That crashing sound you hear coming from Pittsburgh is the Pirates falling out of the National League Wild Card race. It seems like just a week and a half ago the Pirates were in the thick of the race. That’s because a week and a half ago, they were in the race. However, they’ve now lost eight in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. They enter Tuesday’s action with a record of 56-62, six games out of the final Wild Card spot. Six games aren’t much in mid-August. But now they must jump over seven teams. Not that that’s impossible. A long winning streak of, say, 10-12 might do it. Unfortunately, these Pirates don’t seem to have that in them.
Next Moves for the Pirates to (Maybe) Stay in the Wild Card Race
Of course, it’s too late for a massive overhaul of the team. If Pittsburgh fans had their way, the Pirates would DFA every batter who went 0-for-4 and every pitcher who gave up a run. Then they’d fire manager Derek Shelton for failing to stick to a set lineup. But there are a few tweaks the Pirates might consider. Separately, they might not move the needle much. Together, they might make a difference. They might go against the organization’s thinking. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
Help in the Minor Leagues
The Pirates’ deadline activity included three deals for prospects. Pitcher Josh Walker, obtained from the New York Mets, has already been released after pitching one inning at Triple-A Indianapolis. The other two deals look better. Versatile Nick Yorke, primarily a second baseman, was obtained from the Boston Red Sox. He was hitting .310/.408/.490 at Triple-A Worcester. At Indianapolis, he’s hitting .368/.419/.474 in 11 games. Billy Cook, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles, hit .279/.372/.482 with 11 home runs at Triple-A Norfolk. He had an incredible July when he hit .389/.436/.778. That hot hitting has continued at Indy, as he’s hitting .360/.452/.680 in eight games. He’s mostly been used as an outfielder but plays other positions as well. When they were acquired, there was some thought that they could join the Pirates in the Wild Card race at some point in 2024. That time is now.
Nick Yorke is having an August with the @indyindians 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/fj0JvWQtMx
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) August 12, 2024
Henry Davis is another hitter mashing the ball at Indy. He’s hitting .301/.400/.580, 12 HR, 35 RBI, but he’d be a man without a position on the Pirates. Joey Bart, like Davis a catcher, is crushing the ball as well. On the contrary, there aren’t any good arguments for not giving Yorke and Cook a try. Rookies in a pennant race? It doesn’t seem to bother Jackson Merrill at all.
Who’s Left Out?
Who steps aside for them? Who cares? Take your pick from Ji Hwan Bae, Jared Triolo, Michael A. Taylor, and Connor Joe, who headline the list of nonproductive Pirates. Cook can go into center field in place of Taylor. In the infield, Yorke and new addition Isiah Kiner-Falefa can be used at second and third base. Shelton can decide who plays where. The regular third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes isn’t cutting it. He’s hitting just .241/.292/.301. It’s worse in RISP situations, where he’s hitting .203/.281/.275. Since 2021, he’s been a .254 hitter. Some might blame the Pirates for firing the minor-league hitting instructor who was responsible for Hayes’ resurgence late last year. While there might be more than a grain of truth to that, the person most responsible for Hayes’ performance is Hayes.
Taylor and Hayes can go into the game as late-inning defensive replacements when needed. They’d be expensive defensive replacements. Another way to look at it: All it would cost the Pirates to be a better team, and maybe creep back into the Wild Card picture, would be the prorated major-league minimum salaries for Yorke and Cook.
Keep Jake Woodford in the Rotation
Maybe he was an emergency starter. However, Jake Woodford has pitched well for the Pirates, and if their current standing in the Wild Card race doesn’t qualify as an emergency, nothing does. Since joining the Pirates, he’s 0-2 with a 3.07 ERA, 0.614 WHIP, and 3.52 FIP in four games. Despite his record, he looked good in his two losses. On Monday night in San Diego, he pitched six innings and gave up just one run, three hits, and no walks. When the Pirates signed him in June, it may not have been the sexiest acquisition. But the right-hander Woodford is embracing the opportunity that’s in front of him and doing well with it.
Not so, Bailey Falter. The lefty is 5-7 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.239 WHIP. That’s not horrible, but after finishing May with a 3.22 ERA, he’s trending downward. Since June, he’s 2-5 with a 5.54 ERA. His 4.22 FIP during that time indicates his downturn might not be entirely his fault. Even so, since June opponents are hitting .338/.396/.500 against him, and he’s pitched just 37 1/3 innings in nine starts. He’s out of options but should be sent to the bullpen instead of Woodford when Jared Jones returns from his rehab assignment.
End the First Base Platoon
Joe, the right-handed-hitting half of the first base platoon, was hitting .281/.353/.454 on June 1. Since then, he’s hitting .172/.268/.254. Meanwhile, Rowdy Tellez, the left-handed-hitting half, was one of baseball’s hottest hitters in June and July, when he hit .315/.359/.562. He’s tailed off a bit in August – after all, the guy is only human – but he’s still hitting .281/.324/.375 for the month. Tellez rarely gets opportunities against left-handed pitching. In just 38 plate appearances against them in 2024, he’s hitting .182/.290/.364. Never a hitter for a high batting average, for his career his splits don’t show a significant difference between hitting lefties or righties. It’s time to see how he can handle left-handers as a Pirate.
On July 23 at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pirates had just tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning with one out and a man on first base. With Tellez due up, the Cardinals went to the bullpen for left-hander Ryan Fernandez. Shelton countered with pinch-hitter Hayes, who promptly hit into an easy double play on the first pitch. St. Louis won that one, 2-1. The next night, against St. Louis lefty Matthew Liberatore, Tellez was 2-for-2 with an RBI single and a long home run. In this Wild Card race, the Pirates could use more of the latter and less of the former.
Fix the Bullpen
Now for the part where the writer shows off his advanced degree from The Greater Pittsburgh Institute for Stating the Obvious: the Pirates bullpen is in shambles. For Pirates fans, watching their team blow leads in the late innings has become as predictable and tiresome as the endless stream of campaign commercials that grace the telecasts every half-inning. David Bednar, an All-Star closer in 2022 and 2023, isn’t getting it done. In 2024, his ERA is 5.75. Additionally, he’s given up seven home runs, which is as many as he gave up in 2022 and 2023 combined. He’s given up runs in each of his last five outings, which include two saves, but also two losses and two blown saves.
Shelton said recently he’s sticking with Bednar as the closer. He’ll surely be criticized for it, although it’s what probably every manager in the majors would do in a similar situation. Somehow, they all think that pitching the ninth inning takes some special talent. Well, here’s an idea. Aroldis Chapman, who’s been a closer before, should be given the job until he loses it. It’s been an up-and-down season for him as well, but he’s been better lately. He’s unscored upon in his last four outings, which includes eight strikeouts in four innings. The sixth, seventh, and eighth-inning pitchers can be based on matchups rather than set roles. Kyle Nicolas and Jalen Beeks haven’t done too badly recently.
The Last Word
The patience and trust that Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington show in their players is admirable, but it’s misplaced with the Pirates rapidly falling out of the Wild Card race. In similar situations, former Pirates managers like Danny Murtaugh, Chuck Tanner, and Jim Leyland showed patience with struggling players. But those players had track records in pennant races. Shelton doesn’t have an abundance of players who fit that description. Right now, a few changes might not hurt.
Photo Credit: © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
