Pirates Bullpen Is Bombarded By Astros, As Bats Fall Silent In Shutout:(7-5)

4/12/23- By Craig W. Toth – @BucsBasement on Twitter

Happy 412 Day To Yinzers Everywhere!

Although, there wasn’t very much for Pirates Fans to be happy about in today’s rubber-match with the Houston Astros; unless you are a fan of acrobatic plays by the opposing fielders.

Even if these drop in, Houston was just a little bit to much for the Pirates to handle; especially the bullpen, as they allowed 5 runs on 7 hits across just 3 innings of work.

These types of losses are almost worse than when your team gives up a snowman in the first inning and can’t muster a comeback. For six innings the Pirates were within striking-distance-Bruce Willis style. Then in the blink of an eye, it was a 7-0 loss to the Redbirds.

News & Notes

  • 43 year-old Rich Hill now has three starts on the season. A decent one, followed by a total clunker and the final one today; which would fall into the former category, with a final line of 6IP/5H/2ER/2BB/0K. On the season his ERA is still a ballooned 7.20 because of the aforementioned clunker; but, if you look at his WHIP, it is a backend starter 1.33 at the moment.
  • Dauri “Big Bank” Moreta was far from Money this afternoon; allowing 3 runs on 3 hits-including a homer to Alex Bregman-and two walks.
  • Feast or famine. That the best way to describe the Pirates offense so far this year. The league average for runs per game is right around 4.5. In their first 12 games of the season Pittsburgh has scored higher than this 5 times-totaling 37 runs-while scoring a combined 14 runs in the other 7 contests.
  • Bryan Reynolds has at least one hit in eleven out of the first twelve games. This shouldn’t really surprise you if you’ve been watching at all.
  • Rule 5 Pick Jose Hernandez has only allowed one earned run during his five appearances, while striking out five and walking one. That’s good for a 1.42 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.

The Pirates hit the road to take on St. Louis for an extended weekend series, with the first game scheduled for Thursday at 7:45 from Busch Stadium. For Pittsburgh Vince Velasquez (0-2, 9.82 ERA) toes the rubber against Jordan Montgomery (2-0, 2.25 ERA) for the Cardinals.

Editor’s Note: Almost immediately after the Pirates contest with the Astros ended, it was announced that JT had TJ, with a timeline of return to action set at 12 to 14 months.

Hump Day Pirates Q&A

4-12-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

Busy week, and many of these questions came in before the Cruz injury, which is good, because the first thing that happens following something like that is nobody is capable of thinking past it.

And we really must, this team is going to play 4 months of baseball without him. So while I understand the initial pain of the situation, and the hit to your excitement level this has delivered, we still must march on just as we expect the players to. I’d also say, they’ve started great, and I’d put forward much of it wasn’t driven by Cruz, they have capable players, and should still be competitive, if not a bit less explosive.

Let’s Go!

Question 1

With 7 HR in 5 games, do you see the Pirates being able to consistsntely win games with power this year or will they need to transistion to a different style to be competitive? – Shaun Conley (@shaunpconley)

First, don’t get on Shaun about the numbers in his question. He asked it last week at this point. I would have answered yes before the Cruz injury, and now it’s an emphatic yes. This is a team that is going to have to manufacture a good 50% of their runs.

Now, as we sit here, the Pirates have played 11 games and their 15 homeruns have them in a tie for 8th place in baseball. Tied with teams like the Braves, Jays and Brewers.

A quick look at some of those rosters should probably tell you, they’re a bit over their handle bars right?

According to the coaching staff, the plan was going to be more about what the moment called for as opposed to trying to say “this is how we’re going to win” and sticking with it. In miniature, Ji Hwan Bae dropped his leg kick in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday night. He did this because he was 0-4 going into that at bat, and he wanted to make sure with 2 men on and a chance to win the game in scoring position that he’d make contact. Then he wound up crushing a ball over the Clemente Wall.

Moral of the story, plan to make good contact, sometimes it’s gonna go out.

Question 2

With the reported severity of Brubaker’s injury, will this speed up his exit from the organization? Or do you see him being with the Pirates post-rehab in 2024 and, if so, what role? – Nick Cammuso (@npc210)

Yeah Nick, I’ll put a caveat here, we haven’t gotten the news back from his second opinion, but it sure smells like it’s headed toward TJS right? I’ll start here, I thought he could have possibly been a trade candidate at the deadline if the youngsters progressed before this happened. Reality is if this is the worst, you’re talking about a then 31-32 year old who kinda sorta had himself entrenched as a starter, but a back end starter. When he returns he’ll likely have 1 year of team control left.

