Brault saves 'pen, earns win with 3 IP in opener

Lefty fans three against one walk; amateur bonus pools unveiled; Musgrove starts Minors game

March 31st, 2018

DETROIT -- When slid home in the 10th inning on Friday, and started packing up their belongings in the bullpen. The game was over. Time to go home. Or was it?
"We're standing outside the bullpen with the stuff, and we're like, 'Oh, we're reviewing it. That makes sense. Might as well review it,'" Brault said. "Then we watched the replay, and we're like, 'Oh my God, he might be out!'"
Replay officials determined that Castellanos was indeed out, shocking the Tigers and sending Brault into action. Brault and Glasnow were the Pirates' only two available relievers, so the final three innings fell to Brault. The left-hander delivered what Pittsburgh needed, picking up the win in the 13-10 victory.
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"They called him out, and it was like, OK, well, now I have to get ready to go in the game," Brault said. "It was a funny, quick mental switch. It worked, but it was a little rough at first. Then I got in the zone."

Brault allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three. His proudest moment, he said, was getting Tigers slugger to swing and miss at a slider. Brault also showcased a useful changeup, a pitch he focused on during Spring Training. He threw five, according to Statcast™, and they resulted in one called strike, one whiff, two groundouts and a single.
"We've been pounding that changeup for Steven since he showed up here and continued to remind him in Triple-A," manager Clint Hurdle said. "I thought there was more effective use of it, and there was more conviction and intentionality in throwing it this spring."

As a converted starter, Brault is likely due for two days of rest after his 47-pitch outing. Evaluating the bullpen and setting roles will be an ongoing process for the Pirates early this season.
"You continue to give them the ball," Hurdle said. "There's opportunities out there for men to take hold of. You find ways to give them the ball and see what they can do with it."
Amateur bonus pools unveiled
Over the last week, all 30 clubs learned how much they have to spend in this year's MLB Draft and the 2018-19 international market. The Pirates' Draft pool is $10,390,400, above the MLB average of $8,532,320.
The Pirates have the 10th overall pick, which comes with a slot value of $4,560,200. Their Competitive Balance Round A selection, 36th overall, has a slot value of $1,967,900. Their second-round pick, 51st overall, has an assigned value of $1,382,400.
On the international front, the Pirates are in Signing Bonus Pool A, giving them $5,504,500 to spend. Signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club's bonus pool, nor do foreign professional players who are at least 25 and have played in a foreign league for at least six seasons.
Around the horn
• Right-hander Joe Musgrove, on track to join the Pirates rotation during the April 5-8 series against the Reds at PNC Park, threw 92 pitches over six innings in a Minor League game at Pirate City on Saturday. He felt good, according to the team, and came out of his start well.
• The Pirates scored 13 runs on Friday, their highest total in the first game of a season since Honus Wagner led the team to a 14-0 victory over the Reds in 1911.

• According to Baseball-Reference.com, the Pirates' 5-hour, 27-minute victory on Friday was the longest Opening Day game (by time) in Major League history.