PITTSBURGH — The opening innings of games have been the Pirates’ bugaboo this season. Entering Wednesday night, the team had a combined 9.53 ERA in the first inning and a combined 9.00 ERA in the second. They’d allowed at least one run during one of the first two innings in 16 of their 17 games.
So, manager Derek Shelton switched things up. He had previously hinted that the Pirates could play with an opener at some point this season, using a reliever to pitch a few innings at the start of games and give the normal starting pitcher a different frame of mind entering the game. On Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers, he followed through on that thought.
It worked. Left-hander Dillon Peters made his first start of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, getting through a 1-2-3 first inning throwing just five pitches, then dispatching Milwaukee in order again in the second. He departed after allowing a walk to open the third inning, making way for usual-starter Bryse Wilson. He, too, benefited from the perspective change, pitching four scoreless frames to follow Peters.
