All the positive vibes from the Pirates’ unexpected 9-2 start have vanished.
Completely against the grain, the Pirates have lost their last 11 games, going 2-9. The Pirates’ losing skid reached six games with a humiliating 6-1 defeat to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday at PNC Park, bringing their overall record down to 11-11.
The Pirates had a terrible game, making embarrassing errors at every turn. Oneil Cruz, the shortstop, made a routine popup but also reached an MLB-high 37 strikeouts, Aroldis Chapman was called for a balk on a third disengagement, and two runners were thrown out on the bases.
The Pirates’ terrible week came to an end with the loss. They started the week with a three-game series loss to the Mets in New York, then over the weekend, they were swept by the Red Sox.
The Pirates’ inability to score made everything worse. In those six games, they managed just nine runs, supporting the notion that offensively struggling teams can appear hopeless.
It was unusual for the Pirates to sleepwalk through Sunday’s game in manager Derek Shelton’s five seasons.
But the lack of effort was probably an isolated incident. The absence of hitting is the true issue.
During their losing streak, the Pirates are only hitting.177 with six extra-base hits, including four doubles, one triple, and one home run. In four of the six games, they have been limited to five hits or fewer, and they have only scored one run four times.
In addition, the Pirates are 5 for 38 (.132) during the losing streak after a dismal 1 for 20 against the Red Sox with runners in scoring position.
Jared Triolo is 2 for 18, Cruz is 2 for 17, Rowdy Tellez is 2 for 15, Andrew McCutchen is 1 for 13, and Edward Olivares is 1 for 12. It seems like everyone in the lineup has fallen at the same time throughout the six games.
Thus, what is the Pirates’ offensive problem-solving strategy? Bryan Reynolds, a productive left fielder who is among the few in the lineup, believes that the best course of action would be to work hard.
Thus, what is the Pirates’ offensive problem-solving strategy? Bryan Reynolds, a productive left fielder who is among the few in the lineup, believes that the best course of action would be to work hard.
“Working early and using cages will produce better results,” he declared.
Reynolds, who had hit 5 for 12 in his previous five games, was 0 for 4 on Sunday.
The Pirates’ Triple-A Indianapolis farm club is hitting, which appears to be good news.277, which ranks third in hitting for the International League. But through 21 games, the Indians have only managed 13 home runs.
Nick Gonzales, a middle infielder, and Jake Lamb, a corner infielder, are the two guys who have had the fastest beginnings. In 19 games, Gonzales is hitting.385/.435/.590, while Lamb’s slash line is.362/.458/.532 in 15 games.
In theory, Gonzales could be promoted to second base while Triolo could be demoted by the Pirates.
Still, it would be shocking if the Pirates abandoned Triolo so soon. Moreover, Gonzales was outmatched on his debut in the major leagues last season, as he managed just.209/.268/.348 across 35 games.
Lamb isn’t a prospect, for sure. Having played in the top leagues for more than eight years, he is 33 years old and hasn’t played a full season there since 2020. He doesn’t seem like an improvement over Tellez at first base.
Several of the Pirates’ best hitting prospects graduated during the previous campaign.
Termarr Johnson, a second baseman, is the sole position player listed among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, coming in at number 71. Still, he is at High-A Greensboro, three tiers below the major leagues.
A spark might come from veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal’s impending return from the injured list. Perhaps not, though, given that in 217 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2022 and 2023 he hit.209/.305/.306.
Therefore, there are no easy solutions to the Pirates’ hitting problems. They just need to hold onto what they have and hope that things turn around for them.