PITTSBURGH — The Pirates trumped the Giants’ ace on Monday, using a home run from backup catcher Erik Kratz and 6.2 strong innings from Jeff Locke to escape with a 1-0 victory. On the other side of the ace, the Pirates should have some calmer seas ahead against the Giants’ pitching staff, right?
Not so fast, as Bruce Bochy and company will send out Johnny Cueto and his 2.10 ERA Tuesday night. The opposing 1-2 punch is nothing new to the Pirates, who have or are expected to face 12 of the 15 National League’s pitchers with a sub-3.00 ERA in a 30-day stretch.
The Pirates aren’t making any excuses for their string of tough opponents.
“There are different times in the season you realize you’re in the Major Leagues.” manager Clint Hurdle said. “That’s the fun part of it, and that’s the challenging part of it. … I love that aspect of it, that every day brings a new opportunity and it’s against some very elite talent from time to time.”
“It’s part of the stretch we’re in,” agreed shortstop Jordy Mercer. “Sooner or later, it’s going to come down to beating those guys. Those are the guys that are going to be on playoff teams.”
Beating one of the top pitchers in the league usually comes down to timely hits and patience. Pirates were able to work enough to get Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard out of the game early. Against Bumgarner Monday night, it was one clutch hit that paved the way to victory.
“They’re good for a reason,” Mercer said. “They aren’t going to make many mistakes. I think that’s the main thing. When they make mistakes, you have to capitalize on them, put pressure on them on the bases, and do some different things to score some runs. … [There have been times] we’ve had guys on, we put pressure on them, and we just didn’t get the big hit. With [Jon] Lester, he was at 100 [pitches] through six innings. Against [Jake] Arrieta, it was the same way. We had the bases loaded with no outs and he worked out of it.”
It’s probably no coincidence that the team’s batting average has fallen 13 points from .280 to .267 and they have a 13-19 record in that span. Hurdle doesn’t think that teams are pitching his players differently, or that his hitters are struggling collectively. It’s mostly been about the quality of the opposition.
“We’ve faced more top-tier pitchers lately than we may have in May,” Hurdle said. “We’re running into 27 of 31 teams that are playoff-caliber teams and we’re pretty much getting the front end of those rotations. We’re seeing quality stuff.”
The Pirates have taken care not to over-think their approach against these top starters too much.
“Every day, you’re going to face a pretty good pitcher,” said left fielder Gregory Polanco. “[Everyone] pitching in the Major Leagues is good. They’re here for a reason. You have to be prepared and be ready for whoever is pitching, because we are [also] here for a reason.”
BOSCAN GETS NOD
As expected, Wilfredo Boscan will make his first Major League start in place of Juan Nicasio, who remains on the team’s restricted list while he’s at home dealing with some family issues. Boscan has made five appearances in relief for the Pirates, with a 2.92 ERA over 12.1 innings, but his selection for a spot start was more about his availability than his previous results.
“Sometimes being lined up is a big as anything,” Hurdle said. “If a guy is not lined up, [are you] going to pitch him early in a Major League game?”
Top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to pitch Wednesday at Triple-A Indianapolis.
“Boscan has pitched well out of the bullpen,” Hurdle said. “He was lined up. Let’s give him this opportunity and see what he can do with it. … Once I found out he was lined up, I was good to go.”
Boscan’s first start won’t come with the same amount of fanfare as Jameson Taillon’s did earlier this month. Part of that is because of the long road he took to the big leagues. Since breaking into the minor with Texas in 2007, he’s pitched over 900 innings in 10 seasons for four organizations. It’s easy to forget that he’s still only 26 years old.
“He’s put in time, he’s put in effort and he’s committed himself to the craft,” Hurdle said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing him get the ball and starting. It’s different walking out of the dugout pitch one versus running out of the bullpen. It’s a different opportunity.”
STEWART STILL SIDELINED
Chris Stewart will miss his fourth straight game with a knee issue. He was hoping to play today, but instead, the team will put him through a vigorous pregame workout and then see how his knee responds Wednesday morning. If it doesn’t improve, Stewart could spend some time on the disabled list.
“We like to give it five days,” Hurdle said. “That’s normally the tolerance for the club and the player. It can be a strain on the club. It can be a strain on tactics during the game.”
Jacob Stallings will start and catch Boscan. He caught three of his appearances at Triple-A this season.
NOTES
• Gerrit Cole (right triceps strain) threw before the game in the outfield.
• The Pirates expect Nicasio to return sooner rather than later and expect him to join the bullpen when he returns. Jon Niese and Francisco Liriano will finish the series against the Giants and then Jameson Taillon and Jeff Locke will pitch Friday and Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Sunday’s starter to be announced.