We already saw the team move on from Kuhl and Brault under the same conditions and they weren’t freshly coming off surgery. In many ways Nick, if this team isn’t beyond needing him to fill a spot in the rotation by the time he returns, this whole thing might very well be in big trouble.

Short answer, yes, I think this unofficially marks the end of his opportunity in Pittsburgh to be a starter at the very least. If he returns as a Pirate, I believe it would likely be a bullpen role. Think Robert Stephenson with a bit more starting success.

Question 3

How long of a leash do CSN and Castro have early on? Seems as though they’re both feeling the pressure of competition pushing them. – Phil Chaplin

Well Phil, for one thing up until Oneil Cruz went down on Sunday I’d say both were firmly in the fighting for opportunity category, as opposed to looking over their shoulder.

CSN has only been given 20 plate appearances. To his detriment he’s used 11 of them to strike out. Even then, you’re talking about fighting for what is currently a lightly used bench role. Even if he is getting pushed, the team isn’t going to bring someone like Swaggerty up here to do the same. I’m sure he feels pressure like any player, but until he starts getting more opportunity, I doubt he feels like he’s screwing the pooch ya know?

Now Castro, well his role just changed didn’t it? Guess what, his leash just got longer too. The team now needs his power, even if it comes with things they don’t like so much. The team now needs his glove, because maturity and SS don’t exist in spades within the organization. Even he has only had 26 plate appearances, in fact, his limited participation was a swelling issue under the surface the team was looking to find ways to address.

I will say if either do have a direct competitor, it might be Tucapita Marcano at SS. He’s looked really good in the early going in AAA, but again, Marcano has done that in AAA several times then fizzled in MLB. I could see them wanting him to show its sustainable, and if we’re honest, SS isn’t his best spot on the diamond either.

I believe both have a really solid shot to stick for a while.

Question 4

The hitting style seems different for every batter. Are we seeing signs of effectiveness? Or ineffectiveness? – Douglas Smith

Well Doug, I think I kinda called this before the season. Veterans aren’t nearly as pliable as kids. I say this because let’s be real, no coach at this point is going to change what Carlos Santana does at the plate unless he was looking to change something. Same with Cutch, same with Choi, you feel me?

Those veterans tend to not be quiet when they see one of their chosen to be under their wing doing things they see as misguided.

The hitting style for the overall team does vary from player to player and it’s refreshing. Last season, and even in the season before with a different hitting coach, the Pirates would enter just about every contest looking to take long at bats, work the starter out of the game regardless of how good the opponents bullpen was. Their greatest offensive threat was a wild pitcher.

This season you’re seeing a more varied approach, some swing at the first pitch, some hunt everything away, others seem happy to just make sure they hit the ball and where it goes isn’t even part of the equation.

Balance is always good in baseball, and if it continues, they could develop into quite a potent offense.

Question 5

You often hear the payroll should be at least 100 mil. Where would you spend that money? – Scott Nelson (@Piratefan1970)

Oh, this is easy. First, I’d have already extended Reynolds, Keller and tried with Roansy and Cruz. Bluntly, that probably gets you there.

That’s probably not the way you wanted this answered cause it’s incredibly boring so I’ll go this direction Scott, pitching.

I would have brought in a Starter on a 2 or 3 year deal, probably in the 10-14 mil per range, and I’d have brought in another proven middle to back of the bullpen arm.

Everywhere else, I either like the very near future options, or like what they have to sort through right now.

I also think this arbitrary number that supposedly makes this team “care” is kinda silly. Through arbitration alone they’ll get there in a year or two, and trust me, it won’t be enough to either convince fans the owner cares or to win.

Question 6

With Swaggerty’s hot start in triple A, how long til he gets another chance on the big league team? Who is the sacrificial lamb if/when that happens? – Phil Chaplin

I mean, he’s an injury away for one thing, so that could answer your question right there. Jack Suwinski is the player that most closely represents a spot for Swaggerty though. They want him to be the CF, they’d want Swags to be the CF. Jack has had very little opportunity yet though. 24 plate appearances, yes he’s still striking out, but he’s also walking more, and finally last night the power showed up. In no way do I see them making a knee jerk change here.

After that, it gets tough. The Pirates don’t want Swaggerty to sit on the bench, they want him playing. On Tuesday, Derek Shelton on his radio show on the Fan said CSN simply put had a better Spring than Travis, and referenced how much time he had missed recently.

I don’t think they feel the 25 year old first round pick urgency most of us fans do.

ALL that said, I believe he’ll get his shot this year, it’s just going to take a good 100-150 at bats for someone here in order to see them make a non injury change.

Question 7

At what point do the Pirates take a look at either Hill or more importantly Velasquez and say this isn’t working (assuming things don’t get better). Bringing in a veteran starter(s) isn’t doing anything when they have an ERA over 10 and can’t make it to the 4th inning. On a related note, how long do they stay with Choi if he continues to hit under .100. This isn’t a young player you are looking to get reps and a look at , but a veteran who you are looking to contribute. This looks like another VanMeter or Yoshi case to me. – Edward Brewer

That’s a lot Ed, but I owe you, tremendous comments on so many things I write.

Let’s start with the pitchers. First, its not after 2 starts. Track records are track records, Rich Hill has a longer one than most. Here’s what it says, if you get 100 innings from him, it was a good year. If his ERA is over 4 he’s had a rare season for him. Right now, I can honestly tell you his issue, because I’ve watched him pitch for almost 20 years, so trust me they can too. His curveball isn’t landing.

He’s leaving it up in the zone, when he’s on that thing falls off the table damn near on top of the plate. His fastball is a tick slow, he usually sits at 87-88, so far he’s more around 85-86. If he’s not starting, he isn’t going to help in the pen much. Lastly, a Pirates reality, 8 Mil isn’t getting cut.

Now Vince, look, he’s a bullpen arm. Specifically, he’s a 1 time through the order pitcher, and that’s if he’s good. To be a good pitcher, Vince needs all 4 of his offerings. That doesn’t happen every outing but let’s assume it does for the purposes of illustration. If he has all 4 he has to use them to get through the order, then the starting 9 have seen what he has and they see him much much better the next time through. That my friend isn’t a starter. Bluntly, if JT Brubaker hadn’t been injured, I think right this second he’d be in the bullpen and Oviedo would have taken his rotation spot.

Now they have to wait for Ortiz or Bido to reach the milestones the team has identified. And even then, look how much consternation it’s causing finding a place to stick the returning from IL Robert Stephenson. The Bullpen doesn’t really need him either ya know?

If they felt it was an emergency, Bido, Ortiz or gulp…Caleb Smith might be the call since Mike Burrows is on the shelf. Unless they feel Priester is somehow ready, and I doubt they do.

Whew.

Now onto Choi.

Again, 27 plate appearances here. When you asked this question, the only notable thing he’d done is hit one dinger, now he’s hit two on back to back nights. He too has a track record. He’s a 230ish hitter, he’ll hit you 10-15 homeruns (maybe a bit more in this park), and more importantly, he’s part of the first base solution for 2023. Carlos Santana is long in the tooth, can’t expect him to play 162 at this point, and this is a team that firmly believes in mentors that represent regions.

His greatest value might be what he does with Ji Hwan Bae.

The Pirates have nothing just yet truly pushing for first base. Malcom Nunez might, Matt Gorski might, hell, Mason Martin might, but none have yet, none will for half a season if they do. Choi isn’t going anywhere, and he’s not nearly the risk Yoshi was, he’s just Asian. The similarities die right there, and I won’t dignify the VanMeter comparison, Josh was a reach for a former top prospect who’d never done it at this level, just not the same.

Question 8

Do the Pirates feel comfortable with Castro, Bae, and maybe Peguero as their shortstop till Cruz returns? Any chance they could make a trade for someone? I don’t want to make things worse for when Cruz comes back though. Forgot Marcano is in the mix too. – Don Jacobsen

I don’t see them making a trade to address this position.

I know that statement kinda cuts the legs out of this question quickly, but you answered it yourself by listing all those options, all on the 40-man by the way, each and every one with at least a taste of MLB playing time.

Bluntly, 2023 in my mind is a failure if we reach the end and more than one of those names is still a question. I don’t mean you have to know you want them here for the next decade, but you sure as hell better know if you do or don’t believe they are MLB players by the end of the year.

