Carmen Mlodzinski silenced doubters, striking out New York Mets sluggers en route to a crucial Pittsburgh Pirates victory.
The Pittsburgh Pirates shifted Carmen Mlodzinski from reliever to starter last spring. The transition failed.
After converting to a starter, Mlodzinski went 1-4 with a 4.99 ERA in 12 starts to begin the season. He was then optioned to Triple-A. Upon returning to the major leagues, he pitched in relief and had a 2.15 ERA in 22 games.
Thus, it seemed Mlodzinski would be a career-long reliever. However, neither he nor the Pirates gave up on the idea of the 27-year-old starting. After a strong spring training performance this year, he earned another shot at a starting role and won a spot in the rotation.
That decision certainly looked wise on Sunday. Mlodzinski made his season debut in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 victory over the Mets in 10 innings at Citi Field in New York. In doing so, the Pirates salvaged one game in the season-opening three-game series.
Next, Pittsburgh and the Reds open a three-game series on Monday night at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Braxton Ashcraft (4-4, 2.71 ERA in 2025) will start for Pittsburgh against Chase Burns (0-3, 4.57).
Mlodzinski did not finish the fifth inning Sunday, but he impressed by setting a career high with eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs on six hits and issued no walks.
Mlodzinski’s highlight was striking out the Mets’ top three hitters—Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette—in order in both the first and third innings.
“Probably the dugout presence more this year than last year,” Pirates manager Don Kelly told reporters when asked what he thought was the most impressive part of Mlodzinski’s day. “I think he's someone that really believes in himself as a starter, as I do.”
Kelly also thought Mlodzinski kept his game plan simpler than when he started last season.
“Just get the next guy out and not think too far in the future,” Kelly said. “We're trying to set guys up a certain way. Just really good body language and mentality in the dugout between innings.”
Mlodzinski was also able to rack up strikeouts without relying on the splitter, which is his best pitch. He got five punchouts with his four-seam fastball. He added two more with the split and one with a curveball.
Mlodzinski and catcher Henry Davis were in concert throughout.
I think we had a good game plan going in, and we read what their swings are doing,” Mlodzinski said. “I thought the fastballs were good today. That's not necessarily my strength, but in a game where the hitters are kind of telling you they might be a little bit late or looking for something else, stuck with something that would traditionally be a weakness. So, it was definitely kudos to Henry for making adjustments in the game.”
Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.