Over the past two days, the Pirates haven’t capitalized on the momentum from their 12-run victory against the Mets on Friday night. After an explosive performance that included 16 hits and a franchise-tying seven home runs in front of a sold-out crowd at PNC Park, the offense has gone cold again.
In a 3-2 loss to the Mets on Sunday afternoon, the Pirates managed just six hits and two runs, similar to their performance on Saturday. The now 42-47 Pirates mustered a six-hit total, spoiling a strong start from Luis Ortiz and suffering their 20th loss when a starting pitcher goes at least six innings.
Despite the lackluster offensive showing, there were a couple of bright spots. Ke’Bryan Hayes had a much-needed two-hit performance, and Nick Gonzales highlighted a three-hit eighth inning with a go-ahead two-run single. However, these moments were overshadowed by the overall offensive struggles against Mets starter Sean Manaea and three relievers, including closer Edwin Diaz, who blew the save but eventually picked up the win following a blown save by Aroldis Chapman.
The Pirates’ only other legitimate scoring opportunity came in the second inning when Hayes reached on an error but was stranded on third. The offense struggled to generate momentum, exemplified by Joey Bart being thrown out at second base while attempting to stretch a single into a double in the fifth inning.
When asked about the lack of offense, Derek Shelton praised Manaea’s performance. “Manaea’s sweeper today was really good,” Shelton said. “He scattered the ball the first two innings. Didn’t have a lot of command. Then he got a feel for the sweeper. I think that was the difference.”
However, the offensive inconsistencies the Pirates have experienced throughout the season aren’t solely due to opposing pitchers. Despite the challenges of facing major-league pitchers, the Pirates’ offense has frequently come up short. The team’s offensive rankings reflect their struggles, as they sit among the bottom eight teams in categories such as batting average (.230), OPS (.665), hits (693), hits per game (7.81), runs (362), and runs per game (4.09). They are also among the top five teams in baseball with 837 strikeouts, a number that increased with yet another double-digit strikeout performance on Sunday.
Additionally, the Pirates have been plagued by mistakes on the basepaths and failures in executing small-ball plays. For instance, Gonzales was picked off second base following a double in Saturday’s loss, and Michael A. Taylor failed to lay down a successful bunt with nobody out and the Pirates trailing by one in the eighth inning on Sunday.
“We have to execute there, and we didn’t,” Shelton said, though he praised the way the offense eventually bounced back in their most productive inning of the game. “We need to get that down, but we bounced back. We just have to finish the game.”
Shelton emphasized the importance of capitalizing on opportunities, especially with runners in scoring position. After leaving six runners on base and going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position on Sunday, the Pirates now rank 24th in baseball with 6.99 runners left on base per game. They are 17th in terms of runners left in scoring position per game (3.42).
“We have to execute with runners in scoring position,” Shelton said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. We’ve struggled with that a little bit over the last few months.”
The Pirates’ offensive performance is unpredictable, alternating between explosive outbursts and disappointing showings. The team needs consistency to make a push for the playoffs, as they currently sit 4.5 games behind the Padres for the second wild card spot in the National League.
“I think if we just continue to do what we’re doing, the work, I think we’re eventually going to hit on all cylinders,” Gonzales said. “It’s kind of the game right now. Tough pitchers and everything, but I think as we keep moving forward, I think we’ll be fine.”
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