Entering this off season, meaning the one following this brand new year we’re watching, ideally they at least know they have SS and 2B filled, and potentially the bench filled as well. Another player who could factor in there is Nick Gonzales, who I still firmly believe is in cup of coffee territory by the end of the season. That’ll put him in the mix next Spring, and probably on the same manipulation schedule most top prospects are on. In other words, some of these dudes need to sh** or get off the pot.

Cruz getting injured sucks for this season, sucks for him, sucks for the fans, but in the long run, it’ll force this team to answer questions about guys I quite frankly didn’t see them getting enough time to look at.

All that and we didn’t even mention Mathias. I’ll just leave this here to end the piece, if the Pirates felt they had enough here, they don’t go out and add a guy like that. Not everyone can be Josh Harrison, someone has to step up and be Walker ya dig?

Talking Pirates With The ”Rock”-John Wehner

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ptc33-13dcc52

Craig is joined by current AT&T SportsNet Color Commentator and former Pirates Player, John “Rock” Wehner to talk about the Oneil Cruz Injury, the role(s) of coaches, letting players work through their issues and much more! 

Brought to you by ShopYinzz.com! Craig Toth covers the Pirates for Inside The Bucs Basement, and joins his buddy Chris at a 9-foot homemade oak bar to talk Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball. Listen. Subscribe. Share. We are “For Fans, By Fans & All Pirates Talk.” THE Pirates Fan Podcast found EVERYWHERE podcasts can be found and always at BucsInTheBasement.com!

Ji-hwan Bae Walks It Off, Pirates Win 7-4: (7-4)

04/11/2023 – By Ethan Smith – @mvp_Ethan on Twitter

Ji-hwan Bae saves the day on a 3-run walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth as the Pittsburgh Pirates even up the series against the Houston Astros.

The Pittsburgh Pirates looked doomed from the start once again after a solo shot from Alex Bregman in the top of the first and another solo shot from Kyle Tucker in the second, but Mitch Keller settled in and the Pirates fought back with four unanswered runs.

Speaking of Keller, he had yet another impressive outing to kick off his 2023 campaign, going six innings with seven strikeouts and two earned runs, keeping the Pirates even after the first five innings.

Jack Suwinski would homer for the first time this season to notch the score at two a piece in the bottom of the second. Ji-Man Choi would follow with his second homer in as many games to give the Pirates a 3-2 advantage in the bottom of the sixth.

In what would become a huge factor later on, Ke’Bryan Hayes stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly from Canaan Smith-Njigba to make the game 4-2, yet another step in the maturation of his game in big spots.

Duane Underwood Jr and Colin Holderman each pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning respectively, giving Holderman the league lead with five holds, but David Bednar would allow two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the score at four.

Then the fun happened.

Ryan Pressly would try to force extra innings for Houston, but a Rodolfo Castro bloop single after a crucial error in the top of the final frame would kickstart the Pirates walk-off bid followed by an Andrew McCutchen pinch-hit single.

Jack Suwinski struck out but Ji-hwan Bae blew one over the Clemente Wall for his first walk-off homer of his career and the first Pirates walk off of the 2023 season.

The Pirates showed once again that they have a team worthy of clawing back from early deficits, something we saw them do against both Boston and the White Sox and that good starts from their starters will be a benchmark to their success this season.

Pittsburgh moves to 7-4 on the season with a 7-4 victory and will play the rubber match of the series against the defending World Series Champions on Wednesday with RHP Jose Urquidy(3.86 ERA) facing LHP Rich Hill(10.00 ERA).

News & Notes

  • Mitch Keller final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
  • Christian Javier final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 SO
  • Duane Underwood Jr. and Colin Holderman(5th hold of the season, leads MLB) have scoreless frames through seventh and eighth innings
  • Ji-Man Choi homers for second consecutive game, Jack Suwinski homers for first time this season
  • Rodolfo Castro continues to take HBPs
  • Ji-hwan Bae records first walk off of career and the season!

Top 5 Pirates Prospect Performer: First “Full” Week

4-11-23 By Craig W. Toth (aka @BucsBasement on Twitter)

After a quick weekend series for the Indianapolis Indians, all of the Pirates Affiliates eventually joined in on the fun; with Altoona starting their season on Thursday, which was soon followed by Greensboro and Bradenton on Friday.

For fans of the Minor Leagues like myself, it is great to finally see several prospects make their professional debuts, what guys have been working on in the off-season and if guys that struggled last season can bounce back strong.

