CINCINNATI — When the Pirates acquired Johan Oviedo as part of the Jose Quintana-Chris Stratton trade, there was an acknowledged need to be patient. General manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton also told anyone who asked about the gigantic right-hander that they viewed him as a capable major league starter.
In the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, Oviedo gave the Pirates five dominant innings during a 6-1 victory, demonstrating why the organization was so adamant about him being part of a deal that also included Double-A power-hitting prospect Malcom Nunez.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder did not allow a run and permitted just one hit — a single by first baseman Spencer Steer in the fifth. Oviedo, who has had some command issues in the past, walked two in the third but was able to quickly steer the train back on the tracks.
