\n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","thumbnail_url":null,"type":"oembed","width":550,"contentType":"rich"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Left-hander Steven Brault took to Twitter to compliment Glasnow, calling him \"untouchable.\" Starter Chad Kuhl also raved about Glasnow's six-strikeout performance against the Orioles. \"That's what we've seen,\" Kuhl said. \"If he adds that changeup, sky's the limit for him.\" • Catcher Francisco Cervelli (right foot) has yet to play in a Grapefruit League game. Hurdle said it could happen \"possibly soon.\" • Catcher Chris Stewart is healthy but likely won't play during the first week of games, part of the plan to ease him into action following September knee surgery.","type":"text"}],"relativeSiteUrl":"/news/bucs-clay-holmes-fans-4-in-spring-debut-c217254282","contentType":"news","subHeadline":"Pirates prospect strikes out 4 in 2 innnings","summary":"DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Before Monday, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle had only seen right-hander Clay Holmes on video or throwing to his own teammates in Spring Training.Holmes left a pretty good first impression in his Grapefruit League debut, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out four in the Pirates' 2-1 win","tagline({\"formatString\":\"none\"})":"[**Adam Berry**](mailto:adam.berry@mlb.com) has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since 2015. Follow him on **[Twitter](http://twitter.com/adamdberry/)** and **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/adamberrymlb/)**, read his **[blog](http://adamdberry.mlblogs.com/)** and listen to his **[podcast](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pittsburgh-pirates-podcast/id902526136?mt=2)**.","tags":[{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-605280","title":"Clay Holmes","person":{"__ref":"Person:605280"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"TeamTag","slug":"teamid-134","title":"Pittsburgh Pirates","team":{"__ref":"Team:134"},"type":"team"},{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"hbmig-team-id-134","title":"HBmig 134","type":"unsupported"},{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"hbmig-event-prospect","title":"HBmig Prospect","type":"unsupported"},{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"hbmig-archive-element-news-mlb","title":"HBmig MLB News Archive ","type":"unsupported"},{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"hbmig-event-spring-training","title":"HBmig Spring Training","type":"unsupported"},{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"storytype-article","title":"Article","type":"article"}],"type":"story","thumbnail":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/cn2hp5xwciiflmk7ljfa","title":"Bucs' Clay Holmes fans 4 in spring debut"}},"Person:605280":{"__typename":"Person","id":605280},"Team:134":{"__typename":"Team","id":134}}}
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Holmes impresses Hurdle in spring debut
Holmes impresses Hurdle in spring debut
Pirates prospect strikes out 4 in 2 innnings
February 27th, 2017
Adam Berry
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Before Monday, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle had only seen right-hander Clay Holmes on video or throwing to his own teammates in Spring Training. Holmes left a pretty good first impression in his Grapefruit League debut, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out four in the Pirates' 2-1 win over the Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. The 6-foot-5 right-hander touched 97 mph with his fastball, mixed in his relatively new slider-cutter and tossed a few curveballs while holding Toronto to one hit and a walk. • Spring:Tickets | Ballpark | 40-man roster | NRIs "The fastball's real with some life," Hurdle said. "You saw downhill angle, extreme downhill angle." The Pirates added Holmes, their No. 11 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, to their 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. The 23-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014, sat out most of 2015 and returned to pitch for Double-A Altoona last season. Holmes finished 10-9 with a 4.22 ERA in 136 1/3 innings over 26 starts. He experienced the inconsistency that often follows Tommy John returnees in their first year back but found a comfort zone toward the end of the season. "Getting back to that spot as quick as I can here in Spring Training has kind of been my goal," Holmes said. "That first year back, you have your peaks and valleys. When I picked up a ball this offseason, I finally started to feel like I could be athletic with my arm." Holmes is at least a year away from making a run at the Pirates rotation, but it's not difficult to see why Pittsburgh values him. He showed it Monday. He fits their preferred profile as a big, hard-throwing right-handed starter who pounds the bottom of the strike zone. "I felt great today. There was definitely some adrenaline and excitement being out there," Holmes said. "I feel like I handled that well and still stayed within myself and executed some pitches." Around the horn
• Tyler Glasnow's dominant two-inning stint Sunday was the talk of Pirates camp on Monday. Tony Watson was pleased to hear Glasnow effectively used the slide-step he picked up from the closer -- the one Watson once learned from former Pirates closer Jason Grilli and bullpen coach Euclides Rojas.
Baseball speak 101:
Cambio: change up Texas leaguer: weak pop up hit@TGlasnow :Untouchable#PiratesST
Left-hander Steven Brault took to Twitter to compliment Glasnow, calling him "untouchable." Starter Chad Kuhl also raved about Glasnow's six-strikeout performance against the Orioles. "That's what we've seen," Kuhl said. "If he adds that changeup, sky's the limit for him." • Catcher Francisco Cervelli (right foot) has yet to play in a Grapefruit League game. Hurdle said it could happen "possibly soon." • Catcher Chris Stewart is healthy but likely won't play during the first week of games, part of the plan to ease him into action following September knee surgery.