DETROIT -- Throughout the 2-11 stretch to start the month of May, players and coaches alike have been talking about getting back to what the Pirates want to do on offense.
Just one night after being thwarted yet again in yet another shutout, the lineup responded with an 8-0 beating of the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park. The offense compiled 14 total hits, and did exactly what they've been wanting to do on offense to stop the bleeding.
"That was a game we needed offensively," Derek Shelton said. "And I think as we’ve talked about throughout the year, if we move the ball, if we just move the ball forward, things can happen. And there were times when we didn’t hit the ball hard; there were times we did hit the ball hard. But the fact that we moved the ball forward and we continued to have productive innings -- and then we ran the bases well, on top of it. So that was a nice game for our offense."
Not only did the Pirates score more than four runs in a game for the first time since April 29, they did it without relying on the long ball. Only one of the eight runs came via home run, thanks to Rodolfo Castro's liner that cleared the wall in left field in the fourth inning:
While hitting home runs provides immediate impact, the Pirates have been very vocal about wanting to be a team that constantly floods the bases, moves runners and ultimately pounds the opposition into submission through nickel and diming them to death.
And lately, the Pirates' offense hasn't been able to do that against anyone, much less the better pitchers they've faced along the way. They had another tall task on Wednesday, facing Eduardo Rodriguez, who carried a 1.57 ERA and 0.79 WHIP into the game. Nevertheless, the Pirates were able to get on the board early, thanks to a two-out, two-run double by Austin Hedges in the second inning:
Matt Vierling clearly had trouble tracking the ball, which played a crucial role in why he didn't come down with it. But, the Pirates didn't waste the lucky bounce. They capitalized on it, keeping the pressure on the opposition.
After Castro's solo homer in the fourth, Andrew McCutchen made sure to keep piling on. Bryan Reynolds kept the inning alive with a two-out double hit just inside the first base line, then McCutchen drove him in two pitches later:
Over his previous five starts, Rodriguez had pitched 35 2/3 innings and allowed just one earned run over that span. He had struck out 38 batters and walked only five. And this Pirates offense -- the same one that had scored only 20 total runs over the past 13 games -- tagged him for four runs.
This wasn't some scrub. They did it against a pitcher who had been completely lights out.
But, the offense didn't stop there. After knocking Rodriguez out after 98 pitches in five innings, the Pirates kept piling on with a four-run seventh inning. They sent nine batters to the plate, racking up five hits in the process. Three of the four runs were driven in by singles and the other by a double.
An inning like that can choke the life out of the opposing dugout. When the Pirates were hitting in April, this is what they were doing. Just a barrage of base hits and traffic. But, even after doing what they did against Rodriguez, keeping the pressure on was important for this team. They needed a tangible reminder of what this offense looks like when it's clicking on all cylinders.
"First of all, it’s important because Rodriguez has probably been throwing the ball as well as any pitcher in the game," Shelton said. "And then the second thing is, we didn’t let up. We got the two runs on the ball that Hedgy hit, then Rudy hits the home run, and we continue to go. And I think that is really important. And it’s important as you go through a game, because we haven’t scored four runs in a game in a while, just to continue to press through those at-bats. Really proud of the group today."
As we've seen with this offense, the burden of not producing runs takes its toll. Guys try to do too much or not enough. It's hard to stay positive. Nevertheless, Shelton said the group had a good energy before the game, and it coalesced into this type of performance. That's why former hitting coaches such as Shelton constantly preach positivity.
"It’s hard to do as a hitting group, and I can tell you that from previous experience," Shelton said. "But you have to stay positive. Because when you’re going through a tough offensive stretch, it’s really easy to get down."
On top of the offense coming alive for the first time in nearly three weeks, the pitching was perhaps even more dominant. Vierling led off the Detroit first with a comebacker that glanced off Rich Hill's glove and died in the grass for a single, and ... that was it. That was the only hit of the ballgame for Detroit.
"Hedges did a great job behind the dish," Hill said. "The guys on the back end -- Hernandez, Moreta, Stephenson -- throwing the ball the way that they did was incredible. The bullpen has been awesome all year long. I know we’ve had a couple bumps in the road here and there. But for the effort that we’ve been giving consistently throughout the season has been there. We have the off day tomorrow. Get back to work when we come back."