Once again-just like last week-these are extreme small sample sizes; possibly only looking at a handful of at bats, or a few innings on the mound. Still, these can be very important for players that are pushing toward the Majors, as one injury or extended slump from someone with the Big League Club could equal them getting an opportunity.

Mark Mathias was recalled yesterday after Oneil Cruz hit the IL with a fractured fibula; and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup. Last year Jack Suwinski was promoted to the Pirates due to a little serendipity and a hot start; as the Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel described it at the time. And, we all remember how Bryan Reynolds found his way to Pittsburgh back in 2019.

All it takes is one event, or decision from Ben Cherington, and prospect could be taking a flight to St. Louis instead of a bus to Erie.

1) Tucupita Marcano-IF/OF (Indianapolis)

The hot start-4for 9-with a double-that Marcano got off to during the Opening Weekend, rolled right over into the full slate of games in Louisville, against the Bats.

In this most recent series he batted an astounding.526 with 7 total extra base hits; including 5 doubles, a homer and this triple below.

On Friday night he tallied three doubles, on his way to lead the International League in two-baggers on this young season, and being named their Player of the Week.

He has also continued to play strong defense in the field. All of which led to many believing that he would get the call-up when Cruz went down.

Yes it’s only 7 games and 29 plate appearances, but no one can deny that Marcano is seeing the ball very well; and may have turned a corner in his development.

He is only 23 years old after all.

2) Luis Ortiz-RHP (Indianapolis)

Through the first four innings of his second outing on the season, Ortiz baffled the Louisville batters; striking out six, walking one and not allowing a single hit.

The Bats would get to him in the bottom of the fifth; chasing him from the game mostly due to a pitch count-77 total on the day. But, they also strung together a few singles, which resulted in an earned run. Although, it should be noted that he struck out the final batter he faced on the day.

3) Anthony Solometo-LHP (Greensboro)

Coming into 2022, Solometo was one of the prospects that I couldn’t wake to see make his Minor League Debut. And, let me tell you, he didn’t disappoint.

Across 47.2 innings for the Marauders, he posted a 2.64 ERA with a 1.049 WHIP, 51 strikeouts and no home runs allowed.

Not surprisingly this overall performance ultimately resulted in promotion to High-A Greensboro to begin the 2023 Season.

Once again, the young lefty didn’t disappoint; at least in his first start. Even if he did give up his first professional home run.

On the day, Solometo allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out five in 4 innings of work; using just 60 pitches to do so.

4) Thomas Harrington-RHP (Bradenton)

This year’s Anthony Solometo, for me, was-without a doubt-Thomas Harrington; as I wrote back in early January.

Sure I got to see him throw a 3 inning simulated game on the backfields at Pirate City almost a month ago at this point; but, that only left me wanting to see more.

From the jump, Harrington was nothing short of dominating. He struck out the second batter of the game, and never really looked back.

Throughout the evening all four of his above average offerings were on full display; including this devastating slider.

Across five innings Harrington threw just 63 pitches-44 of the for strikes-on his way to a four hit, seven strike out and no walk performance.

5) Travis Swaggerty-OF (Indianapolis)

The Pirates former 1st Round Pick from 2018 entered Spring Training as a potential DFA Candidate to some; but, left as a player that may have been cheated out of a roster spot, after slashing .379/.471/.690 with 3 homers in 29 official at bats.

Obviously, there was an open competition in Bradenton over the month of March, which was won by Canaan Smith-Njigba; who to his credit, slashed .333/.407/.583 with 3 homers of his own across 48 at bats.

Over the first series of the season, Swaggerty hit safely in all three games; including a double in each of the first two contests.

Then after being held hit-hitless in the series opener against the Bats; Swaggerty’s would lead off first game of Thursday’s double-header with his first long ball of the season.

As the series continued, Swaggerty stayed hot; totaling 7 hits-two doubles and 2 triples, while raising his Average and OPS to .286 and .942 respectively.

Clearly this sizzling streak will need to continue if he wants to find his way back up to Pittsburgh sooner rather than later. However, it was simply nice to see Swaggerty build upon the success he experienced in Spring.

Conclusion

There you have it! My Top 5 Pirates Prospect Performers-plus one-for the first “full” week of the year.

Now remember, let me know if I missed anyone, and who your Top 5 would be. And, be sure check back each and every Tuesday during Minor League Baseball Season!

Defending Champion Houston Astros Trounce Bucs in Series Opener: (6-4)

4/10/23- By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on Twitter

Reeling from losing Oneil Cruz on Sunday, the Pirates scuffled on Monday night, dropping the opening game of the Astros series 8-2. It was announced earlier in the day that Cruz had surgery to repair his fractured left ankle and would be out for 4 months.

Roansy Contreras had a rough time, lasting only 3.1 innings after surrendering 7 runs – the third time in four games in which the Pirates starting pitcher was unable to record an out in the 5th inning. 

Houston starter Framber Valdez was another story, fanning 5 Pirates, generating 13 outs via the ground ball with his sinker-heavy arsenal. He allowed only 2 runs off 3 hits and 5 walks in his 7 innings of shutdown work.

News & Notes

  • Contreras had a MUCH different outing than his last time out, looking more wild as he only landed 44 of his 83 pitches for strikes
  • Ji-Man Choi knocked his first home run as a Pirate. It came in the bottom of the 2nd inning off southpaw Valdez, only the 5th time he has allowed a home run off a left-handed hitter in his career.
  • Wil Crowe appears to be settling back into a multi-inning relief pitcher role. He went 2.2 innings matching 3 strikeouts with 3 walks and no hits or runs allowed.
  • Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez gave up 1 run in his 2 innings of work and lefty Rob Zastryzny pitched the only 1-2-3 inning of the night for the Pirates.
  • Rodolfo Castro reached base all three times he came to the plate: hit by pitch in the 2nd, 110.6 MPH RBI single in the 4th and a full-count walk in the 7th.
  • Mark Mathias was recalled from Indianapolis prior to the game and started at 2B for the Pirates in his first appearance with the team.
  • The Pirates will take another shot at Houston tomorrow at 6:35PM. Mitch Keller makes his third turn for Pittsburgh looking to turn tides as the Astros send out Cristian Javier to the bump. Let’s Go Bucs!

Five Pirates Thoughts at Five

4-10-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

I sincerely doubt there are many of you out there who thought the Pirates would at this point have a 6-3 record. I bet there are even fewer who thought that record was achievable after starting 1-2 against the supposed to be bad Reds.

Yet here they are. The bats have picked up the pitching. This pitching has picked up the bats. They’ve dealt with big injuries to important players, and when they’ve gotten down they’ve fought back instead of rolling over like we saw far too often over the past couple seasons.

Yes folks, this is what good baseball looks like. Doesn’t mean they’ll keep playing it, doesn’t mean they’ll survive losing Oneil Cruz and keep humming either, but it does mean these players weren’t just whistling Dixie when they said they loved the group and believed they could achieve something this season.

Lets go…

1. Have to Start with Cruz

Let’s start with what we know.

Cruz has a fractured left ankle. He underwent surgery and early prognosis is set at 4 months by the team.

How it happened. This was a go on contact play. The 3rd base coach didn’t “send” him, it was simply the play to go if there was contact. This play is called by every team in the league in that situation, designed to avoid a double play, force the defense to make a play, and come out of the situation with 2 guys on so the opportunity doesn’t die in the process. Sometimes there will be a variation, say the contact is to the left side, the runner doesn’t go. In this case, it was a straight go, probably because with Cruz in 8 strides he’s nearly there.

The catcher didn’t do anything wrong during the play, Cruz probably slid a bit late, but also had to know the 3B would have to throw it over him to get it to the catcher, so it kinda makes sense as to why he might have stayed vertical as long as he did.

After the play, the White Sox catcher got mouthy and Carlos Santana took exception.

Baseball play. Bad accident. Nobody really to blame. I will say, he charges into just about every base with reckless abandon. It’s part of what makes him such an exciting player, it’s also something I guarantee you felt would eventually get him hurt.

Well, it did.

Now the Pirates will call up Mark Mathias to replace him on the roster. Let’s start here, nobody is going to directly replace Oneil Cruz, so who the guy was, well, it wasn’t going to “fix” the hole left. I personally thought it would be Tucapita Marcano, but Mathias almost made the team out of Spring, so that makes some sense too. I expect Rodolfo Castro to step in at SS, backed by Bae for now, and if Castro keeps not hitting, and or shows he can’t handle the position, they’ll have to get Marcano up and let him have a crack. In fact, wanting to get Castro involved more consistently likely led directly to the call up choice here.

