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Tyler Glasnow Doesn’t Have Many Answers After Last Night’s Struggles Out of the Bullpen

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PITTSBURGH — Tyler Glasnow seems to have run out of answers.

After a disastrous start to the season that saw him post a 7.54 ERA, a 1.914 WHIP, and a whopping 1.001 OPS against in 12 starts, Glasnow seemed to have again turned things around at the Triple-A level.

Glasnow posted a 1.92 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 15 starts at Indianapolis and seemed to be turning a corner when it came down to controlling the running game and cutting down on walks, which were two of the things that plagued him in 2016 when he got his first taste of MLB action.

His first start back at the MLB level saw him last just 2.2 innings while not getting a whole lot of help from the home plate umpire when it came to balls and strikes. Slated for the second half of a piggyback on Wednesday, the hope was that Glasnow would finally be able to show the ability to be the pitcher he’s been in the minors.

Instead, Glasnow couldn’t find the strike zone with a road map. Of his 25 pitches, just eight went for strikes. He walked four of the six hitters he faced.

“Fastball velocity was up there,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “The spray command was a challenge again. … The breaking ball had shape. He couldn’t get it over the plate for a strike. The changeup, just off.”

Hurdle was asked if the problem with Glasnow is a mental one, rather than a physical one, and he admitted that the doesn’t know.

“I know that this is the next level for him,” Hurdle said. “I know that for him to take the next step, it’s all about meeting the challenges of the next level. He knows what’s in front of him. The opportunity will be here again. We’ll find an opportunity for him to pitch again. It’s something he’ll push through. I believe he’ll push through. A lot of it just comes down to getting into a good place, getting out there and executing pitches.”

When it was Glasnow’s turn to speak, it was clear he didn’t have a lot to say about his performance. Here’s the transcript:

Alan Saunders, Pirates Prospects: Is it just a matter of not being able to repeat the delivery?

Tyler Glasnow: Yeah. I would say so. Yeah.

Saunders: When you have that outing, can you take anything from it or …

Glasnow: Just try to forget about this one. Second time out. Just try to keep moving forward from here.

Rob Biertempfel, Tribune-Review: Coming in as a piggyback behind Brault, anything different for you, different preparation or anything?

Glasnow: It was weird warming up, but pitching is pitching, so I can’t really blame it on that. A little different coming in. It definitely took a little bit longer to warm up and get and get a feel for things, but yeah, no.

Stephen Nesbitt, Post-Gazette: Did it feel strange right out of the gate? Could you tell from the first hitter that your command was off?

Glasnow: Yeah, I guess. Warmups weren’t great and the hitters obviously weren’t great, either, so, yeah.

Saunders: Maybe the one solid takeaway, the caught stealing, something I know you’ve been working on for a while?

Glasnow: Sure. (laughs) Yeah, a little bit. Sure. Alright. Yeah.

There might have been another question or two after that, but you get the point (and so had I). I’m not trying to paint Glasnow as some kind of jerk here. If anything, he’s been more than gracious in dealing with the media given his struggles on the mound.

The issue is that he’s frustrated by his performance. He’s frustrated by the fact that he’s been answering the same questions all year. He’s frustrated by the fact that the answers to those questions haven’t changed.

Hurdle said that Glasnow will get one more chance this season to show that he can turn things around. With only nine games left, there won’t be much time for Glasnow to figure things out if he wants to end the season on a less frustrating note.

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