Analysis: Bell is not Pedro II ☕ taken at PNC Park (Courtesy of StepOutside.org)

Josh Bell - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

The Pirates are 2-11 since the All-Star break.

Josh Bell is hitting .171 in the second half, going 7 for 41 without a home run. He also has just two RBIs, though he continues to lead the major leagues in that category with 86.

Those two sets of facts certainly are not independent of each other. Bell carried the Pirates through much of the first half when they entered the All-Star break with a 44-45 record and he gained a spot in the National League’s starting lineup at the Midsummer Classic in Cleveland.

Some frustrated fans have started comparing Bell to the mercurial Pedro Alvarez. While both were poor-fielding first basemen, the comparisons end there.

Alvarez refused to take instruction from any hitting coaches and steadfastly stuck to his hitting approach. That led him from hitting a NL-leading 36 home runs in 2015 to being non-tendered by the Pirates just two years later to eventually bouncing between the major leagues and Class AAA with the Orioles.

Conversely, Bell knows he must make certain adjustments. Opposing teams aren’t letting him beat them, instead opting to pitch around Bell and trying to frustrate him enough to chase pitches outside the strike zone.

While Bell’s second-half numbers are bad, there were signs of progress while the Pirates were being swept in a four-game series by the Cardinals, punctuated by a 6-3 loss Thursday at PNC Park. Bell hit some balls hard and was willing to be more patient and work counts.

“I feel like I’m trending upwards, just the ability to see pitches in certain situations,” Bell said. “It’s a learning process.”

Here is some more from Bell:

The adjustments did not result in any victories. However, it provided some evidence that Bell isn’t Pedro Alvarez II.

Gregory Polanco’s goal is to return to the active roster this season.

Polanco has been on the injured list since June 19 with left shoulder inflammation. He underwent surgery on the shoulder last September and had a rehab assignment with Class AAA Indianapolis halted July 14 because he felt pain when swinging at a low-and-away pitch.

It has been a lost season for Polanco, who is hitting .242/.301/.425 with six home runs in 42 games. Not that anyone was expecting an All-Star year — Polanco was told by doctors that his shoulder would likely not be back to close to full strength until the 2020 season.

While it’s understandable why Polanco would want to try to salvage something from 2019 after a lengthy rehab, it also makes little sense to push his return. I don’t profess to be a doctor or have the smarts to even consider joining the profession, but it’s prudent for Polanco to just try again next year.

It would also behoove the Pirates to be cautious with Polanco, from an economic standpoint. He is guaranteed $24.2 million over the next two seasons – big money by Bucco standards – and they really should take steps to protect the investment.

• On the other hand, Jameson Taillon has come to grips with the fact that his season is likely over. He has been out since May 2 with a strained flexor tendon in his elbow.

Here’s hoping Taillon can avoid a second Tommy John surgery. The poor guy has been through enough in his career with the first TJ operation and surgeries to repair a sports hernia and remove cancerous tissue from his scrotum.

Taillon is due to catch a break.

• The Pirates and Cardinals play six more times this season and here’s some free advice – the best price available -- for Clint Hurdle: Don’t pitch to Paul Goldschmidt unless necessary.

Goldschmidt hit a home run in all four games of the series, including a solo shot in the fourth inning Thursday off Joe Musgrove. It marked the first time in the six-time All-Star’s career that he has homered in four consecutive games.

When Goldschmidt was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Cardinals and into the NL Central in December, it didn’t figure to be good news for the Pirates. Indeed, he is wearing them out this season with six home runs in 13 games while hitting .340 (17 for 50) with 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

• Pirates’ fans are upset about the second-half collapse, and rightfully so. However, the Pirates traveled to New York following Thursday’s game for a three-game series with the Mets that begins Friday night at Citi Field.

The fans should be able to take solace in the fact that while the Pirates have their problems, they are at least not as dysfunctional as the Mets. There’s always a silver lining if you look hard enough.

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