Stingy Taillon allows one hit over six frames

Jameson Taillon could put the ball just about exactly where he wanted to on Saturday, and it showed.

"I felt like my command was better than it has been -- not just throwing strikes, because I haven't walked anybody this year -- but actually in the strike zone, moving the ball around where I want it against hitters," he said.

In an outing which he dubbed "by far" his best since missing two whole seasons, the Pirates' fourth-ranked prospect took a no-hitter into his final frame and allowed one hit over six innings as Triple-A Indianapolis blanked Louisville, 1-0. He struck out six and hit a batter while lowering his ERA to 1.65.

The start was the longest of Taillon's three this year, and he said he believes his precision has improved each time out.

"I've always felt like the command comes with experience and experience against upper-level hitters," he said. "I've been a strike-thrower my whole life, but this is moreso about reading swings and scouting reports and knowing where to throw the ball in any count of an at-bat."

Taillon (2-0) also worked through a loud distraction -- the annual Thunder Over Louisville celebration, one of the biggest air shows in the country, which starts Kentucky Derby Week. But the flyovers didn't faze MLB.com's No. 52 overall prospect.

"I didn't really notice it. They flew over a couple times," he said. "Once I looked up between innings and saw a couple of planes flying in formation. That was pretty cool, and I have a feeling it's about to get wild in Louisville."

Taillon retired the first seven batters before plunking Carlos Triunfel in the helmet. 

"You never want to hit a guy in the head, obviously. That was a curveball, and it just kind of slipped," Taillon said. "Obviously, there was no intention there, but it definitely eases the mind to see him take first base. Even with a curveball, taking 80 mph in the head still isn't fun."

The 2010 first-round pick strung together nine consecutive outs before opposing pitcher Josh Smith ended the no-hitter with a grounder through the left side on the sixth pitch of a showdown with one out in the sixth.

"He put together a professional, competitive at-bat, and not just for a pitcher," Taillon said. "He fouled a couple pitches off and laid off a couple decent curveballs that were close to being called strikes. The fastball was probably not executed the way I wanted it, but it happens. He hit it hard on the ground and after that, I bared down and got the next two guys."

Taillon said he wasn't broken up after losing the no-hit bid.

"I knew I wasn't going to go past the sixth inning anyway, so I wasn't too too concerned," he said. "I never like to give up a hit, but I knew wasn't going to be able to finish [a no-hitter] out anyway."

Taillon threw 62 of 88 pitches for strikes, and that was enough for him at this point in the season.

"I think everyone in the Pirates organization is on the same page with this," he said. "My pitch count was pretty high. At the beginning of Spring Training, we said we're not going to just track innings but track pitches and we're going to track my recovery between starts and my bullpens. With this being April and it being only my third start, and with the injuries I've had over the last couple years, honestly, I wouldn't want to go much farther than 88 pitches. Hopefully, I can build off it going forward."

Taillon missed the 2014 campaign following Tommy John surgery, then sat out last season due to an inguinal hernia.

A night after hitting for the cycle, Pirates No. 3 prospect Josh Bell doubled, singled, stole a base and scored a run for Indianapolis.