Jared Jones bolsters bid for spot in rotation as Pirates beat Braves

Jared Jones made his best case yet Saturday for a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation to start the season.

Jones threw four scoreless innings against a lineup filled with Atlanta Braves major leaguers in a 4-2 Pirates victory, the second of two split-squad games the team played Saturday. Jones allowed two singles, walked one and struck out four.

Jones, a 22-year-old second-round pick from the 2020 draft, hasn’t allowed an earned run in 11 ¹⁄₃ innings this spring. He has struck out 10 and walked three.

Jones allowed only one runner in the first three innings (a Matt Olson walk) then ran into a little trouble in the fourth. He gave up a leadoff single to Ozzie Albies, then got Austin Riley to ground into a double play. Then he allowed a single to Olson before Marcell Ozuna hit into a forceout.

Jack Suwinski had a big day at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a two-run homer off Charlie Morton in the first inning. It was his fourth homer of the spring.

Billy McKinney, a roster hopeful who plays outfield and first base, also homered off Morton in the third. He has a .475 on-base percentage this spring.

Mitch Keller, meanwhile, didn’t need to impress anyone to earn a spot in the Pirates rotation, but he did anyway in a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers earlier in the day.

Keller also threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk and striking out three. He’s 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 spring innings.

Andrew McCutchen and Ke’Bryan Hayes each had a pair of hits. Henry Davis drove them both in with an RBI double in the bottom of the first off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Bryan Reynolds went 1 for 2 with a walk in a rare start in right field.

Veteran minor leaguer Dustin Peterson homered in the eighth.

Bailey Falter, a lefty also making a bid for a rotation spot, was not as effective. He was touched up for five runs on seven hits, including two homers, in 2 ²⁄₃ innings.