Still searching for answers, Ortiz picks up where he left off in majors

Ortiz would walk two more and allow a pair of runs in a 30-pitch second inning. At that point, the book on his afternoon was pretty much set. Gone was his chance at a quality start or really any chance of going terribly deep into the game.

For a first start back from the minors, Ortiz didn't do much to differentiate where he left off when the Pirates optioned him last month.

"I was just trying to do my job and did not execute my pitches," Ortiz said. "That was it."

If you want to cherry pick, there were things to take out of this start. He cut down on the horizontal cut the four-seamer tends to get, which maximizes the spin and the illusion of rise. While he consistently sits in the mid- to upper-90s, that four-seamer had a below average 16.3% whiff rate in the first half of the season. On Wednesday, he got eight whiffs with it on 23 swings (34.8%).

But it's hard to cherry pick when the game's results once again failed to live up to his stuff's potential. He had shown signs of taking a step forward in the minors, but it didn't translate to his first time back in the majors.

Shelton said the team hasn't had conversations of if this was just a spot start for Ortiz or if he will be given some runway in a currently thin rotation. If it is the former, it seems safe to assume he will get another call to the majors again before the year is through because of the team's limited starter options. If it's the latter, maybe he can get back to what he was doing well with Indianapolis.

"In the minor leagues, recently, he had been throwing the ball more on the plate," Shelton said. "You cannot walk five guys in four innings and expect not to give up runs."

Ortiz's shakiness undermined what was a valiant comeback attempt by the Pirates, though they couldn't get the big hit all afternoon. After a one hour and 32 minute rain delay in the sixth inning, the Pirates loaded the bases with one out, but only managed to scratch one run across on a Jason Delay ground out. Josh Palacios had a chance to tie the game in the third and the ninth inning, but fell short on both occasions. Andrew McCutchen had his first career three-double game, but did not drive in or score a run.

Still, the Pirates managed to score four runs, and they entered 47-17 in games where they plated at least that many. With one of the top pitching prospects on the mound, it would seem like a recipe to complete a series sweep. But with Ortiz still searching in the majors, that failed to come to fruition.

And needless to say, for this rebuild to take the next step in 2024, the Pirates are going to need contributions from Ortiz. He, Quinn Priester and Roansy Contreras have all seemed to regress or plateau with their development this season. That simply can't happen to three of their top young pitchers.

Postgame, Ortiz was asked what he is going to keep working on, and declined to go into any specifics. He did, however, end the thought confidently.

"I'm going to get there."