Hill dominated with six scoreless innings, walking only two batters and struck out seven, then the bullpen finished things off with minimal resistance in the final third of the game.
"We haven't had a complete game like that in a while with pitching, hitting, defense -- everything," Reynolds told me. "It was nice to have that."
In fact, it was a bit peculiar that Shelton's postgame meeting with the media started with four questions that didn't address a combined one-hit shutout.
"As long as we score more runs than the other team, we can talk about whatever you guys want," Shelton joked.
Either way, this was a game the Pirates really, really needed. Not only to get back into the win column, but to get the monkey off their back at the plate. Now, it's about making sure this wasn't a fluke. They've got to find a way to sustain what they were doing. It won't always result in eight runs on 14 hits. They just have to avoid anything close to the atrocity from the 13 prior games.
"It's a good game to build off of," Reynolds told me. "It'll make the off day a little better. We'll have this to think about instead of the opposite. Just gotta carry the momentum from this through the off day into the next series."
MORE FROM COMERICA PARK
• Reynolds still doesn't have a home run since April 7 or an RBI since April 30, but he did turn in a three-hit performance on Wednesday. There is no panic from Shelton, who is adamant that Reynolds is still hitting the ball well, just not elevating it. Reynolds, who went through a cold stretch around this time last season, isn't worried about the lack of run production. He knows it's a long season.
"It's just one of those times in the season where things aren't going perfectly," Reynolds told me. "But, I feel generally alright. Just gotta keep working until the tide turns."
• As good as Hill was on Wednesday, the bullpen was just as sharp behind him. Robert Stephenson, Jose Hernandez and Dauri Moreta all pitched a scoreless inning apiece, with Moreta just one foul ball away from an immaculate inning to close out the ballgame.
"He’s been good," Shelton said of Moreta. "Came in and did a good job, Bob came in and did a good job, and Jose did a good job too. Overall, it was a very well-played game."
• Vince Velasquez is scheduled to throw a side sometime today after getting through a good live BP session in Bradenton on Sunday. After today's side, Velasquez will begin his rehab assignment "later this week," most likely at Class AAA Indianapolis.
• Rob Zastryzny threw 20 pitches in one inning to begin his rehab assignment with Indianapolis on Tuesday night. He'll remain there until his rehab is through.
• Nothing new to report on Ji Man Choi, Oneil Cruz, Jarlín Garcia or Wil Crowe. Choi has been out of a walking boot for two weeks. Cruz is still in the no load-bearing stage. The nerve is still in the process of healing with Garcia. Crowe is still in the no-throw stage.
• This was the Pirates' sixth shutout of the season, tying Toronto for the second most in baseball. Only Tampa Bay has more with seven shutouts.
The 2022 Pirates had six shutouts for the entire season. So, progress?
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 15-day injured list: RHP Vince Velasquez (elbow), Rob Zastryzny (elbow)
• 60-day injured list: 1B Ji-Man Choi (Achilles), RHP Wil Crowe (shoulder), RHP JT Brubaker (elbow), SS Oneil Cruz (ankle), LHP Jarlin Garcia (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Andrew McCutchen, DH
4. Carlos Santana, 1B
5. Connor Joe, RF
6. Rodolfo Castro, 2B
7. Ji Hwan Bae, CF
8. Chris Owings, SS
9. Austin Hedges, C
And for A.J. Hinch's Tigers:
1. Matt Vierling, CF
2. Andy Ibáñez, RF
3. Javier Báez, SS
4. Spencer Torkelson, 1B
5. Eric Haase, LF
6. Jonathan Schoop, 2B
7. Miguel Cabrera, DH
8. Zack Short, 3B
9. Jake Rogers, C
THE SCHEDULE
After earning the split in Detroit, the Pirates will now head home. They have the day off on Thursday, then welcome the Diamondbacks to PNC Park for a three-game series over the weekend. Alex Stumpf and DK will get you started with the coverage on Friday night.
THE MULTIMEDIA
THE CONTENT
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