Matthew Scott Welker...Is a 2004 graduate of Woodinville (WA) High School, where he captained both the baseball and basketball teams as a senior...Played two years of baseball at Seminole State College near Oklahoma City...Had his freshman season cut short due to arthroscopic shoulder surgery...Went 7-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 74.0ip as a sophomore...Transferred to Arkansas University, where he went 7-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 18 starts in 2007...Was one of three Razorback pitchers selected within the first 82 picks in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft (also Nick Schmidt in the 1st round by San Diego and Jess Todd in the 2nd round by St. Louis)...Played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in the Alaska Summer League in 2006 and posted a 1.46 ERA in 49.1 innings of work...Was named the second-best prospect in the Alaskan Summer League by Baseball America...His brother, Kris, was selected by the White Sox in the 41st round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft and played two seasons as a catcher in their minor league system...Signed by Pirates scout Mike Leuzinger.
2013
Spent majority of season with Triple-A Indianapolis...Led minor league system in appearances and set a career high in that department...Went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA (16.0ip/1r/0er) and 20 strikeouts in his first 10 appearances thru 5/5...Was recalled by Pittsburgh on 5/8...Was optioned back to Indy on 5/11 without having appeared in a big league game...Gave up 11 runs in 12 games (12.2ip) with Indianapolis during the month in May...Picked up first save on 6/7 vs. Durham and then posted saves in back-to-back outings on 6/14 and 6/17...Was recalled by Pittsburgh a second time on 6/20...Made Major League debut on 6/23 at Los Angeles (AL) and retired all three batters he faced...Retired the one batter he faced in his second big league game on 6/25 at Seattle in front of friends and family from his nearby hometown of Kirkland, WA...Was optioned back to Indy on 6/26 and finished the season in the minor leagues...Posted a 2.77 ERA (13.0ip/4er) in 10 games during the month of August...Was sent to Minnesota on 10/5 to complete the trade made for Justin Morneau on 8/31...Was re-acquired by the Pirates in a deal for pitcher Kris Johnson on 10/18.
2012
Went 2-2 with five saves and a 2.29 ERA (55.0ip/14er) in 41 combined games between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A
Indianapolis...Began season with Altoona, where he went 5-for-5 in save situations and pitched at least 2.0 innings in four of his five saves...
Posted a 1.42 ERA (12.2ip/2er) and four saves in his eight games with the Curve in May...Was promoted to Indianapolis on 5/25 and made four
straight scoreless appearances (5.0ip) to start his Triple-A career...Gave up three runs, including his lone homer in 2012, in 1.2ip and suffered
loss on 6/7 at Pawtucket...Was charged with just a total of five runs in his final 25.0 innings/21 appearances, beginning on 6/9 (1.80 ERA).
2011
Went 4-5 with six saves and a 2.76 ERA (62.0ip/19er) in a career-high 44 minor league games...Allowed just two home
runs...Began season with Class-A Bradenton, where he ranked second on the staff in appearances and saves...Posted a 1.30 ERA (34.2ip/5er)
in his final 24 games with the Marauders, beginning with the action on 5/23...Notched first save on 6/20 vs. Jupiter...Picked up a save in
three straight appearances from 8/3-8...Was charged with an earned run in just four of his last 27 games with Bradenton...Was promoted to
Double-A Altoona on 8/13...Did not allow a hit in his first two games with the Curve (2.0ip) before giving up six hits and five runs in 1.0ip on
8/19 at Reading...Was charged with just one earned run in his final five games (7.0ip)...Picked up lone win with Altoona on 8/25 at Binghamton.
2010
Split season between Class-A West Virginia and Bradenton - his first season used exclusively in relief...Went 1-2 with five saves and
a 3.66 ERA (46.2ip/19er) in 40 games...Began season with West Virginia and picked up his lone win in third outing on 4/27 at Kannapolis;
he walked the bases loaded in the game before striking out the side...Went seven straight appearances (8.0ip) without allowing a hit from
5/8-24...Earned a save in three consecutive outings between 5/20-24...Picked up final save with West Virginia in his last game with the club
on 6/27 at Greensboro...Held opposing hitters to a .198 batting average while pitching with the Power...Was promoted to Bradenton on 6/29
and gave up just one hit in his first five games (3.2ip) with the Marauders thru 7/17...Suffered lone loss with Bradenton on 8/31 at St. Lucie...
Held opponents to a .182 average, which included a .107 clip to right-handed batters (6-for-56)...Surrendered just two home runs (both with
Bradenton) with the two clubs.
2009
Spent entire season with West Virgina...Began season in starting rotation before being moved to bullpen on 7/2...Went 0-8 with a 5.59
ERA (67.2ip/42er) in his 15 starts and 0-3 with a 6.21 ERA (33.1ip/23er) in 16 relief appearances...Ranked third in the South Atlantic League in
walks and tied for fourth in losses...Picked up first professional save in second career relief outing on 7/6 vs. Lakewood...Tossed 3.0 scoreless
innings while recording his second save on 8/11 at Hickory.
2008
Spent full season in the South Atlantic League pitching with Hickory...Ranked second on staff and established minor league career
highs in starts and innings pitched...Ranked second in the league in losses...Posted a 1.29 ERA in two games in April and tossed 5.0 scoreless
innings while picking up first win on 5/22 vs. Columbus...Lost five straight decisions from 6/2 thru 7/5 before winning second game on 7/11 at
Hagerstown...Also snapped a personal five-game losing streak with a victory in his last start on 9/1 vs. Greensboro.
2007
Spent first professional season with State College after being selected by Pittsburgh in the second round of the First-Year Player Draft...
Was charged with two earned runs or less in each of his seven starts...Suffered loss in first start on 7/11 vs. Oneonta...Picked up first win in
third start on 7/21 at Staten Island...Tossed 5.0 scoreless innings and won second game on 8/2 at Auburn.
