Hot Pittsburgh Pirates Win 11th Straight

The 2018 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The club had three straight playoff appearances as a Wild Card from 2013-15, but none of those teams advanced beyond that. After failing to make the post season in 2016 and 2017, the club elected to go in another direction. Pitcher Gerrit Cole and outfielder Andrew McCutcheon, two of the club’s best players, were traded in the off season, and several other roster moves were made. But the Pirates were not expected to contend this year , with the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals expected to finish in front of them in the N.L. Central this season, as Pittsburgh got its revamped club up to speed.

That may yet end up being the case, but the Pirates are also making a statement that they are ahead of schedule and should not be dismissed. On July 24th, three Pirates each hit a two run home run as Pittsburgh beat the Indians in Cleveland 9-4. It was the Pirates’ 11th straight win and 13th in their last 14 games. Pittsburgh improved to 53-49 on the season, in third place in the N.L Central behind the Cubs and Brewers, and in the mix with several other teams for one of the Wild Card playoff berths, not to mention an outside shot at the division crown.

Lead off hitter and left fielder Corey Dickerson, acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay last winter, was two for three at the plate with a double, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. Dickerson, with 11 homers, 44 RBIs, a .318 batting average, and six stolen bases, has provided a big spark at the top of the batting order. (Dickerson had the leave the July 24th game with what was described as “hamstring discomfort”, the degree of which is uncertain). Center fielder Starling Marte was two for five with a homer and three RBIs. Marte, batting second in the order, is hitting .292 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs, and has 25 stolen bases. He’s hit in 17 straight games. Here’s his home run, which opened the scoring in the game:

Right fielder Gregory Polanco is hitting just .237, but it’s a productive .237. Polonco hit his 18th home run and drove in two runs; he leads the team with 58 RBIs. The Pirate starting pitchers have pitched well during this streak and could be a good group over the long term; five of the six who have started at least 10 games are 25 or 26 years old, and the sixth, Ivan Nova, is 31.