If Corey Dickerson isn't happy with an at-bat, he'll switch his batting stance, batting gloves or even his bat before he steps to the plate again. It's not unusual for him to use four different bats in a game or to choke up a few inches on the handle, particularly with two strikes.
Dickerson is in a constant search for comfort at the plate, and any change is made with the explicit goal of helping him put the ball in play. "I trust myself sometimes more than the umpires, you know; I think that tends to lead to my aggression," Dickerson said, flashing a grin.
The impact such a simple approach can have was powerfully illustrated in the Pirates' 5-4 victory over the Padres Thursday night at PNC Park, and it has been the foundation of one of the National League's top offenses.
The Pirates, now 26-17 and still in first place in the Central Division, have struck out the second-fewest times in the NL, and they secured their eighth win in their last nine games after Dickerson switched his bat, put a ball in play against lefty reliever Matt Strahm and reached on an error to allow the go-ahead run to score in the seventh inning.
"Whenever the catcher catches the ball and they call you out, you can't do anything about it," Dickerson said. "I knew he would pitch to me a little tougher, but I knew I was a lefty against a lefty, so I knew he’d attack me a little bit. It is about picking up the guys around me. ... You try to make them make a play no matter what. Try to put the bat on the ball earlier in the count. When it’s two strikes you’ve just got to battle."
The Pirates' run-scoring percentage — a measurement of how often a baserunner eventually scores — ranks third in the NL, and they lead the majors with a .289 average with runners on base. That has allowed them to be the second-highest scoring offense in the league, despite trading Andrew McCutchen in January.
TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE. STANDINGS, VIDEODickerson exemplifies all of what has made the Pirates so effective at the plate. Acquired from the Rays in February, he has more extra-base hits (19) than strikeouts (17) and said he arrives at the ballpark every day trying to be "the hardest out." He also has the second-lowest strikeout rate among qualifiers in the NL.
He's helped the Pirates win games with a bunt single, a walk-off homer and selling out an at-bat to advance a runner to third base. This time, though, he wanted to do anything but strike out. Dickerson didn't like how his swing felt when he lined out to left field with runners on first and second in the fifth inning.
So, after Gregory Polanco hit a leadoff double in the seventh and advanced to third when Francisco Cervelli flied out to the warning track in center, Dickerson ran into the dugout to grab a heavier Victus bat with a bigger barrel. After Josh Bell hit a pop fly to first base for the second out, Dickerson stepped to the plate and watched a curveball go by him for a called first strike before fouling off a four-seam fastball.
Strahm then threw a slider to the outer half of the plate, and Dickerson, choking up on his bat handle, put the ball in play:
"We try to be pesky, I guess, up there; put the bat on the ball," Dickerson said. "When you do that, things are going to happen. I was telling Josh [Bell], I think, I said even though I got an error right there on me, when I keep doing that they’ll fall. Balls will find a hole. It’s about trying to put the ball in play when you can."
Polanco scored on the play, giving the Pirates a one-run lead. Michael Feliz and Felipe Vázquez pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to secure the club's 13th comeback win, despite Chad Kuhl lasting only 4 1/3 innings.
The Pirates had only one hit through three innings against Padres rookie starter Eric Lauer. They broke through for three runs in the fourth inning, and Dickerson was at the center of the rally.
With the Pirates trailing 2-0, Cervelli walked and Bell delivered a one-out single before Dickerson hit a cutter low and away to left field:
The ball dropped in front of Padres left fielder Franchy Cordero, allowing the Pirates' first run to score. They added another on a sacrifice fly by David Freese and Sean Rodriguez hit an RBI double to left field for the 3-2 lead. It was their second consecutive game without Starling Marte, who is expected to be placed on the disabled list with a right oblique strain; however, seven different players had at least one hit.
Hurdle has credited Dickerson with helping rejuvenate an offense ranked among the worst in the majors last season.
"It’s really hard when you don’t perform well, the collateral narrative that gets put out after," Clint Hurdle said. "When you have some guys, though, that continue to push and aren’t concerned about anything other than pushing the people around them, there’s a term we've used in sports a long time, and you look for people on your team that make others better. I believe, my initial feel for Corey, is he makes people around him better."
