It wasn’t the result Jared Jones was looking for in his second major-league start and first in front of the home fans. But there is one thing he was sure of following Friday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Orioles at PNC Park.
“My stuff plays,” Jones said. “That’s first and foremost, and that’s what’s most encouraging about getting up here and pitching the way I’m pitching so far.”
In an encore to his 10-strikeout performance against the Marlins in Miami last weekend, Jones lined up as the team’s starter for the home opener and showed those excited about his arrival why that excitement is warranted. Jones navigated his way through one of the tougher lineups in baseball, allowing two earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. The lone runs came on solo homers by Ryan O’Hearn in the second inning and Gunnar Henderson in the third.
When describing Jones and what he’s shown through two outings against major-league hitters, Derek Shelton was clearly on the same page as his young right-hander.
“His stuff plays,” he said. “That’s one of the best lineups in baseball right there. They grind through at-bats, they put the ball in play, which we saw in the seventh. They didn’t hit a ton of balls hard but they put the ball in play. And he was very impressive.”