This could also lead to Ji Hwan Bae getting a real look at the leadoff spot. Something many of us have wanted to see anyhow, but a couple month audition is far more than he was going to get without Cruz overtly struggling, which he wasn’t.

This also knocks out the issue of not being able to get consistent at bats for Castro. That simply has to happen this year, because good or bad he can’t be a question heading into 2024.

I know no other way to mentally approach something like this. It certainly isn’t good, but it will create opportunity for others to step up. There is nothing “good” that comes from a player like Cruz getting injured, but it does afford the Pirates a chance to get eyes on different guys they may have needed to wait on or struggle to create chances for.

This too shall pass….

2. Bryan Reynolds is On Fire

He’s tied for the league lead in home runs, he’s second in OPS, carrying an over .400 batting average, and he’s hitting the ball hard from both sides of the plate.

As if the Pirates needed another sales pitch right?

The Pirates lineup has presented every team with a problem. You don’t want to pitch to Cruz or Reynolds, but you kinda have to pick one at least cause Cutch is near the top of the league in OBP too.

Obviously part of that formula has been taken away for a little while. So what’s going to be interesting is seeing how the league decides to attack the problem and more importantly, can Reynolds be as patient as it could require him being?

We could see Ji Hwan Bae create a new set of issues for teams to deal with should he get some lead off opportunities, but make no mistake, picking the guy who isn’t gonna beat you just got easier.

I’m incredibly interested to see how he and the entire offense adjusts.

3. Put a Bridge Between Hill and Velasquez

So, you’re first thought here is probably to just move on from one or both, but let’s be realistic, they aren’t going to do that right now.

That said, having the two of them back to back in the rotation is not going to work long term.

Having them right near each other has the potential to kill the bullpen once every 5 days, and god forbid one of the other 3 has an off outing.

So how the hell do you fix this? The Pirates aren’t off until the 24th. The way that falls the 24th would be Oviedo’s scheduled day, so they could do something creative like have Oviedo go on the 23rd, and plan on Velasquez to piggyback him. Next time through, just switch the two of them in the rotation.

Even that solution gives them another 2+ cycles through like this.

Keller, Hill, Velasquez, Oviedo, Contreras does give you your 3 best all in a row, so it could help sometimes too, but unless Oviedo is now going to throw a 7 inning shutout most times out, I hate the idea of him having a depleted bullpen backing him. So to me, it’s imperative they find a way to transition to Keller, Hill, Oviedo, Velasquez and Contreras.

It’s a small thing. It’s not about Hill being better than anyone. It’s about the best configuration to insulate the pitching staff from being overworked back to back nights.

4. Leadership Put to the Test

A big part of bringing in so many veterans this year was of course to create some realistic MLB measuring sticks, but it was also to help these kids who have experienced little more than being part of a hodgepodge learn how to be Major Leaguers.

Carlos Santana, even if irrational, defended his teammate on the field. Andrew McCutchen showed after the game, you can have grief about one of your brothers going down for a while but you have to turn the page and believe you still have enough to win.

Ji-man Choi shows how you get very limited playing time and still show up every day ready for work.

Even Bryan Reynolds, all the consternation surrounding his contract situation, he’s showing everyone in that room, the business stuff, yeah, you can’t count that as an excuse either.

Baseball is incredibly hard, having people around who have seen just about everything, and experienced just about all the things you could imagine on the diamond is absolutely key to creating the next group of ballplayers.

Think about it. One day Roansy Contreras will take a young pitcher under his wing and tell him stories about the time he was tipping pitches. Mitch Keller will one day tell some youngster to trust his stuff is good enough to get outs in the zone.

I’ve never once talked to a baseball player who didn’t credit a veteran for helping him unlock something big in his career. Having as many as they do, increases that probability that a youngster clicks with a guy.

I understand the frustration when some of them don’t play up to your expectations, but keep in mind, a big, arguably more important part of their reason for being here is happening behind the scenes.

5. Let’s Talk About What Mathias Brings to the Table

In his 9 games for AAA Indianapolis this year, he’s posted a .333 batting average, an OPS of .926. This dude is capable of playing really everywhere but short stop. So the first question is probably, why is he the call up for Cruz then? It goes back to what we talked about in point number 1, the Pirates need to see what Castro and Bae can do so Mathias will bounce around and do whatever is needed for now.

