BRADENTON, Fla. — Braxton Ashcraft has been doing some of his best work when nobody’s watching, on the back fields where he’s been able to perfect the shape and usage of his spin pitches.
Then again, Ashcraft has been pretty darn impressive in front of fans, too.
Facing a solid Tigers lineup during a 3-1 Pirates victory Wednesday night at LECOM Park, Ashcraft pitched into the sixth inning while allowing just one run, walking none and striking out eight — six on curveballs and two using his slider.
It was an outing that reminded of Ashcraft’s devastating stuff, his mid-to-upper 90s heat mixed with a few knee-buckling offerings that proved troublesome for Detroit.
“That was just a big point of emphasis, to get [the curveball] down in the zone with depth,” said Ashcraft, who tied Bubba Chandler for the most strikeouts in a game by a Pirates pitcher this spring. “Being able to nail that, it was fun.”
Ashcraft piled up three strikeouts in the first, the second and third of those coming by when he froze left fielder Riley Greene and catcher Dillon Dingler, respectively. He did the same to second baseman Javy Baez in the third.
It wasn’t until Baez swung through a slider to end the fourth that Ashcraft secured a strikeout with something other than his curveball, and he opened the fifth by getting third baseman Zach McKinstry looking on the same pitch.
Overall, Ashcraft threw 55 of his 81 pitches for strikes and finished the game with 10 whiffs.
Even the run the Tigers scored against Ashcraft was due to a defensive game that was looser than manager Don Kelly would’ve liked. That particular sequence featured a play the Pirates absolutely need Oneil Cruz to make during the regular season.
But it didn’t matter much on a night where Ashcraft was in complete control.
“Ball was coming out of his hand really well,” Kelly said. “He spun it well and was able to throw multiple pitches in different counts and throw them for strikes. I thought he attacked really well.”
It’s been that way for much of the spring for Ashcraft, who enjoyed what has been a rarity for him this past winter: good health.
The 6-foot-5 righty has battled injuries at various points of his career, but over the offseason he was actually able to work on his body and the nuance of pitching as opposed to merely trying to get healthy.
Turns out that sort of thing is important. Ashcraft in four spring starts totaling 13 1/3 innings has a 2.03 ERA while walking one and striking out 16.
“Being able to close out last season healthy, going through a healthy offseason and getting a good body of work in … then coming back here feeling good, it makes for a really productive spring,” Ashcraft said.
As a rookie last year, Ashcraft went 4-4 in 26 games (eight starts), pitching to a 2.71 ERA in 69 2/3 innings at the Major League level. He walked 24 and struck out 71, flashing a pitch mix and the type of potential the Pirates have liked for years.
It certainly looks like he's poised to take another step in his development this season.
“I think the health is the biggest thing," Kelly said. "He’s always working on something, and he continues to do that, continues to work on refining his craft. Whether it’s a certain pitch or location, he continues to dive into that.
"Him having the success that he had last year and seeing that the work ethic has remained the same, if not ticked up, and how he’s trying to attack different things, it has been great to see.”
‘I needed it’
On the offensive side, Tyler Callihan enjoyed his biggest welcome-to-the-Pirates moment so far with his fourth-inning home run, which came off Tigers starter Casey Mize.
Callihan got an 0-1 four-seamer up and pulled it over the right-field fence. It’s something he’ll have the opportunity to do more at PNC Park this season.
Acquired for Kyle Nicolas on March 4, Callihan was happy with some of the work he’s been doing in Bradenton. But he hasn’t been getting the results, the two hits accounting for half of his entire Pirates total.
“It felt great,” Callihan said. “I needed it. Been working on some stuff, and it's nice to see it finally pay off.”
That work has involved the load in Callihan’s swing, something he said has been a lot better in the cages of late.
Callihan has also been playing more third base, a position he could potentially help address as a backup or if the Pirates saw a need to bump Jared Triolo over to shortstop.
Either way, Callihan can certainly help his cause hitting balls over the fence. Teams always like that.
“It's good to have that feedback from the game,” Callihan said. “You can do whatever you want in BP and feel as good as you want. But if it doesn't come in the game, it doesn't really matter.”
The Pirates scored their first two runs in the second inning. They came on a Joey Bart single and Oneil Cruz’s sacrifice fly. Dennis Santana returned and struck out two in a scoreless seventh.
Lowe’s big effort
Brandon Lowe has been involved with the Children’s Dream Fund since making his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. The Children’s Dream Fund is a nonprofit that grants personalized dream experienced for children ages 3 to 21 with life-threatening illnesses in West Central Florida.
When it came to the 8-year-old boy Lowe met on Wednesday, it could have not come with a quicker or more resounding yes from the Pirates second baseman.
King Solomon was diagnosed with liver cancer less than a year ago, his mom (Bridgette) said. But he was declared cancer-free and rang the celebratory bell on Jan. 21.
King’s favorite baseball player is Lowe, and he thought he was coming to a game to see him … until he learned that he’d also be throwing a ceremonial first pitch to Lowe.
“It was very surprising,” King said.
King was stoked, obviously. And a little nervous, too. But he’s an avid football and baseball player, and the Solomons — from Clearwater, Fla. — actually just got back from a trip to Breckenridge, Colo. where he saw snow for the first time.
“To hear something like that, it definitely gives you perspective,” Lowe said.
Bridgette said King’s cancer was detected during a routine physical. He underwent “some pretty harsh chemo,” and the tumor was ultimately resected.
“It was amazing that they put this together,” Bridgette said. “He wasn’t expecting that."
Lowe and his wife, Madison, have been avid supporters of the Children’s Dream Fund. The Lowes every year attended the organization’s Rays on the Runway fundraiser, while Brandon would routinely visit with anyone the organization ever wanted to bring to Rays game.
“It’s another way we can help and do things,” Lowe said. “I love doing it. They’re always some of the happiest kids and families you’d ever want to meet.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.