CINCINNATI — It didn’t take Luis Ortiz long at all to show that he meant business, that his start Tuesday in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds at Great American Ball Park was more than a token, late-season gesture, a reward for a job well done.
The offering from Ortiz, a 23-year-old right-hander who apparently came equipped with a lightning bolt for an arm, popped Jason Delay’s mitt for a called strike to left fielder TJ Friedl at 98.5 mph. He then proceeded to throw more than three dozen pitches harder than that throughout a virtuoso debut that carried the Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the Reds, completing a doubleheader sweep.
Recalled on the heels of six no-hit innings in which he struck out nine while pitching for Triple-A Indianapolis, Ortiz was again a dominant force while slinging heat and a knee-buckling slider, delivering 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball and striking out five Reds hitters. It kickstarted a one-hitter for the Pirates pitching staff. More than that, though, was how Ortiz did it: the scorching fastball and electric stuff.
The Dominican Republic-born pitcher delivered six pitches that clocked in at 100 mph or greater. His fastball averaged 99 mph. All told, Ortiz racked up 11 whiffs, 15 called strikes and induced a bunch of goofy swings throughout the night, including fanning right fielder Aristides Aquino on a nasty slider in the second inning.
How rare was the heat that Ortiz brought to the Pirates?
He’s just the second Pirates starter since that data has been tracked to reach triple-digits. The only other one is Gerrit Cole, who did so 33 times, with his last one coming on Sept. 12, 2017.
For further context, think about it this way: Cole made 86 starts over three years in Pittsburgh from 2015 through 2017. With what Ortiz did on Tuesday, he’s already nearly 20% of the way there. Those half-dozen triple-digit heaves, by the way, are the second-most for a Pirate all-time in a single game; Cole had eight on June 21, 2013 against the Angels.
The debut for Ortiz ranks right up there with what Nick Kingham did on April 29, 2018 against the Cardinals, when he delivered seven shutout innings and allowed just one hit. They’re the only two pitchers in franchise history to go 5 2/3 or more innings with one or fewer hits allowed in their MLB debut.
What Ortiz did was fun to watch, and it included a couple pockets of late drama, too.
Like in the fifth inning, when Ortiz issued back-to-back walks with one out and appeared to be on the ropes … only to have Rodolfo Castro field a ball at third and throw across the diamond for a clutch double play.
Or in the sixth, when Ortiz walked the leadoff man and proceeded to finish his night with back-to-back punch outs, getting designated hitter Nick Senzel and first baseman Donovan Solano both swinging on sliders.
With Ortiz at 83 pitches, that was enough for manager Derek Shelton, who emerged from the dugout to make a pitching change and congratulated the youngster on a tremendous first start, one that will surely net him another opportunity.
When Ortiz does return, there should be plenty of excitement to see what’s next for the exciting youngster. Pittsburgh’s 30th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, Ortiz ranks second among all Pirates minor leaguers in strikeouts with 138 and began the season at Double-A Altoona.
In 24 games (23 starts) with the Curve, Cruz had a 4.64 ERA while striking out 126 and walking just 34, his ERA dropping to 2.61 over his last 31 innings. That late-season momentum, plus his dominant start with the Indians, was enough to earn a promotion.
Which Indians manager told Ortiz on Sunday — the day of his mom’s birthday.
As for the game, the Pirates escaped with a win in the late game because they cobbled together a run in the seventh inning. Castro cracked a one-out double. Kevin Newman scored him when he lined an 0-2 slider off Matt Reynolds’ glove, with the Reds shortstop making a terrific leaping effort.
The doubleheader sweep helped the Pirates improve their record this season to 54-88. It’s the first time they’ve won three in a row since Aug. 2-4 against the Brewers, which also happened to be their last series victory prior to this one.
