Even with tapered expectations, Pirates raising the bar with each victory taken in Detroit (Pirates)

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Erik Gonzalez slaps an RBI single into right field.

DETROIT -- The Pirates are leaving the Motor City with a very different group than the one with which they arrived. But the moves shouldn’t change the identity with which they’ve found encouraging success in the early going.

After taking the series against the Tigers with a 4-2 victory Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, the club brings a 9-10 record into the final leg of their road trip in Minnesota. It’s probably a better start than what was imagined or expected coming into the season. 

The end-of-the-year results may come crashing down closer to what was projected. But after the Pirates won six of their last nine and took two games in each of their past four series, it would actually be surprising if the team that fell into the 1-6 stretch to start the season reappears anytime soon.

That’s the product of getting better. Raising the bar a fraction of an inch with each game. The inevitable losses, bad outings and rough stretches at the plate will hit, but they won’t be catastrophic now that they actually have something to work back toward.

“I know a lot of people like to burn our name and mention about us in a negative form,” Erik Gonzalez said through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez. “However, I'm in here. I'm inside this clubhouse. I'm within this team, and I see how much work ethic is being put, how much effort's being put into every at-bat, the intentions behind every AB, all the preparation and how well these guys are preparing for the game. 

“I'm a huge believer in these guys, and yeah, things are starting to come around.”

When the Pirates are successful and winning ball games, they’ve so far relied on stringing together hits and steady performances from their bullpen. That was the case this week in Detroit. Most of the nine runs they scored in the three games at Comerica Park came on singles and balls put in play, while the bullpen allowed just one run over 7 ⅔ innings throughout the series.

Gonzalez is a comfortable fit in the Pirates’ offense when he’s at his most consistent. The team doesn’t have a clump of 30-homer bruisers in their lineup. But they have guys like Adam Frazier or Bryan Reynolds that put the ball in play, hit for average and get good reads on the bases.

“We have to manifest the offense we have,” Derek Shelton said. “We have to create those situations. We have to create contact.”

Frazier had three hits and a pair of runs scored while Gonzalez had two run-scoring hits and Reynolds and Colin Moran each chipped in an RBI single in Thursday’s finale. 

“We won today because we had two ground balls on the back side,” Shelton said. “That’s the way our offense is built. We’re not going to sit back and bang with people, but we have to continue to put ourselves in the position to do those things.”

Opportunities are going to come for a player like Gonzalez in this offense. With the news that Ke’Bryan Hayes is going to need more time on the injured list after aggravating his wrist injury, those chances should be plentiful, and perhaps even enough to wrestle the starting shortstop job away from Kevin Newman when Hayes eventually returns.

“It's always been my focus. I'm going in there aggressive,” Gonzalez said. “If they pitch inside, I'm going to find a way to get the ball in the gap and hit it well. If they pitch outside, I'm going to find a way to connect with the ball well and hit into the gap, or hit it into places where I can get on base.

“That's the focus, that's the mentality that I go up to hit with, and I'm ready. I'm ready for any situation that the team needs me in.”

Gonzalez has had an excellent stretch at the plate, with hits in 11 of his past 13 games. But he’s merely a complement to the heart of this offense in Frazier and Reynolds. Sure, it’s an excellent complement. Much like what Moran can provide but with more infrequent power.

But since Hayes has been down, when Frazier and Reynolds are on, the Pirates are successful. They’re batting a combined .354 with 22 runs scored since the club played the home opener with a 1-6 record. Gonzalez, in much fewer at-bats, over that same stretch is batting .359 with eight RBIs.

“Hopefully we can continue what we’re doing. ... Everybody’s fighting and putting together tough at bats, and eventually you break through,” Frazier said. “If we can continue doing what we’re doing, we can keep this identity throughout the year. ... Staying within ourselves is work.”

The other unit that’s really stepped up for the Pirates has been the bullpen. Shelton hasn’t officially named Richard Rodriguez the closer, but the 31-year-old is used just about the same as a traditional closer. And he’s been dominant in doing so.

“I love watching Richie pitch. It’s fun,” Shelton said. “It’s like I said, man, dude has no heartbeat. You never know where he’s at.”

Rodriguez secured his third save of the season in a 1-2-3 ninth inning Thursday. He’s now gone scoreless in 8 ⅓ innings with one total hit allowed this season. Dating back to Aug. 30 of last season, Rodriguez has not allowed a run in 19 ⅓ innings.

“I am a pitcher that really values and dedicates a lot of time to attacking the zone and making sure that I am hitting my locations,” Rodriguez said through the club interpreter Tuesday. “That’s something that I take pride in, that’s something that I work very diligently in, making sure that not only am I focused, not only am I rested but that I am prepared and equipped to make sure that I locate that fastball and I hit the zone exactly where I want it.”

The Pirates’ bullpen ranks 10th in all of baseball and fourth in the National League with a 3.69 ERA. Kyle Crick also has not given up a run this season. Duane Underwood Jr., David Bednar and Sam Howard each have ERA’s smaller than 3.00.

