Yogi Berra once started a famous quote by saying that 90 percent of the game was mental. This is something Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rob Scahill can certainly relate to.
“Physically the tools were always there, mentally I had to get over a hump,” Scahill said. “I think I’m getting to the top of that mental hump and trying to get over it.”
Scahill has translated this into success to the tune of one earned run allowed in 13.1 innings of work, good for a 0.68 ERA.
“He’s pitched all different parts of the lineup, this isn’t a guy who is bottom feeding every time he goes out there,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s pitched late, he’s been walked off, he’s been challenged all over the place and has really shown up. He showed up in a good place and felt this was a really good opportunity. He thought he had something to prove and it’s an arm that plays.”
“I know if I execute my pitch I have more of a chance of getting a guy out so it’s just a matter of committing and believing in myself, my catcher and my team,” said Scahill.
Mental humps are at times very hard to correct. Scahill’s first step was recognizing the problem.
“My 93-95 [miles-per-hour] is good enough to get people out but I was trying to throw every pitch 100 and then I’d fall behind,” Scahill said. “I’d lose guys and I’d throw completely worthless pitches. It was a bad situation so now I know that 93-94 sinkers, they’re going to play here. You have a great infield and a great outfield it’s just letting them make plays.”
Pitching coach Ray Searage expressed confidence in Scahill who was acquired in a trade and overcoming this mental hurdle.
“We knew he had good stuff,” Searage said. “Overthrowing is a little bit of not trusting yourself. We stayed positive with him no matter if he had a bad outing or a good outing. We just made him feel comfortable and he’s settling in really nice.”
The second step is solving the issue, something the Pirates have been able to do.
A big emphasis of this is coming into the team and buying into the Pirate way. Searage wants his pitchers to get ahead with strike one and try to make things happen in three pitches or less. He also wants pitchers who throw inside.
“The Pirate way is that we have a swagger about us, we don’t back down from anybody,” said Searage. “We want to throw the first punch. We’re the ones that are going to be on the attack all the time and we pitch inside and we pitch inside for strikes, purpose and confrontation and we go from there.”
Scahill already was able to pitch inside and it was a matter of him adjusting to the other two core values, something that he felt has happened.
“I’ve been getting some consistent work recently and it’s been good just having that they believe in me here,” said Scahill. “I’ve really bought into the Pirates system and the Pirate way. It’s mentally helped me more than anything.”
Currently Scahill is 1-2 on the season, one of the losses was because of an unearned run and the other was a multi-inning outing May 1 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Scahill picked up his first victory of the season May 9 against the same Cardinals, pitching a scoreless sixth inning.
Confidence is a big thing with pitchers. Hurdle believes Scahill’s confidence level is at an all-time high. Searage agrees.
“The confidence with himself is the way he’s conducting himself out there on the bump,” Searage said. “It doesn’t matter what happens, it’s just the way you make pitches and execute your game plan against that part of the lineup at that certain time and that’s what he does.”
Scahill believes that he has come to a point where he has a handle on his game and that is what has helped him become a more confident pitcher.
“A lot times I focused on my career on things I couldn’t control and I’m at a point now where I know I can do it,” Scahill said.
Rubber Match: Jeff Locke [2-2] will face Tyler Lyons [0-0] in the deciding game of the three-game series between the Pirates and the Cardinals this afternoon at 1:35 p.m.
With the Cardinals trotting a lefty out on the mound, Pedro Alvarez will get the day off, with Corey Hart replacing him at first base. Josh Harrison will get back into the lineup at second base in place of Neil Walker.
Lyons, who is 0-2 in his career against the Pirates, has replaced Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright in the rotation. Wainwright is out for the season with an Achilles injury.
Photo credit: Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports
