Pirates Southpaw Gets Revenge on White Sox
In this story:
CHICAGO — Facing your former team is no easy task, especially after playing for them earlier on in the same season, but one Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher made it look easy.
Pirates left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert excelled against the Chicago White Sox, escaping a tough situation and shutting down a solid offense.
Eisert finished with 2.1 innings pitched and posted five strikeouts with no baserunners, keeping his former team at bay and playing a big role in the Pirates' 4-2 victory at Rate Field on Sept. 9.
It was a great outing from Eisert and one that bodes well for his future with the Pirates after a tough start.
How Eisert Took Down HIs Former Team
The Pirates brought Eisert in the bottom of the second inning in relief of right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar, who made a spot start.
Bachar got two outs, but also walked a batter and allowed a single, putting two runners on before Eisert came in to face left-handed hitting White Sox catcher Kyle Teel.
The plan worked, as Eisert struck out Teel, getting him swinging on a 92.6 mph four-seam fastball over the plate.
Eisert then got a lineout and a flyout to start the next two innings, with two strikeouts in each inning, keeping the Pirates in the game.
"It felt good," Eisert said on his outing. "Just tried to attack the zone. Especially going in there, trying to strand the runners first and foremost. Then, knowing it’s a bullpen day, going as long as I could to help the team. We used a lot of pitchers today, so just tried to cover as many innings as possible."
Eisert used his four-seam fastball and slider to success, with three strikeouts on his slider and two strikeouts on his fastball, while throwing them 80.5% of the time.
Brandon Eisert Pitch Usage vs. White Sox
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Slider | 42% (15/36) | 85.0 mph |
4-Seam Fastball | 39% (14/36) | 90.8 mph |
Changeup | 11% (4/36) | 85.6 mph |
Sinker | 8% (3/36) | 89.5 mph |
"Everything felt good," Eisert said on his pitch mix. "Just trying to get ahead early. Started the first batter 2-0 and just tried to attack with fastballs to get back into it. The next one tried to get ahead, mix offspeed and fastball. Just trying to locate it well."
Pirates manager Don Kelly said they wanted at least four innings out of Bachar and Eisert and that Eisert played a big role in the win.
“Command was good, and he threw it all for strikes." Kelly said on Eisert. "To get up close to 40 pitches and go 2 1/3, come in with inherited runners, and get through two innings through the heart of their lineup, it was a big outing from him.”
Eisert joined the Pirates from the White Sox, along with infielder Jacob Gonzalez, in a trade on July 10, marking the first time he faced his former team.
It was a weird experience for Eisert, but he met up with some of his former teammates, whom he would eventually face on the mound, which he thought was a benefit for him.
"It can help," Eisert said on facing a former team. "You’ve seen them play a lot. You kind of know their tendencies a little bit more. You still have to stick to your own game plan. You know their strengths and weaknesses a little bit more because you had more eyes on them versus other teams."
Eisert Bounces Back After Tough Start With Pirates
It was not great for Eisert after the trade, as he struggled greatly with the Pirates, posting a 7.71 ERA over seven innings and seven appearances, with a .345 BAA and a 2.00 WHIP.
The Pirates sent Eisert down to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 29 and he excelled, posting a 2.08 ERA over 10 outings and 13 innings pitched, 18 strikeouts to three walks, a .093 BAA and a 0.54 WHIP.
Eisert rejoined the Pirates as one of two extra spots for the September roster expansion and has thrown four scoreless innings over three outings.
August was a long month for Eisert, but instead of getting down on himself, he focused and got back to work so he could eventually return to the major leagues.
"Really just trying to fill up the zone," Eisert said on his work in Triple-A. "Get ahead, work on landing offspeed early, especially the changeup more for strikes for right-handed hitters. That helped me out, and mixing different pitches. Trying to locate everything better."
Eisert's hard work has paid off, as he's getting after hitters better than he was before and relying on his best pitches, resulting in better outings.
"I think so," Eisert said. "Been more aggressive in the zone, trying to get some weak contact. Mixing in two-seams to lefties has helped create some weaker contact. Just trying to stay aggressive and help the team any way I can."
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.