BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates are approaching the portion of spring training in which it’s time to worry less about mechanics and more about competing.
Fortunately for Chad Kuhl, that rising level of urgency lined up with a bounce-back outing. After allowing eight runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings last Saturday against the Orioles, Kuhl did well enough against the Twins on Saturday at LECOM Park to be personally satisfied.
Not that he had his best fastball command, getting hit hard on several occasions over the course of 4 1/3 innings, but he used his secondary offerings — slider, curveball, changeup — well enough to pass the ‘pitchability’ test.