Back to Winning Ways: Pirates Take Two From Seattle

8/19/24 By Drew Cagle – @cagles_bagels on X

It sure feels good to talk about the Pirates winning a series. It hasn’t happened since taking two of three in Houston back on July 31st. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff kept Seattle’s offense down, only conceding five combined runs over the first two games of the series. Timely offense in both games helped the Bucs take both. The Mariners responded emphatically on Sunday, putting up double-digit runs in a 10-3 win.

Isiah Kiner Falefa

Isiah Kiner-Falefa showed this series why the trade to acquire him was not just good for the short-term, but why he’s valuable for years to come. It’s the little things. It’s him making a heads-up play to throw out Victor Robles at 3rd in Saturday’s game. It’s him hitting behind runners. It’s putting the ball in play, to be quite honest.

Do I project IFK as a middle-of-the-order bat for the team’s next playoff run? Probably not. But what he can be is a pesky contact bat that doubles as a quality fielder, all while hitting leadoff or around sixth in the lineup.

De La Cruz’s struggles

Manning left field for the final two games of the series, I was excited to see how Bryan De La Cruz could take advantage of additional playing time. Instead, he posted a less-than-ideal 1-for-8 line with an RBI single. As he continues to perform below the level that the Pirates expected, questions about this winter become even more interesting. How do the Pirates handle his contract, which is up at the end of the season? Do they bet on him to turn it around with an extension? Take him to arbitration? Believe that he’s a case that can’t be saved and cut bait? While I still think that Pirates brass should bring De La Cruz back for 2025 via arbitration, these conversations continue to fester as his bat remains cold.

What does this series mean?

Taking two of three games against a struggling club like Seattle does not erase a ten-game losing streak. But it can serve as a foundation to build off of. A bounce-back start from Paul Skenes is a good sign that his recent off outing in Los Angeles was an anomaly. Bailey Falter also struggled against the Dodgers in his last start, but was able to last into the sixth inning this time before turning things over to the bullpen.

There’s still much work to be done to dig the Pirates out of the hole they’ve created, but protecting home turf against a playoff-hopeful squad is a good place to start.

Off to Texas

Looking forward to the series in Arlington against the defending World Series champion Rangers, this will be another proving-ground matchup for the Pirates. Looking at their roster, it’s hard to believe that the Rangers are 11 games under .500, at 57-68. However, don’t let that record fool you. If the Bucs are able to take another series in the Lone Star State, I’ll be a bit more bullish on their hopes of finishing above the .500 mark. Time will tell if they can maintain this weekend’s good form.