Pirates Head to Kansas City for First Time Since 2015: What to Expect
In an abbreviated, bubble-like, schedule you are bound to play some teams you don't normally see. For the Pirates, that will be the case on Friday when they head to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to take on the Royals at 8:05 pm. The Pirates have not played the Royals since the 2018 season, and haven't traveled to Kansas City since the 2015 season. Looking at the stats, the Pirates and the Royals are two teams going in similar directions this season, with similar roster makeups. The Royals sit at 17-28 while the Pirates are at 14-27. Neither team has much of a chance at making the playoffs, and are showing what some of their young talent can do.
For the Pirates, it's guys like Ke'Bryan Hayes and JT Brubaker getting to show what they can do for the future of this team. For the Royals, it's Whitt Merrifield and Brady Singer doing the same for the Royals organization. The Pirates have had the Royals number in the team's last six matchups, going 4-2 over the five-year span. However, both teams look a lot different than they did the last time these teams matched up, so you can throw those numbers out the window. It will be a battle of two young teams trying to get back to contention in the near future. Here is what to expect for the three-game set in Kansas City.
Battle of the Young Bucs
As mentioned before, the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates are two teams with similar makeups. Both have a few guys who have been with the team for a number of years, but the difference makers are the young players who are looking to establish themselves. The Royals are a little farther along in their development than the Pirates are, but one of the big battles I am looking at is how Ke'Bryan Hayes does against a young Royals pitching staff. Of the three starting pitchers the Pirates will see in the three-game series, two of them are in their first Major League seasons. This provides a unique opportunity for both teams young guys to have a big impact on the game.
Through his first 24 at-bats in the MLB, Ke'Bryan Hayes has shown that he has all the tools to be a star player. He has hit .333 with one home run and three RBI with three walks and eight strikeouts. His strikeouts are a bit higher than you would like to see, but he has also had some big hits that have led to Pirates victories. The most recent example of that came in the first game of the most recent two-game series against the White Sox. He lined what would have been an RBI double off the right-field wall, but used his legs to turn it into a triple and set the Pirates up for another run with one out. Sure enough, one batter later, Hayes was driven in and what was a 3-0 White Sox lead was suddenly 3-2.
Hayes could have a similar impact on this series, especially being that he has faced these young pitchers in the Minor Leagues. The two rookies the Pirates are set to face have each had their share of struggles and successes in the Major Leagues. Kris Bubic, who they will face in game one currently sits at 0-5 with a 4.89 ERA through the first seven starts of his MLB career. However, he has been much better over his last two outings allowing two earned runs over five-plus innings in both. His recent success is because of his strikeout pitch, as he has generated 12 strikeouts in his last 12.1 innings of work. They will then face Carlos Hernandez in game two who is making his third MLB appearance and first MLB start. He has a 1.42 ERA in his first two outings allowing one earned run in 6.1 innings of work. The key to this series might just come down to the play of the young guns in determining the winner.
Get On Them Early
With teams like the Pirates and Royals, losing has become an unwelcome trend for both organizations. An early lead for either team is going to be crucial to getting the upper-hand and, in this case, might make the difference in the game. Scoring early has been a struggle for the Pirates this year, as half of their wins have been of the comeback variety. However, if the Pirates can get on these young pitchers early, it will force them to try and do too much and the Pirates pitchers can benefit. Especially in the first two games of the series, look for Erik Gonzalez, Cole Tucker, and Bryan Reynolds to play a big role in setting the table for the middle of the Pirates order.
However, it won't be easy as those guys have to go up against pitchers they haven't seen before. They will need time to adjust at the plate, but if they can set the table, it is going to help the guys in the middle of the order. Since moving to the leadoff spot, Erik Gonzalez has had success hitting .271 in 59 at-bats while hitting .294 in the first inning of games. Now that he has seen regular playing time, he is showing his value from the trade that sent Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff to Cleveland prior to the 2019 season. He has turned into a reliable leadoff hitter for the Bucs and the guy who will be called on to get things started in this three-game series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (14-27) will take on the Kansas City Royals (17-28) in their first series since 2018 tonight at 8:05 pm. Steven Brault (0-2, 4.37) gets the start for the Pirates in the opener against Kris Bubic (0-5, 4.89) for the Royals. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan as the Pirates look to start this weekend series off the right way!
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