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Pirates Notebook: Hutchison Doesn’t Look Good in Final Start of the Spring

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BRADENTON, Fla. — If the Spring Training results — particularly the results the last few weeks of the spring — matter at all, Drew Hutchison should be a long shot to get the Pirates’ fifth starter job.

In the first inning, Hutchison gave up six runs on seven hits including two home runs and all nine Red Sox reached the plate. He went on to throw 3.2 innings, allowing nine runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

“It was just overall execution in the first, not great sequences or execution,” he said. “After that, I thought I kind of got the rhythm going and started throwing well with good execution, good sequences and then I just kind of tired out at the end there.”

Hutchison did throw his longest outing of the spring at 92 pitches, but it was the early going that was more problematic. It was the second consecutive start that Hutchison was roughed up in the first inning and has now given up 21 earned runs over his last three outings. It’s total 180 from the start of this year, when he had a 2.00 ERA after four appearances.

“I was throwing the ball well,” he said. “I felt good about where I was at and then obviously, I didn’t follow through on that. A couple of bad innings. The first inning last outing and then again today, it’s just extremely frustrating.”

“It’s also the level of competition,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “I think when you look at the strength of the lineups, sometimes those things come into play as well. However, he was throwing strikes and they were better strikes earlier than they have been lately.”

Hutchison is not a player that shows a lot of emotion, but he was visibly upset with himself after the outing.

“It’s extremely frustrating to have an opportunity and not perform to the level you expect yourself to perform to,” he said. “I thought I did a good job last time bouncing back. I thought I did that again tonight. But you don’t need to put yourself in a situation to bounce back. You need to be able to make pitches to get out of the inning, continue it and have a good start. … I didn’t execute great today. I put myself in the position I’m in.”

How much will the results affect his chances? Well, general manager Neal Huntington has said that Spring Training numbers are “one of the last things he looks at,” but this maybe a time where they need to come into pay.

“You’ve got to judge on something, and basically, consistency of execution is something that you need to look at.” Hurdle said.

Huntington said earlier the day that the losers of the battle for the fifth starter job may end up in the bullpen, but Hutchison, who has only eight career relief appearances, said that subject has not been broached with him.

LEFTY WITH A CHANGE (AND A CHANCE)

Tyler Webb survived the Pirates cuts on Tuesday. The Pirates now have just 16 pitchers in camp, with four cuts to go until opening day and with Webb throwing some of his best stuff lately, it seems that he has a legitimate shot to make the team.

Webb’s three-inning outing on Monday saw him have success against both lefties and righties, even though his numbers in Triple-A in 2016 showed a large platoon split. He had a 1.01 WHIP against lefties and a 1.34 WHIP against righties. Webb credited his changeup, which is his primary off speed offering for the success against right-handers Monday, and said it’s been a pitch that’s been slow to come around for him this spring, but feels good right now.

“Coming up through the minors, I was more of a fastball-changeup guy and I was trying to develop the slider,” he said. “It kind of hadn’t been there all spring, the changeup, so trying to find that while trying to get everything else going, you weigh the options of what you need to work on the most. You pretty much need everything to get through three innings. It was good to have a little bit of a longer outing and work on getting everything going. … Changeup is usually what I like to throw to keep them off the fastball. That’s definitely the best it’s been. Hopefully, it continues in that direction.”

Webb said the slider’s development really took off towards the end of last season and the results during that time were some of his best. In eight relief appearances in August and September, he gave up four runs over 13 innings.

“The slider got finally trending in the right direction,” he said. “It was definitely my main focus the last couple of years. Hopefully, something has clicked. It’s still my third pitch, but I think it’s a little bit closer to the other two, which is good.”

Webb isn’t sure if a three-inning outing is something he’ll be asked to do if he makes the team and he doesn’t seem to care either way.

“I’ll do whatever they want,” he said. “I’ll be the bat boy if they want.”

PITCHING PLANS

Gerrit Cole will be followed by Trevor Williams, A.J. Schugel and Jared Hughes in the Grapefruit League finale at LECOM park Tuesday afternoon. Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl will start in Montreal while Ivan Nova will stay behind to pitch on Sunday.

Williams, who survived a round of cuts while Steven Brault was released on Tuesday, may be getting an audition for the same right-handed bullpen role that Schugel and Hughes have been competing for all of spring.

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