A three-day break might have been the best thing for the Pittsburgh Pirates to snap a losing streak of three games, so it was no surprise to hear players treat their trip to Cincinnati as an offensive reset.
Before three of her first six fighters ran home and scored nine runs against a pitcher who had allowed an undefeated run all season in the 9-6 victory over the Reds on Thursday night at Great American Ball Park, Josh Bell predicted that the Pirates were “really close, at least the lefties” to an offensive outburst.
“It’s absolutely refreshing,” Bell said of the postponement of her three-game series in St. Louis. Louis earlier this week due to a covid-19 outburst at the Cardinals. “We will all have fresh legs in this series. Must be some fun baseball. ”
Colin Moran with a BOMB.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/t2S2YLcLAi
– Pirates (@Pirates) August 13, 2020
Walkie: “He’s fine at home tonight.”
Polanco: #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/OpBzVU7okJ
– Pirates (@Pirates) August 13, 2020
Then the lefties went to work, as Adam Frazier, Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco all hit solo at home from Anthony DeSclafani. A second run of seven runs gave Trevor Williams a nine-run cushion. Every Pirates seeker reached the base, with everything except Bryan Reynolds getting a hit and everyone except Reynolds and Jarrod Dyson scoring an attack.
“I find the Nostradamus on his side calling,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Bell’s foreword. “Very good. I do not know if that is the case, but we did a really good job. We came out early, aggressively.”
Shelton loves GABP from his days as a striking coach, given his reputation as a heat-friendly field because of his dimensions (328 feet to the left, 379 to the left center, 404 to the center, 370 to the right center and 325 to the right). But the Pirates looked like a team ready to attack.
“It was enormous,” Frazier said. “A lot of guys, myself included, were trying a little bit to find it, and I find it great. Just a mental reset. Sure, the first 15, 16 games didn’t really go as we wanted as expected, so these few days we’ve been taking advantage of and just trying to build them up. “
OUT.
GOES.
FRAZIER!#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/vYAXFWKJWY– Pirates (@Pirates) August 13, 2020
1. Leading off: Frazier hit his eighth career leadoff homer, tying him up with Andrew McCutchen for third place in franchise history behind Al Martin (10) and Barry Bonds (20).
All three of Frazier’s home games this season have been momentum boosts for the Pirates. His two-run homer in the eighth inning against Milwaukee proved to be the game-winner in an 8-6 win on July 28, and his two-out solo shot at the bottom of the ninth against Detroit sent the game into extra innings in a 17-13 loss on August 7th.
DeSclafani had to allow another homer this season, but he dropped 29 bombs last year, including 15 at home.
“He saves the fastball a lot. It’s a fastball full of life, 97-98, and then he ran the two-seam of it at the same speed, “said Frazier. ‘That you just try to get up to swing, ready to attack a pitch over the middle and walk away – and we were lucky a few times too. I know I did that on the second bat, so I think it was just our day against him. ‘
Look, no hands.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/XQGehoIK7E
– Pirates (@Pirates) August 14, 2020
2. Nice pillow: Trevor Williams had only one run of support this season in 15⅓ innings, so he enjoyed starting the bottom of the second with a 9-0 lead.
Williams called pitching with a lead a double-speed sword because he knew the Reds were capable of making a comeback because of some big bats in their lineup. But Williams said the Pirates welcomed the rest, given that they were mentally and physically harmed as injuries and close losses took their toll in the first 16 games.
Last season, the Pirates scored five or more runs in six of nine games in Cincinnati. Of course, they also gave up five or more runes in five of those games.
“It always seems like when we play here, it’s an offensive reset,” Williams said. ‘I feel like last year, every time we came here, it found our reality and got it going. Is this what we need? Scoring nine runs in the first two innings was great. Is it the impetus we needed? Sure, combined with the three free days there was also pretty fun. … For what we did against a man who has not given up a run all season so far, it’s impressive. ”
3. Two turns: One of the most important defensive plays came in the second inning, when Williams walked with Eugenio Suarez and gave back-to-back singles to Jesse Winker and Nick Senzel.
With one out and running on first and third, Freddy Galvis hit a grounder after first. Colin Moran felt it, tapped the bag and threw a strike to stop Kevin Newman from forcing Senzel just a split-second before Winker went over the home field.
The double play was a dagger that killed the Reds’ rally.
“That was a very big play, and I’m glad you brought that up,” Shelton said. ‘He made a really nice play out of it. Newman made a really nice tag on the play. It’s a very quick play to step, tag – and not only did Colin make a nice throw and Kevin made a nice tag, but we also prevented a run from being there. “
It took Williams a moment to realize exactly what was happening, especially considering it was a play that Bell could not initially carry with his submarine throwing after second seconds.
‘It disgusted me in a way because they said the approach didn’t score and I was,’ Why? It was a force out. “And then I realized we were tagging him at the end and I watched the video about how close it was to the point where the run scored,” Williams said. ‘That I’m thankful we got out. Double plays are a pitcher’s best friend. It got me out of a jam. “
#TBT until we scored seven points in the second.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/5b1XILiAxl
– Pirates (@Pirates) August 13, 2020
4. Be aggressive: Bell was not bashful in noting that the Pirates will change their approach, starting with the Reds series, focusing on time and time again for fastballs.
Shelton explained that an aggressive attitude does not necessarily mean that the Pirates swing in front of the gates or result in home runs, even if that was the first time around the order.
“Aggression doesn’t really have to be power,” Shelton said. “We knocked the ball out of the ballpark, but aggression is just a good, healthy hack to take on the field that we like. And I think we saw that all around. ”
For example, Reynolds was 0 for 3 with a walk, but flew deep to right and left field, where Sogo Akiyama made a great catch in the seventh inning to avoid a sure double.
“Reynolds hit two balls on the screws and was robbed,” Shelton said. “There were some fun plays. Frazier hit a ball from which the left fielder made a hell of a play, and it shows why he won a Gold Glove in Japan. Two really good plays that could have runes. I just thought, we were really aggressive. ”
5. Call a taxi: After reducing rosters to 28 players, MLB teams can carry as many as five players on the taxi team. The Pirates took advantage by inviting invitees Guillermo Heredia and Jared Oliva, along with third fighter Andrew Susac, on the trip to Cincinnati.
Shelton said it was both a good exhibit and a reward for how Oliva, the team’s no. 10-prospect by MLB.com rank, has performed at the satellite camp in Altoona.
“He’s working his ass down,” Shelton said. “He does a lot of good things.”
Taxi squad players can practice with the team in batting practice and recording names – which allowed Oliva to work with Outfielders coach Tarrik Brock – but are not allowed to be in the dugout at games.
Shelton said the exposure of top prospects to the majors by the taxi squad happened “organically”, suggesting that “everyone’s fair game” from the alternative training site in Altoona.
Do not be surprised to see more prospects like Oliva, especially at positions like center field where the Pirates could potentially trade a veteran like Dyson by August 31st.
Kevin Gorman is a staff writer for Tribune Review. You can contact Kevin via email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
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