8-30-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X
The last time the Pirates visited Cleveland, the team was in the throes of the first year of the current rebuild under Cherington, finishing off the 19-41, 2020 Covid-shortened season going 1-2 against host Cleveland squad – who were still known as the [name redacted] back then.
While the Pirates have improved slightly from that paltry .317 win percentage, the Guardians have continued to excel and currently sit at the top of their division while the Pirates reside dead last in theirs.
8/30
Pirates – Bailey Falter (L) – 6-7, 112.1 IP, 4.25 ERA, 79 Ks/33 walks, 1.26 WHIP
Guardians – Ben Lively (R) – 11-8, 126.2 IP, 3.62 ERA, 102 Ks/41 walks, 1.19 WHIP
8/31
Pirates – Luis Ortiz (R) –5-4, 107 IP, 3.36 ERA, 83 Ks/32 walks, 1.12 WHIP
Guardians – Matthew Boyd (L) – 1-0, 16.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 12 Ks/5 walks, 0.90 WHIP
9/1
Pirates – Mitch Keller (R) –11-8, 152.1 IP, 3.84 ERA, 138 Ks/42 walks, 1.24 WHIP
Guardians – TBD
Pirates:
Oneil Cruz – Cruz hasn’t just been the best performing player on the Pirates this month; he’s been among the best offensive players in baseball. His .384 batting average is tops in the National League among qualified hitters while his fWAR (1.5) is behind only Francisco Lindor’s 1.7.
Guardians:
Jhonkensy Noel – Noel hit a home run in his first at-bat and hasn’t stopped. He’s appeared in just 44 games with 136 plate appearances and has 12 home runs and a 161 wRC+. He’s hit 8 of those homers since the All Star Break and leads his team in OPS, with a .944 mark over this stretch.
Pirates:
Davis Bednar: This should be a surprise to exactly zero Pirates fans that Bednar has had a ROUGH 2024. After blowing saves in 3 of his first 4 opportunities, he had a 11.45 ERA through his first 12 appearances (11 innings). This seemed like it would be the low point for Bednar but he now has been doing it in moments where it matters most, posting a 10.80 ERA over his last 12 games dating back to July 29th, blowing 3 saves and getting credited with 4 losses in that stretch.
Guardians:
Stephen Kwan: After flirting with .400 his first few months this year, Kwan has plummeted, posting a .132/.233/.152 triple slash over the past two weeks. Despite that, his .301 batting average is still 8th in MLB but is trending down quickly.
Key Injuries
Pirates:
Ryan Borucki (left triceps inflammation), Daulton Jeffries (right elbow discomfort), Dauri Moreta (Tommy John Surgery): While Jeffries was a waiver claim from the San Francisco Giants in May, both Borucki and Moreta were expected to be crucial parts of the bullpen this past offseason. Unfortunately, they have combined to pitch just 3.1 innings this year – all from Borucki – straining the bullpen which entered the year as a supposed strength for this team.
Guardians:
Shane Bieber (TJS) and Alex Cobb (fractured right nail): Bieber surged to a 2-0 record with 12 scoreless innings to start the year before needing Tommy John Surgery. Cobb came over via a mid-season trade from the Giants but despite having a solid track record of success, the veteran righty hasn’t stayed healthy as he began the year on the IL with left hip impingement which required surgery and only appeared in two games for the Guardians before heading back to the Injured List due to a fractured nail.
Team Notes
Bullpens: The Guardians have statistically the best bullpen ERA in baseball (2.79) whereas the Pirates have the 4th worst at 4.58 with the 3rd most blown saves (26).
Rotations: On the other hand, Cleveland’s starters have struggled significantly amid numerous injuries, posting a combined 4.64 ERA – 7th worst in MLB – compared to Pittsburgh’s 3.84 mark, which ranks 6th best in baseball.
Steel City Pirates 