Rodriguez echoed Hurdle's thoughts, saying "It’s definitely a whole lot of energy with just the way he plays. Obviously he tries to perfect his craft. He knows he doesn’t have a strong arm in left, so he tries to attack every ball he can and get to it as quickly as he can and get it in as quickly as he can. That’s perfecting your craft. Obviously on the offensive side that’s something unique. Obviously what he’s bringing is special."
Dickerson is now batting .316/.354/.513, leading the Pirates with 13 doubles and 28 RBIs. He's also hit five home runs with nine walks and a team-high 78 total bases. The 28-year-old is also batting .325 when leading off an inning and .359 with runners in scoring position.
The Pirates are now tied for the second-most wins in the majors, and the guy acquired to complete the Pirates' outfield has been at the center of a memorable seven weeks to start the season.
"I play the game hard," he said. "I’m going to test you. I’m going to try to be the hardest out out there. That’s my goal every single night because if I’m the hardest out, something good will happen out of it."
1. Bullpen made it possible.
Kuhl needed only 28 pitches to strike out four of the first six batters he faced. He unraveled in the third inning, though, and Hurdle had a simple explanation for what went wrong.
"I think Chad threw some challenges at Chad, quite frankly," Hurdle said. "When the bottom of the lineup dinged him, I think that got him wound up a little bit and he tried to go harder, faster."
Kuhl allowed a leadoff single to Corey Spangenberg and walked Manuel Margot, the Padres' No. 8 hitter, on four pitches. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and both scored on an infield single and fielder's choice. Kuhl, making his ninth start of the season, then pitched a scoreless fourth before allowing a two-run double in the fifth.
He was replaced by Steven Brault after throwing 50 of his 85 pitches for strikes, and it was the second time in four starts he failed to finish the fifth inning. However, Brault pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, despite the Padres having a runner on third with one out in the sixth.
Edgar Santana then got an inning-ending ground ball in the seventh to strand a runner on second and the Pirates' two late-inning relievers — Feliz and Vázquez — didn't allow a hit. The bullpen's 2.45 ERA since April 12 is the lowest in the major leagues, and the Pirates are now 20-0 when leading after the seventh inning.
"They’ve been awesome," Kuhl said. "They did an awesome job tonight, and they have been doing an awesome job. … All of those guys have been lockdown. Obviously 100 percent confidence in what they’re doing out there."
2. Cervelli controlling runners.
Much has been made of Cervelli's resurgence at the plate; however, his work behind the plate shouldn't go unnoticed. The 32-year-old changed his catching stance, and it's helped him control the running game in a way he hasn't in his entire career. Cervelli entered Thursday having thrown out 39 percent of attempted base stealers, which is the highest mark in the majors among catchers with at least 24 starts.
In addition, the Pirates had the fourth-highest caught stealing percentage in the majors. For perspective, Cervelli threw out only 11 of 55 attempted stolen bases for a 20 percent clip last season. He threw out his eighth of the season in the fourth inning against the Padres. With a runner on first and no outs, Kuhl struck out Raffy Lopez with a sinker and Cervelli quickly threw out Jose Pirella trying to steal second base.
3. The Pirates miss Harrison in more ways than one.
With Adam Frazier scuffling, Hurdle used Max Moroff as the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter for the third time in six games, and it didn't go well. Moroff went 1 for 5 with three strikeouts, and his mistake in the field during the third inning gave the Padres a run. With runners on the corners and one out, Eric Hosmer hit a slow roller to second and Moroff took an awkward angle to pursue the ball.
Then, he corralled the ball in his glove and flipped it to Mercer, allowing Hosmer enough time to reach safely and giving the Padres the 2-0 lead. Harrison, meanwhile, played in his second rehab game with Double-A Altoona as he works his way back from a broken left hand. The Pirates need him both in the field and at the plate.
They've received little production from the leadoff spot since he landed on the disabled list last month. Hurdle used Moroff there because he didn't want to move anyone else around in the order. Harrison wasn't entirely effective there in the first two weeks of the season, but he's their only option.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Pirates vs. Padres, PNC Park, May 17, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS