DENVER – It was not an easy question for
So while the 441-foot blast in the seventh inning off Rockies reliever Jesus Tinoco -- which came off the bat at 102.5 mph, according to Statcast, and landed in the second row of the second deck in right field -- was cool and all, it was Brault’s 6 1/3 stellar innings that held the most significance for a Pirates club eyeing a return to contention next year.\n\nBrault gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits, walking two and striking out five over 82 pitches, 77 of which were fastballs. The first offspeed pitch, a slider, came on pitch No. 70.\n\n“He’s done that before,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “If you watch the fastball movement, the two-seamer, the sinker played extremely well today. He had a Plan B if he needed to go to it. He didn’t need to go to it.”\n\nSunday’s start was another example of how Brault -- who began the season in the bullpen -- has been putting things together lately. His ERA is 3.41 since he returned Aug. 6 from a stint on the injured list with a left shoulder strain. He has demonstrated an ability to dominate with his raw stuff, as well as to figure out a way to pitch effectively without his best stuff.
“I think,” Brault said, “the consistency of being able to start every five or six days and being able to get the work in that I need to do, and getting more confident with all my pitches -- especially my fastball -- to throw it where I need to throw it to get hitters out, it’s been a huge progression for me, personally.”\n\nThe latest chapter in Brault’s progression coincides with a hot streak for the Pirates that has reached eight wins in 10 games. During the four-game sweep of the Rockies, the starters’ ERA was 3.75 in the altitude of Denver, another small victory to reflect on during the flight back home to Pittsburgh.\n\nThe pitching, as well as [an offense that produced 37 runs](https://www.mlb.com/pirates/news/pirates-homer-on-first-pitch-of-consecutive-games), were the most important elements of the series in Denver.\n\nBut there’s no doubt about what will be remembered the most from these four days: the Brault homer.
\n\nwait for it... pic.twitter.com/LBip4z1GpF
— Pirates (@Pirates) September 1, 2019
“He Little Leagued ’em,” Hurdle said. “Pitched ’em on the mound and then hit a home run against ’em. That doesn’t happen very often.”\n\nHurdle said a bunch of the Pirates were kidding