SAN DIEGO -- Bailey Falter just completed a month of pitching rarely seen in the Pirates’ 144 seasons of baseball. Somehow, he managed to finish on the upswing.
Falter’s sixth and final start in May might have been his best. He held the Padres to two singles and a walk across 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Saturday night as the Pirates evened the weekend series with a 5-0 victory at Petco Park.
Falter posted a 0.76 ERA in May and allowed only three extra-base hits (one double, one triple, one home run). It’s the lowest ERA any Pirates pitcher has posted in a calendar month in the live ball era (since 1920) while making six or more starts. (Paul Skenes had a 0.75 ERA in September last year across five starts.)
If you drop the standard to five starts, Falter’s month still ranks third in franchise history, behind Zane Smith (0.66 in September 1990) and Skenes last September.
“I’m just out there trying to ride the wave,” Falter said. “We’ve got four more months of this, at least. The job’s not done.”
Falter’s job might not be done, but his dad’s is. The left-hander grew up in Chino Hills, Calif., less than two hours north of Petco Park. Darwin Falter was at the ballpark Saturday, combining his son’s outing with his own retirement party from a 24-year career as a trucking executive.
“He had all his work friends here, friends and family,” Falter said. “I’m sure they’re pretty excited.”
As Bailey was growing up, Darwin drilled a message into his pitching psyche: First-pitch strikes and no walks would be his best friends. Dad got to see son put that messaging into action Saturday, as the 28-year-old has all month.
“He still tells me to this day, for sure,” Falter said. “Told me this morning, told me after the game. He’s got my grandpa on board, too. He tells me all the time. I feel we’re all in a pretty good spot right now.”
The same can be said of the Pirates’ rotation. Since Don Kelly assumed managerial reins on May 8, Pittsburgh is 10-11 but its starting pitchers have a 2.50 ERA, with the trio of Falter (0.63), Skenes (1.01) and Mitch Keller (2.52) leading the way.
Count Kelly among those happy Falter heeded his father’s words.
“Unbelievable the way he’s pounding the strike zone,” Kelly said. “He’s found ways to get ahead. He’s moving [pitches] in and out, mixing in his slider and changeup. He’s pitching really well.”
With a deceptive delivery and a mix that keeps hitters honest on his fastball, Falter has thrived at the top of the strike zone against righties despite a fastball that averages 92 mph. That has created reverse splits against the left-hander, so the Padres rolled out their best left-handed hitters on Saturday: Luis Arraez, Jackson Merrill, Gavin Sheets and Jake Cronenworth.
That’s three All-Stars and a breakout performer in Sheets. Those four went 0-for-8 against Falter, with Sheets drawing a walk. Seven of the eight outs came on Falter’s sinker.
“When you are facing guys that are doing their job out there in big spots and painting the corners and not leaving anything over the middle, it’s tough,” Merrill said.
The way he was controlling the strike zone on both sides of the plate, Falter didn’t need a lot of support. But he got it from Oneil Cruz’s legs, Alexander Canario’s glove and Andrew McCutchen’s bat.
Falter headed to the mound with a 1-0 lead to protect, thanks to Cruz. The center fielder doubled to lead off the game. Then he ran through a stop sign to score on Bryan Reynolds’ bloop hit to left field. Cruz’s top sprint speed of 31.3 feet per second was his fastest of 2025 (and the fastest by any Pirates runner this year).
The score remained 1-0 after the bottom half of the first, when Canario made a sliding catch of a sinking line drive off the bat of Merrill to end the inning and strand Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base.
Falter was in full control by the time McCutchen stepped to the plate to lead off the fifth. McCutchen put a first-pitch slider into the second deck in left field for an insurance run and his 239th home run as a member of the Pirates, one shy of Roberto Clemente for third on the club’s career charts.
“We’re finding ways to score runs,” Kelly said.
And prevent them.