Jeff Karstens started his career as a Pittsburgh Pirate with six innings of shutout ball and a 3-0 victory against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field in August 2008. Last night, he did much of the same with a two-run 6.2 inning quality start against Milwaukee that ended in a 7-3 Pirates victory.
In Miller Park.
Both of these represented major breakthrough wins for Pittsburgh. The Pirates had a losing streak of 22 games in Miller Park until last night. In 2008, Karstens represented a rare win in a 4-14 season series against the Cubs. None of the three other Pirates' victories that season took place on the Cubs' home turf.
No, his starts aren't always this good. Which is why he isn't at the front of the rotation, even for the Bucs.
But now you understand why this writer has repeatedly called on the Pirates to bring him back from exile.
Karstens appears to lack the stamina to pitch a long season. Last year, he went two months with a respectable 2-2 record and a 4.83 ERA before he broke down in June. In 2008, he pitched a fine August and a poor September. Beyond a certain point, he has to be "relieved," by making him a relief pitcher.
Over the long haul, a pitcher of his quality is likely to win only one game out of three, at least, with the generally weak Pirates run support. Last night, he earned, but did not get, the win because Pittsburgh didn't pull ahead for good until the ninth inning.
But for a "reserve" pitcher, Karstens is about as useful as they come. That's because his wins come at critical junctures, giving it a boost to the Pirates' morale. If you need a "big one," Karstens is as good a bet as any, provided he's properly rested.
Naturally, a team like the Pirates wants to give opportunities for its rookies to grow. But it also needs to live in the here and now. Last night (and on other occasions), Karstens provided a valuable stopgap.
His relatively deep start required only 2.2 innings of relief. (On a typical night, that number is four, or even five.) That frees up relievers to bail out less experienced hurlers like Charlie Morton and Dan McCutchen.
It also means that the Pirates have a full five man rotation at this time, giving veterans like Zach Duke and Paul Maholm proper rest.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments