Kevin Gorman: Steven Brault wants to make music on the mound as a starter for the Pirates
Steven Brault made a major jump for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, when he began working out of the bullpen and finished as one of their most consistent starters.
Well, with the exception of one game.
The left-hander went 4-6 with a 5.16 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 113 1/3 innings over 19 starts last season — missing a month while on the injured list with shoulder discomfort. His statistical line can be misleading if you take into consideration his horrid start in a 17-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs last Sept. 13 at Wrigley Field.
In that game, Brault allowed 10 earned runs and five home runs, including a grand slam to Anthony Rizzo, in only 2 2/3 innings. Subtract that start and Brault would have had the second-lowest ERA among Pirates starters behind Joe Musgrove (4.44).
“It’s funny to go back,” Brault said. “If somebody from the outside would look at my stats, he’d be like, ‘That sucks. He had a bad season.’ But really I had a good season and one really, really bad start that ruined it.”
That’s one reason Brault brought a greater sense of self-confidence to spring training this year. Once again, he is fighting for a spot in the starting rotation with a veteran free agent. Last year, it was Jordan Lyles; this year, it’s Derek Holland.
Either way, the Pirates are covered on quirky lefties.
After starting the season in long relief, Brault showed he could be a starter. He also proved he could hit, batting .333 with a double, a home run and two RBIs. Now, Brault wants to prove that he can be as dependable as he is versatile.
“I think I can be that, staying away from injury,” Brault said. “I want to be a guy who can go out there every five days and give you a solid outing. That’s what I’m going for.”
If Brault is brimming with confidence, it has as much to do with his offseason as anything. A trained singer who has twice performed the national anthem before Pirates games at PNC Park, Brault recorded his first album, “A Pitch at Broadway,” a collection of 12 popular songs from Broadway musicals.
Brault has been listening to the tracks of the album, which is available on pre-order and is set to be released April 3 — just a day after the Pirates’ home opener at PNC Park.
“I love it. I’m proud of it and I hope that other people really like it,” Brault said. “I’m not thinking this is going to be a Billboard Top 50 thing — it’s musicals — but it’s something I really enjoy.”
Brault also was invited to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for its PNC Pops “Blockbuster Broadway” concert the weekend before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training, which he called an “unbelievable experience.”
“It’s a different level of musicianship,” Brault said. “That they allowed me to sing with them was just an honor.”
Now, Brault is hoping to mix his two loves and make music on the mound. His first outing this spring sounded like a sweet symphony, as he retired the side by throwing six strikes on eight pitches in his only inning against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. It was short work but Brault was efficient and consistent.
“He looked really good,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He did exactly what we wanted him to do. He executed the game plan exactly how it was laid out. I thought it was really crisp. First time being out, I think the ball came out of his hand really nice.”
Brault is scheduled to pitch again Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, the team that drafted him in the 11th round in 2013 out of Division II Regis University in Denver, where he was a two-way player who majored in music.
And Brault doesn’t see why there can’t be a correlation.
“Maybe they’re helping boost each other, so I’ve got to keep that going,” Brault said. “I’ve got the album this year, so maybe the pitching will go up and just keeping going up the ladder. That’s what I want. Once you can perform at that level consistently, then you’re trying to go to the next level. … You take the positivity from one and put it into the other.”
With no exceptions.
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Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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