6-17-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X
Back home and facing the Cincinnati Reds for the first time this season. Game one will feature Carson Spiers, making his third career MLB start and first one this season as he enters today with a 2.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 19.1 innings pitched. Used primarily as a bulk innings arm early on in the season, Spiers has allowed just 2 runs in his last 15.1 innings pitched – earning a turn in the rotation.
Looking at his arsenal, Spiers has three fastballs working in the 87-94 range in his 4-seam, sinker and cutter. He mixes in a low-80s sweeper and high-80s changeup, which doesn’t drop too much off his fastball.
He works off the sinker/sweeper combo against right-handed hitters and will focus 4-seam/changeup when facing lefties. It’s a small sample size but both his sinker and sweeper have been hit consistently by opponents this year with an oBA/oSLG of .300/.500 and .313/.438, respectively.
Spiers lasted 5.2 innings and 90 pitches in his last appearance on June 9th so he’s in for the long haul. He’s not striking out many batters (18.8%) but also not walking a ton (5%) so whittle him away with some solid contact when opportunities present themselves.
Rivalry runs deep against these Reds so it’s always a battle – and hopefully, one the Pirates will be able to win.
Let’s Go Bucs!
Steel City Pirates 
The patented One Big Inning turned out to be enough; Spiers did quite well beyond that–not something I like to see from the Reds, already just fine on starting pitching, thanks.
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