PITTSBURGH — When reliever Jason Grilli was signed as a free agent on July 21st, it was an opportunity for him to pitch again in the big leagues. But not was it a good opportunity for him to pitch for the Pirates, Pittsburgh has gotten a great addition to the bullpen as well.
“Jason has been a very good addition,” Manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s been a very good addition because he’s pitched well, he’s been versatile. We’ve used him for length, we’ve used him to match up. We’ve used him anywhere now from the fifth to the eighth inning. I had him before. I know the guy, know his makeup.”
Grilli retired three batters he faced on Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals and picked up this win –his 20th in his Major League career. He has allowed one unearned run in his last five appearances (4.1 innings).
“Jason went in and very professionally followed his plan, pitching through the heart of the order,” Hurdle said. “Those outs were as big as any we got all night.”
Since coming over to Pittsburgh, Grilli has been charged with an earned run in just four of his 22 appearances with the Pirates.
“He likes to pitch,” Hurdle said. “He was looking for a spot to land where he thought that he could land, make a difference. We felt like we had that opportunity for him. It’s worked out very well for him and for us.
Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports
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