring Training.
Going back to his last start, Brault has thrown 10 consecutive scoreless innings allowing just the two hits during that span. Brault is making a case to get back into the starting rotation full-time and his splits are showing it. In nine games as a starter this season, Brault has a 3.03 ERA over 35.2 innings of work while walking 16 and striking out 32. Despite that four-game stretch at the end of August and early September, Brault has shown that he can be a reliable back-end of the rotation option. The big question with Brault is whether or not he can go deep enough into ball games as a starter. He has shown the ability at times, but other times have been a struggle.
In his nine starts this season, Brault has gone five innings just two times, on August 19th against the Cleveland Indians and in last night's start. In 2019, he made 19 starts and lasted five or more innings 12 times that season. Brault is not a guy who is going to top a rotation, but he can be a quality number five starter, and I think he has at least earned an opportunity to stay in the rotation in 2021. If he can continue his success in his final start of the season, which would most likely happen against the Chicago Cubs on September 22nd, he could be paving his way to a spot in the Pirates starting rotation with the start of the 2021 season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (15-34) continue their five-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals (22-24) with doubleheader action tonight starting at 4:05 pm. Trevor Williams (1-7, 6.35) is looking to turn things around when he gets the ball for the Pirates in game one vs. Carlos Martinez (0-2, 10.32), while Chad Kuhl (1-2, 5.50) gets the ball in game two against Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-3, 6.23) looking for a bounce-back of his own. You can watch both games live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan as the Pirates look to take a lead over the Cardinals in the series.
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