We Play Two: The Pirates Get Their First Taste of Doubleheader Action
Doubleheaders are rare anymore in Major League Baseball, but when the Pirates take on the St. Louis Cardinals in their doubleheader today, it will be even more unusual. The teams will play two seven-inning games as opposed to the normal two nine-inning games. For the Pirates, this is a big doubleheader for the team coming off of two straight losses at the hands of the Chicago White Sox. The Pirates are looking to get back on track and show off some of their trade chips ahead of Monday's Trade Deadline. It will be the second time the Pirates have faced the Cardinals this season after dropping two of three in the first series of 2020.
However, the Pirates look a little different since that game dealing with injuries to 12 of their everyday players, including Kevin Newman and Colin Moran going down Sunday. It will be a new experience for both teams, one that has both its advantages and disadvantages. Today, we dive into this double-header matchup and see what the Pirates have to do to walk out of St. Louis with at least one win, before they travel to their House of Horrors, Miller Park, for a weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend.
Starters Can Be The Difference
In a seven-inning game, the goal is to get the opposing starting pitcher out of the game as soon as possible. You want to get the lead early and force the bullpen to have to be perfect for a short period of time. If you have a starter that can last deep into the game, you are limiting your opponent's ability to catch up. For the Pirates, Chad Kuhl will go in the first game followed by the MLB starting debut of Cody Ponce in game two of the day. Both guys have the stuff to last deep into a ball game, and if they can do that today, the Pirates will be in a good spot. You are asking for at least five innings from your starter so that your bullpen has to cover just two innings to close out a possible win.
Game one's starter Chad Kuhl is a good candidate to do just that and give the Pirates the best chance to start out with a win. He has been Pittsburgh's most consistent starter this year going 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA through his first five games, three starts. His fastball looks more lively than ever, and his slider has great movement that leaves the opposition swinging out of their shoes. Coming off of Tommy John Surgery, there were lots of questions surrounding Chad Kuhl and how he was going to be able to recover. He has smashed those questions and proven that he has what it takes to get back on the mound. Kuhl has worked five innings in each of his last two starts, turning in quality starts in each.
The wild card is in game two when Cody Ponce makes his first Major League start for the Pirates. Ponce has made two appearances for the Pirates so far in 2020 and has a 5.40 ERA in his first 3.1 innings of work. Ponce was once a top prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization when his career suddenly went stagnant. He is looking to revitalize his career in Pittsburgh, and today could be a big stepping stone for him. He has been a pretty average starter throughout his Minor League career, posting an ERA of 3.18 over five Minor League seasons. He has a mid to low 90s fastball and a slider and Change-up to compliment them. If the Pirates can get four innings out of Ponce, that would be a win considering he hasn't been stretched out yet.
Get the Lead Early
When you are playing a seven-inning game, it is obvious that your offense has less time to really get going. Over the last two games, the offense hasn't done much and is in desperate need of a breakout performance. They have collected just five hits over their last 18 innings of baseball and have scored just three runs. If they want to have success today, they are going to have to get on the board early and get to that Cardinal bullpen. It is going to start with the top of the lineup, with guys like Erik Gonzalez and Bryan Reynolds having to set the table for the middle of the order.
Nobody on the offense had a strong series in Chicago, so guys like Gregory Polanco and Reynolds who did well against Milwaukee will have to do it again. The bullpen has shown vast improvement over the last couple weeks after a dismal start to the year, and if the Pirates can get the lead in the first three innings of the game, they should be able to hold it. With guys like Colin Moran and Kevin Newman still out dealing with injuries, look for a dark horse to step up in this series for the Pirates to be successful. I could see a guy like Cole Tucker making a difference in today's game. He has that small pop of power that he shows from time to time and if he can find it early in the game he could put the Pirates in position to win.
Today's Doubleheader between the Pittsburgh Pirates (7-19) and the St. Louis Cardinals (11-9) begins at 3:15 pm with game two following a half-hour after the conclusion of game one. Chad Kuhl (1-1, 2.84) will go against Kwang Hyun Kim (1-0, 1.69) in game one, followed by Cody Ponce (0-1, 5.40) vs. Johan Oviedo (0-0, 3.60) in game two. You can watch both games live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
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