“We’ve got really good relationships. Everyone’s getting along, everyone's connected and we're pouring into each other every way that we can,” Rodriguez said. “One of our biggest goals is to remain positive, and to keep talking about the game every opportunity. We’re keeping the atmosphere in harmony and very positive. The conversations the majority of the times are [about] baseball, talking about the game, maintaining the vibes and the energy and the positive atmosphere.”

These areas -- station-to-station hitting and relief pitching -- should be a point of focus when the team inevitably fades. But at least there’s something now to hang on to. At least, it’s getting better.

MORE FROM THIS GAME

• There’s a painstakingly obvious correlation between Mitch Keller’s ability to stay within the strike zone and his success on the mound. Keller (2-2) did not issue a walk in his start Thursday. It was the first time he’d made an appearance without issuing a free pass since Sept. 10, 2019.

“Sometimes the situation comes up where you do want to get around a hitter or whatever and you may walk him, but you're never looking for those,” Keller said. “So, it’s just going out there with mentality of filling it up again. Just using my fastball to all quadrants of the strike zone really helped me navigate the lineup.”

Keller was charged with two runs on five hits, including a solo shot by a former lockermate when they were coming up as Pirates prospects, JaCoby Jones. Keller worked within the zone and landed 57 of his 80 pitches for strikes. It was the second time this year he’s completed five innings, and he lowered his ERA by more than a full run to 7.16.

“He’s a different cat when he’s in the zone,” Shelton said. “We’re continuing to work on that. I think today was a really solid step. He gave us a chance to win the game because he went out and threw the ball in the strike zone.”

Keller came into Thursday’s contest with eight walks in 15 ⅓ innings. He showed a particular inability to get out of the first inning unscathed (21.00 ERA) and was battered around by the Padres to the tune of seven runs over 3 ⅓ innings in his previous appearance. 

But he pitched with more visible confidence Thursday than he’s shown in any other start this season. And the results were apparent.

“Every time out, I felt better. Even, as crazy as it sounds, against San Diego I felt really good,” Keller said. “[I was] throwing strikes [but] I was just getting hit. I had to go back [and figure out] why did I get hit. I think it was my fastball was more to one side when I was at the top. 

“So, coming in now, we’re making sure we're moving it in and out and then attacking the zone with fastballs.”

Todd Frazier went 0-for-4 in his first game with the Pirates. He crushed a ball that would have gone out of most stadiums in the seventh inning. Frazier hit a Jose Urena fastball 110.5 mph and 412 feet, but it was run down by Jones on the warning track to the left of the 420 mark in center field at Comerica Park.

• The Pirates showed some of the effects of playing outfielders somewhat out of position. And, thanks to the general athleticism of who was thrown out there, it wasn’t really that bad. Reynolds, a more natural left fielder, took a chance on a very difficult read on a sinking liner from Akil Baddoo that led to a run-scoring triple in the second inning.

“I think he got a good break on it, a good jump. He took a chance early in the game, which is fine,” Shelton said. “I thought he made a good effort at a good time in the game, and he came really close to catching it.”

Phillip Evans, a more natural infielder, took a homer away from Baddoo in the seventh inning, but backed awkwardly into the fence and could not catch the ball. Evans batted it down and eventually held Baddoo to a double, but with some more time in the outfield, he might be more comfortable making a play, even one with that high level of difficulty, that results in an out.

“As Reynolds said to me, ‘That has to be a Defensive Run Saved.’ I don’t know how they calculate that, but that’s definitely a Defensive Run Saved,” Shelton said. “[Evans] brought back a homer, and it changes the whole complexion of the game. I don’t metrically know how they figure that out, but I’ll vote for Defensive Run Saved there.”

If it’s more reps they need in the outfield, it’s more reps they’ll get. Reynolds and Gregory Polanco are the only natural outfielders on the active roster after a slew of roster moves before Thursday’s game.

THE ESSENTIALS

Boxscore
Video Highlights
Scoreboard
Standings
Statistics

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card behind Mitch Keller:

Adam Frazier, 2B
Phillip Evans, LF
Bryan Reynolds, CF
Colin Moran, 1B
Erik Gonzalez, 3B
Todd Frazier, DH
Gregory Polanco, RF
Jacob Stallings, C
Kevin Newman, SS

And for AJ Hinch's Tigers and Jose Urena:

Robbie Grossman, DH
Willi Castro, 2B
Jeimer Candelario, 3B
Wilson Ramos, C
Jonathan Schoop, 1B
Niko Goodrum, SS
Akil Baddoo, LF
Victor Reyes, RF
JaCoby Jones, CF

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates open a series with the Twins in Minnesota on Friday night. It's an initials game. The Pirates send out their best pitcher so far this year, JT Brubaker (2-0, 1.76) against former Bucco left-hander J.A. Happ (0-0, 3.12). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. . Alex Stumpf will have you covered from Target Field.

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