It may have come as a surprise to those who watch the Pirates from afar, but they are a pretty good team. The Reds certainly underestimated them, and now they are out of the playoffs, one and done. If the Pirates want to stay in the playoffs and make the longest run in the post season for a generation, they are going to have to show up in a few areas to make the magic last.
The Pirates are in an enviable position right now. No matter what, they’ve already won. Not only did they break .500 and get to the post-season, they actually won the game. It just might be possible that this team is the Cinderella team that is going to keep us watching long into Buctober. First, though, the baseball fundamentals have to show up.
Good Starting Pitching
The reason we won the game on Tuesday was because of good starting pitching. Liriano’s nearly flawless performance was the difference maker. Ironically, it was the lack of good starting pitching that sunk the Reds. Once Cueto was rattled, he was pretty much done. However, all year we’ve rode the coattails of our starting pitchers and won or lost based on their performance.
This isn’t to say that the bullpen hasn’t been great. It really has, but when you have a starting pitcher giving up six runs in the first three innings, not even a hall of fame type bullpen could come back from that. We need our starting pitchers to keep it close, keep the hitters honest, and not have innings where a whole flurry of runs are put up on the board. If this should happen, one would hope Hurdle acts more quickly than he did in the regular season to stop the bleeding.
Playmakers Showing Up
One thing everyone remembers about 1992 is that Barry Bonds didn’t show up. Yeah, he had a great season, but who the hell cares when you can’t hit anything in the playoffs? Our current Buccos need to avoid this problem with superstars suddenly becoming less than stellar when the heat is on. McCutcheon has to show up and show up big. He’s the face of this team, and we ride on how well he does with a bat in his hands.
The other “minor” playmakers have to make their presence known, too. Byrd gave us a nice shot on Tuesday, and we need more of that from him. Marte needs to get on base more often, and Morneau simply needs to find a ball he can hit. Alvarez is streaky, impatient, and frustrating at the plate, but we need him to streak in the right direction for us to topple the Cardinals and make it to the World Series.
Everyone Contributes
Of course, if only the playmakers show up and no one else does, we aren’t going to get very far. All through the year, the Pirates have won games on the bats of guys you just don’t think of as superstars. Martin, Mercer, and Walker have given us good at bats, working opposing pitchers long into counts, and eventually either drawing a walk or hitting for bases. Without these workman-like players showing up, the Pirates would not be where they are today.
The bench players are important, too. Garrett Jones is often disappointing, but he has the potential to make a splash. Harrison, Tabata, and Snyder are also better prospects off the bench than they are playing daily or platoon roles. Defense shouldn’t be overlooked, either, and although Barmes is little better than the pitcher in the eight slot, his ability to field deep into the hole and throw out speedy basemen is invaluable. We need these role players to show up alongside our superstars to ensure that we not only win another playoff game, but that we go deep into Buctober.
