Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals Round 2: What To Expect
The last time the Pittsburgh Pirates were getting ready to take on the St. Louis Cardinals, things were looking good for the team. They had either won or tied each of their last six series and were sitting a game over .500 at 12-11. However, since then, the team has picked up just five wins and has fallen to six games under .500. They started to get back on track last time out as they split their series with the San Francisco Giants and marked their first series that they haven't lost since the series with the Kansas City Royals on April 26th and 27th. Now, they are back in National League Central play for two nights and are looking to knock off the division-leading Cardinals.
It is going to be no easy task for the Pirates, as the Cardinals have been a team that has given them fits in the past. In their first series at PNC Park, the Cardinals swept the Pirates and took away all of the momentum the team was building. Since that series, Colin Moran went on the injured list, Bryan Reynolds has dealt with back tightness, and now there are questions as to whether or not Jacob Stallings has to go on the Injured List or not with his left leg concussion. However, the Pirate's pitching staff has stepped up and kept their team in games with a couple of strong outings lately. Today, we dive into this short two-game series and see what to expect the second time around between these two teams.
What Happened Last Time
The last time the St. Louis Cardinals were in town, things did not go well for the Pirates as they suffered only their second sweep of the season. They were outscored by the Red Birds 22-8 in the three-game series, with the only really competitive game being the finale where they allowed just a first-inning three-run home run and nothing else. The Pirate's offense couldn't make any headway against the Cardinals aces of the staff, and the pitching had an ERA of 7.33 during the series. However, a lot of things have changed since then for the Pirates, especially on the pitching side, while the Cardinals have fallen off pitching.
Over the last seven games, the Cardinals rank 17th in baseball with a 4.15 ERA, while the Pirates pitchers have improved to post a 3.16 ERA (8th in MLB) over that same timespan. This is going to be the real difference-maker in this series, and could actually give the Pirates a leg up. Offensively, the Pirates are hurting without Colin Moran in the clean-up spot, and are looking for someone to step up. If the Pirates pitchers can keep the Cardinal bats at bay, the offense could have a chance to sneak a few more wins. However, in order to do that, they are going to have to shut down the hot-hitting Nolan Arenado. Over his last seven games, Arenado has hit .400 with three home runs and five RBI and has really picked up after a slow start. He and Harrison Bader (.333, 3 HR, 6 RBI) have both been on fire and will have to be cooled down if the Pirates want to see success.
Don't Allow Runs Early
The biggest thing for the Pirates to be successful in this series is not giving up runs in the first three innings. In the series with the Giants, the Pirates allowed 13 total runs, five of those runs coming in the first three innings of the ball game. The Pirates played from behind in all four games in the series and went so far as to pick up two walk-off wins in the series. As a pitching staff, the Pirates are taking steps forward, posting the eighth-lowest ERA in the MLB over the last seven games. If the Pirates pitchers can hold the Cardinals off the board early, it will give this offense a chance to get going and play with a lead.
On the plus side, the Pirates will see one of their best starting pitchers kick things off in JT Brubaker. Brubaker has yet to give up more than three earned runs in a start and turned in one of his best starts of the season last time out against the Cincinnati Reds. He lasted 6.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on five hits while walking one and striking out four. After picking up no-decisions and losses in his three previous starts, he finally grabbed the elusive third win of the season. Brubaker currently ranks in the top 20 in the National League with a 2.58 ERA and looks to keep the success going in the first game of this two-game series.
Offense Looking For A Leader
Without Colin Moran and Ke'Bryan Hayes, the Pirates offense has been struggling to find someone to lead the way. Jacob Stallings was starting to be that guy, hitting .278 with two home runs and six RBI in his last seven games, but now he is day-to-day with a knee contusion. So, the Pirates have turned to their next two leading offensive players in Bryan Reynolds and Adam Frazier. While both guys are hitting consistently, they don't have many guys on base to drive in. The Pirates are looking for someone at the bottom of the lineup to step up and turn things around. One guy who has started to find his way, and would be a big boost to the offense if he does, is shortstop Kevin Newman.
Newman has at least a hit in three of his last five games, including two multi-hit games over that timeframe. He has begun to find a home in the two spot of the Pirates batting order and has raised his average to .205 in that spot. Ever since a strong rookie season that saw him hit .303, Newman has had his share of struggles at the plate that have hurt his standing with the Pirates. It had led to guys like Erik Gonzalez getting more playing time, and Newman is trying to once again be a leader for this team. He has already raised his batting average from .198 at the beginning of the month to its current mark of .204, but he is looming to continue that growth at the plate and become the consistent hitter that he showed he could be throughout Spring Training and early in his career.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (17-23) start a brief two-game series tonight at Busch Stadium when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals (23-17) at 7:45 pm. JT Brubaker (3-2, 2.58) takes the hill for the Pirates after a big win last time out as he faces John Gant (2-3, 1.83) for the Cardinals. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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