His three consecutive walks against the Cubs ushered in two runs and gave Chicago a lead it would not relinquish.
The right-hander's outing consisted of 18 pitches with 12 of those not crossing the plate.
"I don't like to talk about that," Hansen said.
And for good reason.
The outing would be Hansen's ticket to Triple-A Indianapolis, just weeks after joining the Pirates at the Trade Deadline in a deal that sent Jason Bay to Boston.
In nine relief appearances last month, Hansen tallied nine earned runs on eight hits and 12 walks. He struck out just three.
"I think he was trying to make a big impression early," manager John Russell said.
However, it wouldn't be long until Hansen returned to Pittsburgh. He, along with nine other September callups, joined the Pirates on Sept. 2.
He's been lights out ever since.
After a minor hiccup against Cincinnati on Sept. 4, Hansen has pitched four consecutive scoreless innings. His most impressive outing came on Saturday night when he held the Cardinals to one hit in the 12th inning of the Pirates' 7-6 come-from-behind win.
The victory was his first in a Pirates uniform.
"First of all, I think he's relaxed a little bit," Russell said. "He's gotten used to being here. He's gotten used to being in the bullpen with us, being around guys. I think that's part of it, that he's more comfortable in the atmosphere."
Russell went on to add that Hansen's mound presence appears more relaxed, too. Things like that will pay big dividends in Hansen's future with the Pirates after being lauded for his power arm when he arrived on Aug. 1.
"He doesn't really seem like he's trying to throw as quick as he can, as hard as he can by not being under control with his delivery," Russell said. "He's straightened himself out a little bit. His direction is more toward the plate. I think a lot of it has to with that he's calmer than he was. His last three outings, he has been very under control."
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