CINCINNATI — The upside of Vince Velasquez, one of two starting pitchers the Pirates added via free agency this winter, can be really good. With multiple breaking balls, as well as a spin-heavy, riding fastball, it’s certainly not weaponry Velasquez lacks. For the large part of his career, however, it’s been control. Especially at key times.
Such was the case Sunday, as Velasquez made his Pirates debut against the Reds at Great American Ball Park and also committed a couple of crucial mistakes, poorly located pitches that served as the difference during a 3-1 Pittsburgh loss.
It was, in many ways, a typical Velasquez outing. He was terrific in the first, then all of a sudden hung a slider in the second inning. A few more missed spots led to another Reds run in the third before Velasquez again looked terrific in the fourth.
