Pirates Squeak Past Phillies as Jared Jones Displays Changeup

The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up a 3-2 win at LECOM Park on Friday, March 7, riding their bullpen to the finish.

Pirates (9-5) starting pitcher Jared Jones allowed one run across three innings of work, an RBI double off a middle-middle sinker after allowing a leadoff walk. Despite the blemish, Jones showcased some of his best stuff of the young season, fanning six batters. Notably, three of Jones’ strikeouts came via the changeup, an offering he threw just 6.5 percent of the time in 2024.

The young right-hander relied heavily on his four-seam/slider combo during his rookie season, throwing the two pitches more than 84 percent of the time, and a renewed emphasis on secondary offerings — and an ability to command them when needed — could help him unlock another level to his game.

At the other side of the plate, Adam Frazier and Joey Bart each logged RBI singles while Matt Gorski managed a double, the Pirates’ lone extra base hit on the afternoon.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen managed to do away with a largely depleted Phillies’ batting order: rather than going toe-to-toe with Bryce Harper or Trea Turner, the Pirates dealt with Edmundo Sosa and Garrett Stubbs. Eddy Yean picked up his second save of the year, a six out affair that saw two runners reach base in the ninth inning. Yean, who served as the Altoona Curve’s closer in 2024, still managed to prevent any runs from crossing and picked up a pair of strikeouts to boot.

Up next, the Pirates will hit the road to face the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.