CHICAGO -- When a player’s recent performance, particularly a pitcher, gets away from their established track record, it may present a challenge in preparation or approach.
Zach Davies isn't the same pitcher in 2021 that he's been throughout his career, but the Pirates' allowed him to mold back into his former self in a 3-2 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. The Buccos showed signs of life with a late, two-run rally in the ninth, but ultimately fell short and have lost seven of their past eight contests to drop to 13-18 on the season.
It was already going to be hard enough for players to get back to their former selves following the pandemic-shortened season -- which so far has been the case for a number of the game’s more talented hitters. As the year grows longer, it’s going to be particularly difficult on the pitchers. Derek Shelton has mentioned before that covering the extended workload after the 60-game season is one of the main reasons the Pirates roster 14 hurlers. But, obviously, this issue is not exclusive to the Pirates.
Davies certainly has not been the same pitcher that he was when the Pirates often faced him during his five seasons with the Brewers. His 2021 walk rate (15 percent) has more than doubled his career average. He’s throwing fewer strikes, missing fewer barrels and just not pitching like the control-and-command pitcher he’d been throughout his career.
But on Friday, more so than each of his first two starts against the Pirates in April, he has better resembled his preseason scouting report.
“He didn't really do anything different than what he always does,” said Jacob Stallings, who had one of the Pirates’ five hits against Davies. “Just one of those days I guess.”
The Pirates were more aggressive in their approach against Davies, whom Stallings described, quite accurately based on his track record, as a “strike thrower.” That’s not to say that being aggressive was the wrong approach going in, but it’s just as important to recognize when it’s not working.
In their latest meeting on April 10 at PNC Park, their approach certainly worked and Davies was chased in the second inning being charged with seven runs. But Friday’s contest closely resembled Davies’ Cubs debut, in which he lasted five scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the sixth. The similarities between those two contests, besides the string of zeros to open the game, was the number of outs in at-bats that lasted three pitches or fewer. The Pirates had 12 in Friday’s contest, and in the April 4 game at Wrigley, they had 11.
“I thought we were a little impatient,” Shelton said. “We went after pitches that were pitchers' pitches. And I think that he did a good job once he realized that we were going to be aggressive like that, staying at the edges.”
This approach, along with something of a generous strike zone from home plate umpire Mark Carlson, allowed Davies to be the 2016-2020 version of himself and not the suddenly erratic hurler he’s been in 2021. Although they weren't really fooled with just one swing and miss against Davies in seven innings, the Pirates were only able to put a runner in scoring position in two out of seven innings against him.
The most costly example of their “impatient” approach backfiring came in the seventh inning, the first time they really had their offense going. The Pirates stranded the bases loaded after Colin Moran and Phillip Evans hit back-to-back singles and Stallings drew a walk to open the frame. Todd Frazier, who is 1-for-27 to start the season, bounced weakly back to Davies, who made a barehanded play flipped to catcher Willson Contreras to snag the out at home. Then Ka’ai Tom followed with his own weak comebacker, this time resulting in an inning-ending double play.
“If we could've scratched away one or two, it's obviously a different game for those last few innings,” Stallings said.
Tom’s double play is a tougher pill to swallow when looking at what he had been doing best in the week since he’s been a regular in the Pirates’ lineup. He has four hits in his first 32 at-bats (.125) with the Buccos, but he’s shown an ability to be patient at the plate with five walks so far.
Tom later delivered an RBI single against reliever Ryan Tepera in the ninth inning to pull the Pirates within a run.
Despite whatever wildness Davies has developed during this season, both Shelton and Stallings explained that his past performance and ability to work within the zone must be considered.
“I think you always have to prepare for what he's done over the course of the long-haul,” Shelton said. “Obviously, you take things into play, but he's been that kind of pitcher his whole career, and eventually guys get back to that, so you prepare for that.”
This is the conventional wisdom, and it makes sense -- they’ve beat up on Davies once already this season. But something to consider coming out of this very unconventional, 60-game season, might be the need to prepare for a player’s new normal.
