Brubaker dominates before frantic finish

When a game lasts 14 innings, the starting pitchers can seem like afterthoughts. Jonathan Brubaker stayed involved in his game even after leaving after six. While performing his post-pitching exercises in the clubhouse, he watched a wild finish on television as Class A Short Season West Virginia outlasted State College, 4-3, in 14 innings.

Brubaker allowed one hit and one walk while striking out four in his 11th New York-Penn League start. The Pirates prospect gave up only a leadoff single in the second to Orlando Olivera, who was erased on a double play. He induced nine ground-ball outs while lowering his ERA to 3.33.

"That double play was big," Brubaker said. "[Shortstop Erik] Forgione made another nice play on a pretty hard-hit ground ball on a short hop later in the game. There was really good defense behind me all game."

State College scored two in the ninth to tie it and, after the Black Bears took the lead in the top of the 13th, almost won it in the bottom of the inning. Leobaldo Pina re-tied it with an RBI triple and Jose Godoy walked before Casey Grayson delivered an apparent game-winning single. But Godoy never made it to the second base before the Spikes celebrated and West Virginia was successful on an appeal play.

"I think the umpires got it right," Brubaker said. "If the coaches and players are saying he didn't touch the base, then he probably didn't."

In the 14th, Forgione scored from second on Christian Kelly's single and the Black Bears sealed the win with a double play. And it was Brubaker who kept them ahead most of the way.

"That's usually the goal: Go there and get ground-ball outs within three to four pitches, attack hitters and put them away when I have a chance," the 21-year-old right-hander said. 

Brubaker's putaway pitch is his slider. He also throws a fastball that tops out at 94 mph along with a changeup and curve.

"My changeup has come along a lot. I didn't throw it in college as much as I should have, so I lost the feel for it. I only threw it to lefties every so often. But I'm working on that and a 12-to-6 curve," the University of Akron product said.

Coming out of a game despite being effective is a decision Brubaker understands.

"The Pirates organization does good job of looking out for us. Any pitcher would want to continue to go, but they are thinking long term," he said. "They want us to develop and move on and stay healthy."

It's especially important since Brubaker wrapped up his junior season at Akron this spring. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Ohio native said he knew he could be a professional pitcher during his first two years in college. So did his coach, Rick Rembielak.

"When we recruited J.T. during the summer after his junior year in high school, he was a skinny, lanky young kid who threw in the low 80s," Rembielak said. "His arm action was loose and it was easy to project an eventual high-velocity pitcher as his body matured and got stronger. His stuff was always good. He had to learn how to pitch with consistency."

After a junior year in which he posted a 3.65 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 30 walks over 89 1/3 innings, Brubaker was taken by the Pirates in the sixth round of the Draft. Baseball runs in the family -- Brubaker's dad, John, reached the Class A Advanced level with the Yankees.

"He taught me baseball at a young age," Brubaker said of his father. "I took to it and truly love it."