This shouldn’t be seen as nothing though. Mathias is 28 years old and reaches his first year of arbitration next year, so if he becomes someone the Pirates like having around, he could carve a nice role for himself here. He’s not Josh VanMeter, he’s a worthy endeavor and the power has been very real.

While he’s never stuck in the Bigs, he has a positive .9 WAR number with 6 homeruns in 117 at bats.

Look for him to spell Bae and Castro, and potentially eat into their time if he’s really firing.

Minor League News and Brews: Live From Allegheny City Brewing

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-93hx8-13da8d8

Craig goes live from Allegheny City Brewing, in the heart of Deutschtown, with Taylor from @ShopYinzz for the Pirates Home Opener; while taking trips to Indianapolis, Altoona, Greensboro and Bradenton. Pull up a chair, pour a cold one, and let’s talk Bucs, Minor League News and Brews!

Craig Toth covers the Pirates for Inside The Bucs Basement, and is a huge Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Fan; especially when it comes to the Farm System. Listen. Subscribe. Share. We are “For Fans, By Fans & All Pirates Talk.” THE Pirates Fan Minor League Podcast found EVERYWHERE podcasts can be found and always at BucsInTheBasement.com!

Early Inning Pitching Struggles Sink Pirates (5-3)

4/8/23- By Craig W. Toth – @BucsBasement on Twitter

Our guy Vinny did not have the revenge game, he may have imagined against the Chicago White Sox today.

Through the first two innings. he allowed one run; while hitting most of his spots. Early on he generated whiffs, and was in command of most counts.

Then at some point during the top of the third, things started to feel a little bit off; eventually resulting in Shelton coming out to see if he could give it a go for the rest of the inning, after walking two straight batters.

A wild pitch, a single and a walk later it was 5 to 1.

Obviously Pirates Fans could pile onto the Velasquez hate train, but in the bigger picture it makes sense to look at the overall burden being transferred to the bullpen for the second day in a row.

When your starters take care of 6 and 2/3 of the 18 innings over 2 games, it will naturally put stress on the bullpen.

Yesterday, things worked out because the offense out-slugged their opponent; yet, how often can that honesty happen.

As I was watching the game today, I had the feeling that the Pirates would start to string together hit after to get back into the game; but giving up 20 runs in two games usually doesn’t turn out in your favor.

Yeah, they won 13-9 in the first game, but could you honestly think 10 plus runs is in the cards everyday?

Evidently not, as Chicago South eventually outscored our Pirates 11 to 5.

News & Notes

  • White Sox Starter Mike Clevinger didn’t seem to dominate Pittsburgh’s lineup as much as it might appear; still a 5.1IP/4ER/2BB/1K line would be enough to earn the win.
  • Rodolfo Castro may have found his groove by striking a double and taking a free pass, while not striking out. Hopefully he is getting back on track.
  • Not only did Andrew McCutchen homer for the first time this season, but he also brought he early season slash line up to .375/.515/.583. Yeah, he is definitely feeding off of the emotions of being back home.
  • Bryan Reynolds has at least one hit in every game to begin the year. Now hitting .424 with a 1.432 OPS, one might wonder if he is ever going to slow down.
  • With Hill getting pounded over in the first game of the series, and Velasquez possibly dealing with an injury-or general ineffectiveness, Oviedo’s start on Sunday might hold more importance than it otherwise would have.
  • Down in Indianapolis, Top Pitching Prospect Mikes Burrows exited the game in the second inning with an apparent injury, which delivers a hit to the Pirates perceived pitching depth in the upper levels.

Tomorrow the Pirates and White Sox meet in the rubber match at PNC, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:35 PM. Johan Oviedo (0-0, 7.31 ERA) toes the rubber against Michael Kopech (0-1, 13.50 ERA) as Pittsburgh looks to keep themselves as surprising first week players in the NL Central.

412 Blackout PNC-Special Home Opener Episode

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-cm5cv-13da897

Craig is joined by his brother from another mother, Gary Morgan, to discuss the Home Opener, as well as trends/takeaways from the first week and what to look for as the season continues.

Brought to you by ShopYinzz.com! Craig Toth covers the Pirates for Inside The Bucs Basement, and joins his buddy Chris at a 9-foot homemade oak bar to talk Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball. Listen. Subscribe. Share. We are “For Fans, By Fans & All Pirates Talk.” THE Pirates Fan Podcast found EVERYWHERE podcasts can be found and always at BucsInTheBasement.com!