Ortiz quiets potent Texas bats for first MLB victory

PITTSBURGH -- When Chris Owings joined the Pirates in early May, he recalled Luis L. Ortiz's second start of the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, a dominant outing where he recorded seven strikeouts across 4 2/3 innings.

When Ortiz’s night was done, opposing players who reached second base asked Owings why, exactly, Ortiz, ranked as Pittsburgh's No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was in Indianapolis.

“After he got out of the game, they were like, ‘What’s this guy doing here?’” Owings recalled. “That just shows you the stuff he has.”

On Monday night at PNC Park, Ortiz showed off that stuff not against Minor Leaguers, but against the Rangers, who entered play as the best offense in baseball. Despite Texas’ reputation, Ortiz turned in the finest outing of his young career in the Pirates’ 6-4 victory, allowing two runs across a career-high 7 2/3 innings in earning his first Major League win.

“I think he’s a guy that has the potential [to where] you can build a pitching staff around him,” Indianapolis pitching coach Dan Meyer told MLB.com. “He’s a number one or a number two. It’s great stuff. He’s got a feel with it.

“He’s got a feel with his slider. He’s got feel with his two-seam. He’s able to elevate a four-seam fastball well, and with that velo, it plays. Sprinkle in a changeup to go after some lefties.

“If he’s able to stay in his mechanics and be himself and be a better version of who he is and who his strengths are, you’re looking at really the complete package with a mentally above-average idea of who he is.”

Ortiz developed a reputation for his fastball and slider, but the changeup, as shown against the Rangers, is allowing him to develop into the complete package. The right-hander threw a career-high 16 changeups and generated a career-high four whiffs with the pitch.

He struck out Corey Seager swinging twice with the changeup, the first punchout coming on a perfectly placed pitch that appeared headed for the middle of the plate, then trailed outside the strike zone and into the other batter’s box.

“It gives lefties a tough time,” Meyer said. “He’s got something that’s maybe five, six miles per hour less [than his fastballs]. It’s got great action. It almost plays similar to his sinker. He has the two-seamer that runs away, but now he has something that’s 89, 90 that has really good action.

“It’s just another facet to throw to lefties that is already a tough repertoire to prepare for, especially with the velo when he commands it and the slider.”

Ortiz’s ability to pitch deep into Monday’s ballgame was the result of quick inning after quick inning. The Rangers made Ortiz throw 16 pitches in the first, but from there, he needed 11 pitches or fewer to complete innings two through seven. The fifth and seventh innings were especially quick affairs -- Ortiz needing four pitches for the former and six pitches for the latter.

“He was in attack mode the whole time,” Bucs manager Derek Shelton said. “You’re looking at the best offense in baseball there. He stayed in attack mode.

“It shows the quality of his stuff because they were really aggressive. Through the first 4-5 innings, there weren’t a lot of balls put on the barrel.

Ortiz was one pitch away from completing the eighth inning, but Marcus Semien pulled a payoff slider into left field to drive in a run and end the 24-year-old’s evening. As Ortiz departed from the mound having completed the finest outing of his young career, he was showered with applause from the home crowd.

With the help of Tucupita Marcano’s first career grand slam in the seventh, the latest loud swing off the shortstop’s bat, Ortiz has a Major League win to his name.

“Very happy. Full of emotions,” Ortiz said through team interpreter Stephen Morales. “Thanks to the guys that gave their best out there to help me win this game.”

As well as Ortiz pitched, this start could realistically be his last with the Pirates before being optioned back to Indianapolis.

Right-hander Vince Velasquez, currently on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation, made his first rehab start with Indianapolis on Saturday (4 2/3 scoreless innings). The Pirates have yet to determine whether Velasquez will need another start, but whenever the team recalls Velasquez, Ortiz is the likeliest candidate to be optioned.

If this is, indeed, Ortiz’s last Major League start for the time being, he’ll return to Indianapolis with a major accolade under his belt. And based on Owings’ experiences, there’s likely no shortage of players who are dreading having to see Ortiz once again.