PITTSBURGH – Earlier this season, it seemed the like the Pirates couldn’t catch a break. While the team was going through its own injury struggles, they hit almost every top pitcher in the National League.
In August, things have swung the other way. Outside of prospect Tyler Glasnow and backup catcher Chris Stewart, the Pirates are at full health, and their luck when it comes to opposing starters has swung back the other way, as well.
The Pirates miss Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles and both Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto in their three games against the Giants in San Francisco. The Miami Marlins are coming to town without injured slugger Giancarlo Stanton and the Pirates will miss ace Jose Fernandez. The Chicago Cubs have placed pitcher John Lackey on the disabled list, putting him in doubt for the Pirates’ series at Wrigley later this month.
It’s a part of the game that’s outside of the team’s control, but it seems to be swinging the Pirates’ direction.
“Normally though the season, you do see the ebb and flow, where you run into the ones and twos and threes and then you see the back ends,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Sometimes, it’s not who you play, it’s when you play them based on who they have healthy from time to time. That’s been the case with us some times when some teams have come in here as well. There’s a lot of things out of your control in the season.”
Hurdle said that he tries not to spend too much time or energy addressing things that he and the team can’t impact.
“There are things that are in your control, those are the things we stay focused on,” he said. “The other things we let go. We need to be prepared for the day. We’re best served when we prepare for today’s game. … It’s really just staying in the moment. I’ve been on teams that have gotten distracted.”
Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong has a more nuanced position on the matter. For some players, some additional gravitas might be a good thing. It’s about knowing yourself, he said:
“We’re playing the Marlins and they’re right behind us in the Wild Card. If you need to treat these games like they’re must-win games for you personally and that’s going to make you play better, then that’s how you treat them. If you’re a guy that wants to say it’s just another game, because that’s where you want to be and it’s going to make you play better, then that’s where you need to be. It’s kind of a personal thing.”
As for Vogelsong himself, he falls in the former category.
“I’m the high-intensity guy on the day I’m pitching,” he said. “I try to treat them all the same — like they’re all must wins. When you go to Japan and go to winter ball at 32 and in a lot of your starts in your life, if you don’t pitch well, it could be your last one, you learn how to deal with that kind of pressure. It makes me function better. When I get the ball on Sunday, it’s going to be like a Game 7 playoff game to me. I’ll leave everything on the field and see what happens at the end.”
Despite not facing opponents’ best, it’s important not to take anyone lightly, said second baseman Josh Harrison:
“You just take each day for what it is, no matter who is on the mound or who is at the plate, because they’re coming to get you. … Obviously, you don’t want anybody to be hurt, but it’s the name of the game. Every team in the big leagues is going to experience some roster change due to injury or whatever it may be.”
LINEUP LUXURY
With a fully healthy lineup and a day off, Hurdle has been able to get his new top of the lineup some consistent reps. Josh Harrison, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco are again at the top of the Pirates’ order.
#Pirates lineup for Marlins. pic.twitter.com/l7x8Ck7pso
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) August 19, 2016
“When you look at some of the better lineups in the league, you’re looking at a core group of guys that you can run into that can change the game,” Hurdle said. “I think each one of those guys has a different set of skills that can change the game, whether it be with their legs or with a swing of a bat. They’ve all also shown the ability [to work a pitcher].
“They all hit the ball around the park, they can move the ball around, they can elevate and get the ball in the air. I just like the way it’s lined up. We’ve had nights where individually, they’ve been able to showcase some skills and we’ve had some nights where the three of them put together have passed the baton and done some significant things to get the offense jump-started.”
