WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jared Jones only found out that he was set to start the Pittsburgh Pirates' home opener on Friday when his father texted him.
Even then, the 22-year-old rookie right-hander remained doubtful.
“He said, ‘Hey, did you know you’re set for the home opener?’ No, I’m not. Stop,” Jones said, with a grin. “He goes, ‘No, seriously.’ That’s pretty cool.”
After striking out 10 players in an impressive major league first appearance on Saturday at Miami, Jones described it as “a great honor” to be on the mound against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez at 4:12 p.m. on Friday at PNC Park.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton said fans are in for a treat with Jones, a 2020 second-round pick who came close to hitting triple digits on his four-seam fastball and displayed a strong slider while allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings in the 9-3 win over the Marlins.
“I think they’re gonna be really excited to see him pitch in that game,” Shelton said. “We haven’t seen much faze him and we’re really excited about getting home in front of the crowd. It should be a fun day.”