MORE FROM THIS GAME
• The Pirates scored their runs in the ninth-inning on Todd Frazier’s groundout and Tom’s single. It made for an exciting finish to an otherwise lackluster offensive performance.
“I've got to give credit to our guys. We did not quit fighting. We put ourselves in a position to win the game, and they kept going,” Shelton said.
The strength of that inning came from Stallings, the Pirates’ hottest hitter of late. Stallings reached base three times and concluded his day at the plate with a ground-rule double in the final inning -- the only extra-base hit from either side for the whole game. After finishing their previous road trip in Minnesota in an 0-for-19 slide, Stallings is batting .346 in the 26 at-bats since.
“I just feel like I'm in a good frame of mind. I have a good plan and a good routine, and kind of had a come to Jesus with Rick [Eckstein] in Minnesota,” Stallings said. “We've talked about a lot of things, but just got back to the things that have worked for me the last few years, and some of my cues and went from there, and I feel like I'm in a good spot.”
• It’s been a tough go of it so far for Trevor Cahill, who took the loss in Friday's contest. But it’s hard to argue that he isn’t keeping his team in games this season. The Cubs posted a run in each of the first three innings -- the first of which was unearned after Evans committed an error on a fly ball in right field -- on the strength of five of the eight total singles they hit in the game.
But his entire day could have gone differently had it not been for an inability to put away Joc Pederson after getting ahead of the Cubs’ left fielder, 0-2, in each of his first two at-bats. The first resulted in a lead-off single that led to the run that was scored on the error, and the next drove in the Cubs’ second score.
“I think with the wind blowing in, maybe they change their approach a little bit. It’s just so difficult to hit a home run, I think it was more of a singles kind of game, an old-school type of day,” Cahill said. “I made some mistakes with two strikes, and they hurt me.”
The 33-year-old Cahill lasted five innings and yielded two earned runs and struck out a pair. He now has a 6.75 ERA after six starts with the Pirates.
• It’s been a welcome return for two right-handers in the bullpen in Luis Oviedo and Michael Feliz.
Oviedo struck out Javier Baez in a scoreless inning, and has now gone three frames without giving up a run in his two appearances since his 17-day hiatus.
“Oviedo, coming in and getting the heart of their order and being able to execute,” Shelton said. “Saw the velocity back 94, 95, saw all breaking balls, which is really good. When you get one inning, sometimes younger kids won't use both. He threw the slider and the curveball. But definitely a good outing.”
Feliz, making his first appearance since a stint on the injured list with a cracked fingernail, worked around Pederson’s one-out hit with two strange pick-offs to complete two scoreless innings.
“What our bullpen is doing is obviously really, really good, and we have confidence in all those guys that we're running out there,” Stallings said. “I was happy that Michael came back today and had two good innings, and that was good for him to get back out there, and it's just a really good group, and really cohesive group, and they kind of feed off of one another so, they're obviously doing a great job, and hopefully they can keep it up.”
-About that weirdness with Pederson, perhaps it was a missed sign on a hit and run with Baez, but the outfielder was twice caught in a rundown between first and second. The first time, a hesitant Stallings and Feliz didn’t get over to cover first in time, and Adam Frazier basically chaperoned Pederson back to the bag. The second time, Adam Frazier took matters into his own hands and chased down Pederson and applied the tag himself.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
Adam Frazier, 2B
Bryan Reynolds, CF
Erik Gonzalez, SS
Colin Moran, 1B
Phillip Evans, RF
Jacob Stallings, C
Todd Frazier, 3B
Ka'ai Tom, LF
Trevor Cahill, P
And for David Ross' Cubs:
Joc Pederson, LF
Kris Bryant, CF
Javier Baez, SS
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
Willson Contreras, C
Matt Duffy, 3B
Jason Heyward, RF
David Bote, 2B
Zach Davies, P
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates and the Cubs have the afternoons covered all weekend with the series rolling along Saturday at Wrigley Field. Wil Crowe (0-1, 4.66 ERA) makes his third turn through the rotation against an old friend in Trevor Williams (2-2, 6.00 ERA). First pitch is again scheduled for 2:20 p.m. Eastern. I will have things covered at Wrigley Field.
THE CONTENT
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