The Pittsburgh Pirates officially opened the exhibition portion of their 2020 schedule when they took on the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night. Here is a look at what we learned after seeing the team in action for the first time since COVID-19 hit.
Saturday night was unlike any other in recent history. The Pittsburgh Pirates took on another team in one of the first games among the four major sports that was televised. Unfortunately, the Pirates fell 5-3, losing the game in the eighth inning. There were ups and downs throughout the night, but just getting to watch a live game was a treat that no one has had for a while.
With that being said, there is a 60-game season to prepare for and the Pirates are preparing just like any other team. There are still several things that need to be figured out before the season begins. Namely, who is going to play the right field and who is going to close games. With the first exhibition game in the books. Here are some things we learned as the Pittsburgh Pirates season creeps closer and closer.
Joe Musgrove in Mid-Season Form
On Thursday, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced that Joe Musgrove was going to be the team’s Opening Day starter. With Jameson Taillon and Chris Archer both out, Musgrove is going to be relied on as the ace of the staff. In his final tune-up of Spring 2.0, he was on fire throwing three scoreless innings on the night. He gave up just one hit all night and walked one while striking out five. He was hitting his spots all night and painted several pitches right on the corner.
It was also nice to see Musgrove bring some velocity that he didn’t have last season. His fastball was hitting between 93 and 95 consistently all night long. He was also very efficient throughout the night averaging 13 pitches per inning. He showed off his new delivery for 2020 where he starts essentially from the stretch. It helped shorten his arm angle and helped him get the ball to the plate faster. He only allowed two batters to reach all night, and it was nice to see the Opening Day starter have a strong outing.
The Closers Role is in Jeopardy
With Keone Kela still not reporting to Summer Camp, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been forced to rotate different arms through the position. Two of the top candidates for the spot came into the game with a lead and couldn’t hold it. It started with Kyle Crick in the eighth, who couldn’t throw a strike. Of the 21 pitches he threw on the night, only 12 were strikes and he paid for it. He walked the first two batters he faced, and then a single and a double tied the game at 3. He had to be lifted after getting just one out ending a disappointing night.
Crick’s velocity was way down from what it was last season as his slider was hitting just 75 – 79 miles per hour. It didn’t have nearly enough break on it and was the pitch that the Indians tied the game on. He was missing his spots by a lot as John Ryan Murphy’s glove was going all over the place. After Dovydas Neverauskas got the Pirates out of the eighth, Nick Burdi came on for the ninth. Things didn’t go much better as Burdi gave up a run and two hits in his outing. His velocity was good, with the fastball hitting 99 mph, but it was getting hit hard. It took him 18 pitches for him to get out of the inning and while the speed is nice, he has to work on his location.
Bottom of the Lineup Shows Some Spark
Looking at the Pittsburgh Pirates batting order, the bottom third of the order doesn’t look too promising. With Gregory Polanco out due to COVID-19, Jacob Stallings, Erik Gonzalez, and Guillermo Heredia were the 7-8-9 hitters. On paper, that is not a group that looks like it will drive in many runs. However, it was these three men that got the scoring started after the game was scoreless in the bottom of the fifth. Gonzalez singled to start the inning, and Stallings followed with a double.
The Pittsburgh Pirates had runners at second and third with no outs and Heredia came to the plate. He would hit a two-run single and the Pirates suddenly led 2-0. They didn’t do it against a Minor League pitcher either as they tagged starter Zack Plesac for the two runs.
Right Field Will Be A Revolving Door
On Thursday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates learned that Gregory Polanco was diagnosed with COVID-19. This news threw a wrench in their plans and a big bat out of the lineup. Guillermo Heredia got the start in right field, but it was clear that he is not a long-term fix. While he is a good defender, his offense is just not consistent enough to play every day. The Pittsburgh Pirates have several other options in right field, but none of them look too promising either early on. Jose Osuna started as the Designated Hitter before eventually moving to right field. Osuna hit the ball hard, but couldn’t come through with anything going 0-4 with a strikeout.
It became clear how desperate the situation was before the exhibition game. The Pirates had shortstop Cole Tucker working out in right field taking fly balls. While Tucker is a great athlete, I don’t see him moving away from the infield any time soon. With Polanco’s bat out of the lineup for the first couple weeks, the team is going to have to find someone to step in.
Chad Kuhl Looked Dominant in Return
For the last year and a half, Chad Kuhl has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander last pitched in a game on June 26th, 2018, and is anxious to get back on the field. Kuhl came on in relief Saturday and threw two scoreless innings. Beyond that, it was a big moment for Kuhl and the Pirates that he was back on the mound. Not only was he on the mound, but he was sharp throughout the night.
His fastball was consistently hitting between 95 and 97 miles per hour and he threw it for strikes on both sides of the plate. He allowed just one hit and used his sinker to get quick outs. His second inning was his most impressive as he needed just eight pitches to get through the heart of the Indian’s order. He breezed through Carlos Santana and Franmil Reyes on four pitches. Then, he got to a 2-1 count on Tyler Naquin before getting a grounder to end the inning. He got a pat on the back from Shelton, and confidence as the season creeps closer.
Summer Camp Continues
The Pittsburgh Pirates will play two more games against the Cleveland Indians before the season starts. For the first exhibition game, there were a lot of positives for this team. However, there was also a lot that they need to work on before the 24th.
Mainly, they have to be able to finish games and get their stars going. The offense got runners on but the Pirates weren’t able to drive them in leaving 18 men on base. As far as the pitching goes, three candidates looked good but the bullpen needs some help. There are two more exhibition games before the season starts. The question, will the Pirates be ready to open their season in St. Louis vs the Cardinals.
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