BRADENTON, Fla. – The slider remains a work in progress, but left-hander Matt Boyd was encouraged by some he threw in his latest start, and so was Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.
“I thought his stuff was good,” Ausmus said. “Threw some good change-ups, good slider.”
The Tigers lost, 9-5, to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday at McKechnie Field.
Boyd allowed four runs in the fourth inning, but it wasn’t all because of poor pitches. Josh Harrison’s bouncer up the middle got past Boyd and shortstop Jose Iglesias for a double.
“I should have had that,” Boyd said.