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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano works against a San Diego Padres batter during the first inning of the 5-4 San Diego victory. Liriano took the loss.
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Pirates notebook: Pirates starters' pitch counts low but not by design

Gregory Bull / Associated Press

Pirates notebook: Pirates starters' pitch counts low but not by design

SAN DIEGO — When Francisco Liriano threw 100 pitches Tuesday night against the Padres, he became only the second Pirates starter to do so this season.

Liriano and Gerrit Cole each have hit 100 pitches on the nose.

“Some of it’s been strategy, some of it’s been game flow,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “A lot of the games have been different, there wasn’t one common denominator that has transposed for each and every one of them. It’s not like the 100-pitch mark is a golden limit.”

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Entering a game Wednesday night against the Padres, Pirates starters had walked 39 batters, more than any other team in baseball. Liriano has had trouble with command, Juan Nicasio walked five April 12 and Jeff Locke walked seven April 15.

Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang played a full game Wednesday with Class AAA Indianapolis.
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“Jeff got to [97] with only five innings pitched,” Hurdle said. (Locke went 4⅔ innings.) “When you’re getting to that kind of number, I don’t see any need to go further in the game. If it’s taken him 90-some to throw five [innings], the overall quality of it, I think we might need to look in a different area for that particular evening.”

Pitch counts can be deceptive. Jon Niese threw only 96 Saturday against Milwaukee, but threw seven scoreless innings.

“I think Niese is earning his way,” Hurdle said. “We’ve seen him, he’s done it, he’s got some experience. He was happy with the volume pick-up because last year he had been shortened up in his starts. We’re trying to actually give him the opportunity to stretch back out as far as number of pitches.

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“It has no bearing on, we’re trying to throw less. Cole and Liriano are going to get the ball and pitch. We’re going to push them out there to pitch.”

Game situation as well as walks issued has played a role. Liriano’s 100th pitch Tuesday night went for a two-run homer that gave the Padres the lead.

“It would have been better if I took him out after 99 [Tuesday] night,” Hurdle said.

Mercer’s ‘textbook’ slide

Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage, center, visits starting pitcher Jeff Locke and catcher Chris Stewart during a San Diego Padres rally in the second inning.
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Tuesday night, Jordy Mercer displayed the balance between a hard slide and a legal slide the new rules are intended to foster.

Running to second base in the eighth inning, Mercer slid toward the fielder, outside of the bag — but in line with his original path to the base. He slid before the bag and turned to hold onto it, but still put himself in the way of the fielder.

“I think Jordy put one out there for the league to use,” Hurdle said. “That was aggressive within the rules.”

Umpire communication

Hurdle said he liked communication with the umpires on the field, one day after a convoluted ruling on a balk call brought him out of the dugout twice to confer with them.

“The only itch you have to scratch are balls and strikes now,” said Hurdle, referring to the way replay has changed the interaction. “‘Hey, that ball’s in!’ He’s looking at you like, really? You’re 55 feet away. And you’ve got it in.”

Padres manager Andy Green was ejected after the umpires twice reversed the call on a balk.

“[Tuesday] night, in that play, somebody was going to go,” Hurdle said. “Andy or I were going to go at the end of the night.”

Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.

First Published: April 21, 2016, 4:00 a.m.

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