Despite spring statistics, Jose Quintana on track for starting job as Pirates tie Toronto

When the Toronto Blue Jays turned a pair of plays that glanced off the gloves of Pittsburgh Pirates infielders into a pair of runs, they counted against Jose Quintana’s spring training statistics.

That didn’t faze the 33-year-old left-hander, who signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Pirates for the opportunity to be a starting pitcher after spending most of last season in the bullpen.

Quintana focused more on his buildup, throwing 54 pitches in four innings, than he did on allowing two runs on four hits and a walk with one strikeout in a 6-6 tie Friday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.

“Spring training is the only chance you have to get ready for the season,” Quintana said. “It’s really important to do good. If you don’t get results, the most important thing is you’re throwing the ball well.”

Quintana was more effective but less efficient against Toronto than he was Sunday against the New York Yankees, when he threw 32 of his 48 pitches for strikes but gave up three home runs in three innings.

In three spring training starts, Quintana has allowed 11 earned runs on 15 hits, including four home runs, as opponents are batting .395 against him. Those numbers wouldn’t win most major-league pitchers a spot in the starting rotation let alone the honor of pitching on Opening Day.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton hasn’t named a starter for the opener April 7 at St. Louis, but Quintana is lined up to be it. The hope is Quintana can provide veteran leadership for a young staff. He has pitched 200 or more innings five times and has almost twice as many career innings (1,558) as the other six candidates combined (818).

“It’s a big responsibility,” Quintana told AT&T SportsNet during an in-game interview. “I’m happy with that. I think in the past, a lot of guys have helped me a lot and given me really good tips. I was blessed to play with a lot of really good pitchers, a couple guys who are going to be Hall of Famers. It’s great. Now I feel like I can help people, and I’m really open to helping this group of guys.

“I enjoy it a lot. I want to win. No matter what happens, we’re here for one goal. Some people don’t pay attention to us, but we have a really good group of pitchers. We’re going to be good.”

The Blue Jays capitalized off a pair of ricochets to score twice in the third inning. Nathan Lukes singled to short off Quintana’s glove and scored when Sebastian Espino singled off the glove of second baseman Kevin Newman and into right field. Cavan Biggio hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Gosuke Katoh for a 2-0 lead.

After looking at a called third strike with the bases loaded in the first inning, Pirates catcher Roberto Perez drove one over the left-center fence for his first home run of spring in the fourth to make it 2-1.

The Blue Jays increased their lead in the seventh on a Tanner Morris bases-loaded, two-run single to right field off reliever Austin Brice to make it 4-1. Pirates outfielder Bligh Madris answered with a two-run homer to right-center, his third of the spring, to cut it to 4-3.

The Pirates loaded the bases against Ryan Borucki in the eighth, but Andrew Vasquez came in to strike out Cole Tucker for the final out.

Toronto added two more runs in the ninth for a 6-3 lead, when Addison Berger doubled down the left-field line and Zac Cook scored on a throwing error when Madris spiked the ball into the ground and it rolled away. Trevor Schweke drove in Berger with a sacrifice fly to left.

Pirates minor-leaguer Tsung-Che Cheng tied it with one out in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run homer to center.

JT Brubaker is scheduled to start against Nathan Eovaldi when the Pirates visit the Boston Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. Saturday at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers.