The Pirates are just finding ways to win. Two games in a row with home runs by Alex Presley. Two games in a row with a run being scored via wild pitch/passed ball. Even more impressive, the Pirates were 0-17 with runners in scoring position in the series before Rod Barajas drove in Andrew McCutchen in the eighth inning in the Pirates 4-3 win over the Astros. If you’ve followed the Pirates for the past 20 years, or hell, even the past few years, you know these plays always go against the Pirates.
How amazing has the turnaround for the Pirates been?
Tonight, they won their 58th game. Not a big deal right? It is when you take into account that the Pirates won 57 games the entire season in 2010.
It’s not just that the Pirates are winning games, it’s the way they are doing it. They have at least one home run in their past 18 road games, the highest in the league. On the season, the Pirates have hit 71 home runs on the road, also a league high. While they aren’t quite the Lumber Company that we saw in the 1970s, they have provided quite a spark for this team.
Also, the “Battling Bucs” as they have been called aren’t ever out of any game. Last night and tonight, the Pirates came back once again after trailing in the game to notch the win for their 30th comeback win of the year.
“We know the resiliency that we have. We’re just a bunch of big kids having fun out there,” McKenry told me earlier this season.
With a weak schedule and the fact that the Reds just refuse to lose a game, the Pirates need to capitalize against their lesser opponents.
One thing is for certain about this team, they believe. It’s not just the players, but the front office as well. The Pirates, as we’ve seen with the acquisition of Wandy Rodriguez, are serious buyers at the deadline for the first time in years. I still firmly believe that you’ll see the corner outfielder that you as a fan have longed for in Pittsburgh by Tuesday, as well as a player to add some depth to the depleted Pirates bench.
Clint Barmes said they won’t have another collapse like they did last season and said everyone is 100% all in.
“I definitely know that everyone that I’ve talked to and everyone in here is all in,” Barmes said. “I think with what the front office has done with the changes in the offseason, I feel pretty comfortable and happy that they wanted me to be a part of this as well. I think that it’s very safe to say that everyone is all in at this point.”
The Pirates are just 23 wins away from that elusive win number 81 that has avoided them for years now. Even the greatest of collapses won’t stop them from reaching it and keeping baseball relevant in Pittsburgh.
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Discussion about this post