PITTSBURGH -- Pirates manager Don Kelly knew Jared Jones would be emotional. The often fiery starting pitcher delivered some added juice with blazing fastballs in his first start in 20 months.
Jones struck out six while allowing seven hits and five runs through 4 1/3 innings in Friday's 6-5 walk-off win in the series opener against the Twins at PNC Park -- his first start since Sept. 27, 2024, as he returned from surgery to repair his right UCL.
“Kind of just a mixed pile of everything,” Jones said. “Thought I threw some good pitches. Thought I threw some pretty bad ones. First one back in over 600 days or whatever it is, so I'll figure it out soon.”
Jones’ first nine fastballs were all clocked at 100 mph or higher, and he maxed out at 101.5 overall. Kelly joked that it was "safe to say" Jones was fired up for his return.
But on Jones' seventh heater, center fielder Kody Clemens turned around a 100.1 mph fastball for a solo home run. The pitch was the fastest anyone has homered off of in baseball this season. The long ball also spoiled an emotional moment out of the gate.
“The homer came too quick to soak anything in,” Jones said. “But yeah, it was really cool being back out there, being on the team. Just super grateful to be here.”
Kelly said pregame Jones would go five innings if everything went well, adding that he definitely wouldn't get to 100 pitches. Postgame, Kelly admitted that the Pirates wanted to hold Jones around 75-80 pitches, or five innings, whichever came first. In the second inning, Jones was already being pushed to his limit. He allowed a single and walked two batters to load the bases with no outs.
Jones then struck out Luke Keaschall before allowing a two-run single to No. 9 hitter Tristan Gray. The next batter, Byron Buxton, grounded into a double play to end the frame.
Jones found a bit of a groove before Trevor Larnach sent a 98 mph fastball out of the stadium and into the Allegheny River on a bounce, which gave Minnesota a 5-3 lead in the third. Jones then struck out three of his final four batters before exiting with 77 pitches and a runner on first. Left-hander Evan Sisk closed Jones’ line without any more damage.
Jones' 2024 season featured heavy fastball usage and the use of a slider 35% of the time. On Friday, he recorded 25% slider usage, and a curveball used more evenly than before at 19% (yearly average of 9%).
Jones toyed with his changeup while away from the game. He used it 15 times on Friday, and in the fourth and fifth innings it was that pitch that allowed him to produce quicker outs as his pitch count grew closer to his limit.
On Thursday, Jones was asked if he feels like a different pitcher since last taking a Major League mound. He left it on a cliffhanger saying, “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”
Jones showed similar fastball velocity as 2024, and a firepower to sit at the top of Pittsburgh’s rotation alongside Paul Skenes for the foreseeable future.