After his previous start on Sept. 18, Johan Oviedo said he was able to bounce back from some troubles out of the gate by slowing down his tempo and focusing on executing pitches.
It's a luxury the Pirates' right-hander is not going to have for much longer. The pitch clock is on its way in 2023, and while Oviedo's pace should be fine for the new rule next season, he has been prone to some longer at-bats and innings, both in terms of pitch count and the time between pitches.
On Saturday, he showed he can work effectively and quickly, getting into a groove early against the Cubs at PNC Park and rolling to seven shutout innings, closing his night by retiring the final 16 batters he faced, setting the Pirates up for a 6-0 win to snap an eight-game losing streak.