When the Pittsburgh Pirates reached 60 games last year, it was with relief. They had completed baseball’s shortened season amid the coronavirus pandemic — even if it went down as one of the worst in franchise history.
“I think last year was such an unknown; we were hoping to get to 60,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Every day, it was like we needed to hope and see what was going to go on.”
When the Pirates (23-37, .383 winning percentage) hit the 60-game mark Wednesday, it was with less reflection and more of a focus on looking forward to the future. They are only four games ahead of their pace from last season’s 19-41 record (.317), but there is a belief that the Pirates have shown marked improvement in important areas despite trading away several key players for prospects in the offseason.
While their record at PNC Park is almost identical, the Pirates have won more games on the road, are faring better in close games, seven-inning doubleheaders, extra-inning affairs and even interleague play. They have gone from 13-19 at home to 13-18, but improved from 6-22 on the road to 10-19; from 2-5 in seven-inning games to 3-1; from 1-5 in extra-inning games to 4-1; and from 3-17 in interleague play to 5-5.
“We’re in a lot of games, a lot of one-run and two-run games,” Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman said. “It’s just a matter of finding that next step, turning those around and be able to turn those into wins. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Neither Shelton nor general manager Ben Cherington are much interested in discussing the specifics of those numbers. Instead, they are looking for ways to challenge the club amid making cultural changes while rebuilding the franchise from the ground up.
“I’m not saying that that we’re not aware of the outcome of the game,” Cherington said. “Obviously we are. But, in terms of tracking improvement, we’re probably more focused on things that we think will lead to more wins foundationally.”
Perhaps the most promising sign is that Ke’Bryan Hayes has played in only seven games so far but has picked up right where he left off last September when he was named the National League rookie of the month. The Pirates have fared slightly better than last year, despite trading slugger Josh Bell and pitchers Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon and not having left-hander Steven Brault in their starting rotation and going long stretches without Colin Moran at first base and Hayes at third because of injuries.
“Not a lot of weight goes into that just because it’s not going to do anything for us now to think that way,” Newman said. “Injuries are part of the game. Obviously, it’s good for us to have those guys back now. I think it’s more of a look forward than a look backward.”
Cherington’s concentration is on development, and his focus has been on sharing everything from the information behind the analytics to the front-office’s plans for players. Cherington cited two players, Newman and reliever Clay Holmes, who have taken the team’s directives and reinvented themselves as invaluable players for the Pirates.
After losing his starting job by committing eight errors last season — five at short and three at second base — Newman is back to starting at shortstop and has been error-free through the first 60 games. Holmes was designated for assignment after missing most of last season with a forearm strain but has refined his pitch repertoire and increased his confidence and control to make 14 consecutive scoreless appearances.
They are hardly alone. Second baseman Adam Frazier is batting 100 points higher (.330) than last season and leading the NL in hits and doubles. Bryan Reynolds is hitting 97 points higher (.286) and has shifted from left field to center. Even struggling right fielder Gregory Polanco — who has the same number of home runs (five) and RBIs (17) as last year — is hitting 51 points higher (.204) at the plate.
A bullpen that regularly blew close games last season has become the backbone of the pitching staff, with Richard Rodriguez capturing the closer role and Holmes, David Bednar, Kyle Crick and lefty Sam Howard thriving as setup men. The starting pitching remains a major concern, but the Pirates are keeping games close.
“It’s hard to even quantify and explain because it was such a weird year last year,” Newman said. “This year, we’re jelling. Our bullpen’s firing on all cylinders. Our starters are going out there and giving us a chance to win. We’re playing good defense. It’s a matter of all clicking at the same time for us.”
Where the 2020 season had its low moments — from Rodriguez blowing a game when his spike got caught in the mound to Derek Holland giving up home runs to four of the first five batters he faced to getting no-hit by Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox — there has been more of the same that cost the Pirates runs this season.
The most notable are the epic error made by first baseman Will Craig for chasing Javier Baez back to home plate on May 27 and Hayes having a home run erased when he failed to touch first as he rounded the base on Tuesday night. Those are once-in-a-lifetime blunders — or so they hope — by rookies who learned an important lesson.
The Pirates also have the stain of a 20-1 loss in Atlanta where a position player, Wilmer Difo, pitched and gave up eight runs in relief. They won on Opening Day, only to follow with a six-game losing streak after Hayes was injured. The Pirates once again reside in last place in the NL Central (11 games back), with the third-worst record in baseball.
No wonder Cherington compliments Shelton for taking the initiative of dissecting his own decisions after every game, analyzing what he and his coaching staff are doing right and wrong and working to improve. Cherington is quick to note that not all of Shelton’s decisions are affecting outcomes but that he will be better prepared for when they will.
After all, Shelton is only 120 games into his major league managerial career — still 42 shy of a full season — while dealing with the additional challenge of complying with MLB health and safety protocols.
“That’s still very few games into the life of a major league manager,” Cherington said. “He’s managed every one of them with a mask on. Maybe someday he won’t have to do that.”
What intrigues Shelton at this 60-game mark is that this season isn’t close to being complete. The Pirates still have 102 games remaining, a chance to improve upon their 62-win pace and avoid a 100-loss season. Then again, the roster promises to evolve with the July 30 trade deadline looming and the Pirates expected to be sellers.
“I’m excited to get 100 more, just because we have things to work out to get better,” Shelton said. “Not only the next 100-plus, but I look at it every night. I’m probably my toughest critic. I want our staff to be our toughest critic in terms of how we manage a game and what we do. In terms of growing and getting better, it’s an every night occurrence in terms of the moves we make, why we made them, how we made them. Continue to grow, and it won’t just be over the next 10, 15, 20, 100. It will be every time we manage a game, we’ll continually go over it.”
The Pirates will look backward while moving forward, hoping to finish this season better than they started it after starting this season better than they finished the last.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .
"last" - Google News
June 10, 2021 at 05:01PM
https://ift.tt/354ra0L
After 60 games, the Pirates can compare this season to last while focusing on the future - TribLIVE
"last" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2rbmsh7
https://ift.tt/2Wq6qvt
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "After 60 games, the Pirates can compare this season to last while focusing on the future - TribLIVE"
Post a Comment