Tim Benz: For Pirates, wins don’t have to be pretty against ugly teams like the A’s
Share this post:
If the Pittsburgh Pirates are truly going to contend for the National League Central crown, games like the one they played Monday night are ones they absolutely have to win.
Mainly because games like the one they played Monday night are absolutely ones that the Oakland A’s are fully capable of losing.
Which they did, 5-4. Again. For the 15th time in a row on the road. And, already, a 50th time overall this season.
With 100 games remaining on their schedule.
Yes, when your opponent is as bad as the A’s are — as in potentially the worst team in Major League Baseball history kind of bad — you’ve got to win every game you play against them. Because for as surprisingly competent as this 2023 Pirates club has proven to be, they aren’t good enough to let any of the three potential wins they have against that franchise this week slip through their fingers.
These are opportunities the Pirates must secure every time if they are to stay in a pennant race atop the NL Central.
They almost went 0-1 in those chances Monday as, early on, everything that could go wrong versus Oakland did. Esteury Ruiz appeared to lead off the game by making an out. But he was granted first base on catcher’s interference. He then promptly stole second base and was driven home by Ryan Noda’s single. Seven pitches into the game, the hapless A’s were already winning.
That lead swelled to 3-0 when the A’s plated two more runs in the top of the third thanks to a rally that started when Noda walked, and Brent Rooker was hit by a pitch from Johan Oviedo. Whatever the A’s were getting, the Pirates were helping them get.
More sports
• First Call: Longtime member of Steelers franchise retires; Penguins on fringes of potential goalie trade derby
• Savvy vets Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb already forging close bond as Steelers’ new ILB duo
• Steelers sign RB Darius Hagans, OL Jarrid Williams
With seven turns at bat to go, though, and that opponent in the field, the Pirates knew they were never out of it — even if they needed some help of their own to take the game back.
Down 3-1 in the sixth, the Pirates used two bases-loaded walks from Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds, plus a sacrifice fly from Jack Suwinski to turn a two-run deficit into a one-run lead.
“We got down, but we didn’t rush to get back,” manager Derek Shelton said after the game. “We were patient. We had 10 walks. … When you don’t start the game and capitalize on opportunities, you have the tendency to swing your way out of it. And we didn’t do that.”
Some heads-up base running by McCutchen to delay a tag after a throw to third base and help catcher Austin Hedges score on the sac fly was key as well.
Oakland eventually tied it up again in the eighth. But McCutchen drove home the eventual game-winning run with another sac fly in the bottom of the frame.
“I invite those chances, those situations,” McCutchen said
Two runs via walks. Two via sacrifice flies. Drawing 10 walks while striking out 10 times as well. Four pitchers cobbled together a victory, with usual setup man Colin Holderman giving up three hits in the ninth and still getting a save.
It’s hardly a game that will be remembered in Cooperstown one day. But it’s definitely a loss Pirates fans would’ve remembered if this team misses the playoffs by a game or two in the fall.
We all knew coming into 2023 that many times this season, the Pirates best efforts simply wouldn’t be good enough. So far, however, at 32-27, more often than not, it has been. To the degree that in early June, the Pirates are stunningly in first place in the NL Central.
This team still is a long way from beating the best in baseball on a regular basis. Series losses in May against playoff contenders such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays illustrated that.
Yet, so far this season, the Pirates have proven pretty consistent at beating up the bad teams that have come their way. In a soft division such as the Central, that may be enough to stay in the hunt.
None are worse than the A’s. Two more opportunities to secure victories against them lie ahead at PNC Park on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those wins don’t have to be pretty, either.
But they have to happen.