In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Career Night for El Coffee
Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the first place Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. Chad Kuhl had a pretty solid, albeit short start. He struck out a season high seven batters and at times looked overwhelming. However, the story of the game was Gregory Polanco. The Pirates’ right fielder was outstanding as he had his first four hit game and threw a runner out at home. In 48 July at-bats, Polanco is slashing .438/.460/.688/1.148 with eight extra base hits and seven RBIs. Simply put, Polanco has been everything the Pirates need him to be.
It would be easy to only focus on the offensive side of the game but Polanco also made an outstanding defensive play. He threw out Manny Pina at home and he made it look way easier than it probably was. Not many outfielders make that throw, especially how quickly he got the ball home. The defense of Polanco has been maligned because he definitely looks goofy out there. However, when playing right field this year, he’s saved four defensive runs and has a UZR/150 of 5.6. Once again, Polanco may look uncomfortable but there’s no denying that he’s a fairly solid defensive right fielder.
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Guess Who’s Back?
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t had their “Outfield of Dreams” together since early April but tonight they will be reunited. Starling Marte is eligible to return from his 80 games PED suspension and I would expect him to be manning left field come 7:05 pm.
When a player is suspended for PEDs, almost all their accomplishments leading up to that point are understandably questioned. If Marte plays well, he can put his suspension behind him and focus on helping the Pirate. All his previous greatness will be doubted by the fans and very likely the local media if he plays poorly.
Nothing will be decided for Marte tonight. He could go 4-4 with four home runs and still end up playing poorly during his return or he could 0-4 with four strikeouts and end up playing great. It’s important to not put too much emphasis on game one of his return.
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