Pirates' Jared Jones Shows He's Dominant Despite Loss
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered another disappointing loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, but Jared Jones maintained the great performances he's shown in September.
Jones gave up three runs over five runs, but tied his season-high of nine strikeouts in the 5-4 defeat to the Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 16.
He didn't quite reach the highs he set in his first two starts of the month, but Jones found success against a strong Brewers lineup.
It's a good sign that Jones is pitching the way he has in September, as he aims for a strong finish in 2026.
What Jones Did Well Against the Brewers
Jones went with his usual one-two punch of the four-seam fastball and slider against the Brewers, with which he's succeeded with this season.
One change for Jones was him utilizing his curveball more often, getting two strikeouts and three whiffs on just 13 pitches.
Jared Jones Usage + Avg. Velo vs. Brewers
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 43% (39/91) | 97.7 mph |
Slider | 37% (34/91) | 91.2 mph |
Curveball | 14% (13/91) | 84.7 mph |
Changeup | 5% (5/91) | 91.7 mph |
Jared Jones Strikeouts + Whiff Rate
Pitch | Strikeouts | Whiff Rate |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 2 | 16% (3/19) |
Slider | 5 | 40% (8/20) |
Curveball | 2 | 100% (3/3) |
Changeup | 0 | 0% (0/2) |
Jones' slider was also on point, five strikeouts and a 40% whiff rate, with 15 of his 25 strikeouts in three September starts coming on it.
The young Pirates ace was confident in what he threw against the Brewers, despite the runs he gave up.
“I thought everything was working how I wanted it to work today," Jones said. "From the execution and pitching standpoint, I thought that was one of my better games. I just got baseballed. There was not a lot of hard contact today and I gave up three runs. It is what it is.”
The Brewers scored two runs off Jones in the second inning and added another in the fifth inning before he departed after throwing 91 pitches.
Milwaukee hit four consecutive singles off Jones with two outs in the second inning, and then an RBI double in the fifth.
Jones, as he mentioned, didn't give up much hard-hit contact, just five on 13 batted ball events 38%.
It showed how tough the Brewers lineup is, something that Jones dealt with throughout his start.
“Take at-bats as they are," Jones said. "They are scrappy. They’re hard to get out. There are a lot of guys that I see in that lineup that I’m like, ‘What the hell do I throw you now?’”
Jones Still Having A Great September
The Pirates will hope Jones becomes their ace for the future, and he's shown that's possible with his September performances.
Jones threw six scoreless innings and tied his season-high of nine strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels at PNC Park on Sept.4, giving up just three hits and striking out seven batters on the slider.
He then took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Sept. 10, allowing just one hit and two walks while posting eight strikeouts over a season-high seven innings.
His 2-0 record in three starts and 1.50 ERA over 18.0 innings pitched was a great improvement from his struggles in August, a 0-4 record in five starts and a 7.40 ERA over 20.2 innings pitched.
Jones has a chance to finish 2026 as one of the Pirates' best starting pitchers and one they'll rely on heading into 2027, so his last two starts are crucial.
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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.