It got to a point where the Pittsburgh Pirates could not rely on Richard Rodriguez any longer.
Yet as the calendar page flipped into June, Rodriguez began to find his footing. He has yet to allow an earned run for the month to date — though he has been scored upon, the runs were not charged to him — and has limited walks. How’s he doing it?
Rodriguez has always been a two-pitch reliever — four-seam and slider — but he has leaned in to his heat in June to the tune of a 91.