Priester doomed by ineffectiveness after three scoreless innings

Priester allowed just a singular hit and, sitting at just 34 pitches, looked to be cruising through three scoreless innings. 

Then, things began to unravel.

Making his fourth start of the season since being recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis last month, Priester began to struggle a bit with command and made a few mistake pitches in allowing five runs the second and third time through the visiting team's lineup in the Pirates' 9-0 loss that snapped a modest three-game win streak at PNC Park.

"The first three innings, I think the sinker was good. He was aggressive with it, the slider had bite to it, and then it just looked like his stuff kind of ticked back a little bit," Derek Shelton said of Priester, who had just three earned runs charged to him on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in 4 2/3 innings. "I think the slider lost a little bit of its shape, and then he threw a couple of sinkers that really didn't sink that he left in the middle plate and ended up getting hit really hard."

After three clean innings, a single by Mickey Moniak on a slider down and in from Priester was followed by a four-pitch walk surrendered to Willie Calhoun. One batter later, Kevin Pillar started what became a monster night for him at the plate. Priester threw six straight balls out of the zone before Pillar punished a front-hip sinker and sent it over the wall in left field for a three-run homer, the sixth long ball allowed by Priester in four starts and the 18th surrendered in now 71 career big-league innings. 

“That was supposed to be away," Priester said of the 2-0 delivery to Pillar. "I missed.”

Priester limited the damage in the fourth, despite allowing a single to Jo Adell and another four-pitch walk to Cole Tucker. But he couldn't turn things around in the fifth as he allowed three more hits, including a one-out double to Moniak and an RBI single to Logan O'Hoppe that ended his night. Moniak eventually scoring on a fielder's choice off the bat of Pillar, who went 3-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs in the win.

“I just think (there was) a little too much focus on throwing strikes," Priester said of his fourth- and fifth-inning struggles. "Certainly that is the goal. That’s what you want to do every time but it’s also not great to hyper-focus on it. Just go out there and keep continuing to move smoothly and we probably avoid a lot of that.”

While he wasn't at his best, Priester's cause wasn't helped by a lack of run support for a fourth straight start. The Pirates were limited to just three hits in being shut out for the third time in their last 11 games. All three of those shutouts have come with Priester on the mound. The offense has failed to generate a run in any of the 21 innings Priester has thrown at the major-league level this season. 

"I think that plays a factor in it, too, but the things that he can control are the most important things," Shelton said. "Obviously, the fact that we haven't scored any runs for him is definitely a challenge for him. But in terms of him singularly, we have to just continue to finish that development."

Priester's lackluster fourth start came after back-to-back quality starts during the team's recent trip to the Bay Area. He went six scoreless innings against the Giants April 26 and allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings against the Athletics May 1. 

This latest outing will undoubtedly stick in his mind for the time being, but Priester believes his previous two outings told him all he needs to know about what it takes to pitch well at the major-league level. Now, he's focused on doing what it takes to be better next time out. 

“You’re always trying to avoid (the bad innings)," Priester said. "My thing is ... just on to the next one. I don’t have a non-swear word, but just screw it and on to the next one.”