Carmen Mlodzinski dominates in a bulk reliever role with six scoreless innings.
PITTSBURGH – Critics said the Pittsburgh Pirates were wasting time in spring training by converting Carmen Mlodzinski from a reliever to a starter again.
Mlodzinski began the 2025 season as a starter, going 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA in nine starts before being optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on May 18. After returning to the Pirates on June 13, he made 25 relief appearances with a 2.12 ERA.
On Wednesday night, those critics were right—at least technically.
Mlodzinski followed opener Mason Montgomery, allowing two hits in six scoreless relief innings as Pittsburgh shut out the Nationals 2-0 at PNC Park. The Pirates (11-7) have won four of their last six and remain tied atop the NL Central with the Cincinnati Reds.
Pittsburgh has won two of three games in this four-game series, which concludes Thursday. The Pirates 'Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.12) will face Foster Griffin (2-0, 1.76).
Mlodzinski pitched the most scoreless relief innings by a Pirate in a game since Steve Cooke’s seven against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1992.
Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana then pitched one scoreless inning each to finish the three-hit shutout. The Nationals came into the game leading the major leagues with 5.82 runs a game, but their only extra-base hit was a double by Curtis Mead in the first inning.
“I thought Mason did a great job there at the top of the order,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “They've got some really good hitters. Then I thought Carmen came in and was really, really good tonight. It looked like everything was a little better synced up for delivery from Chicago. It was in the zone. Stuff was electric. He was able to throw everything for strikes and then go for swing and miss, too, when he needed to.”
After pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago Cuts in his previous start, Mlodzinski accepted a bulk relief role but is determined to keep working so it does not become routine.
Kelly’s rationale for using the left-handed Montgomery as an opener is that lefty hitters have a .731 OPS against Mlodzinski this season, while right-handed hitters are at .445.
"I'm going to do whatever they ask me to at the end of the day,” Mlodzinski said. “I think it's a reality check for me. Also, I need to be better against left-handed batters. I want to progress as a pitcher and be able to handle both sides of the plate equally. Especially as a starting pitcher, it's super important.
“I don't want to just be a matchup-based pitcher. Little bit of a reality check to be able to push forward and say I need to be better at getting left-handed hitters out."
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